This unit explores awareness and self-awareness as core leadership skills for working effectively across cultures, time zones, and virtual environments. You’ll learn what awareness and self-awareness are, why they matter for you as a global leader, how they influence the way you “show up” in meetings and interactions, and how small, intentional practices can immediately improve your presence, relationships, decision-making, and team outcomes.
In this unit, you explore four levels of listening adapted from Otto Scharmer’s work at MIT. Through short audio clips and quick interactions, you practice noticing when you are listening only to confirm what you already know, when you are listening for facts and differences, when you are listening with empathy and emotional connection, and when you are listening deeply enough that you can be changed by what you hear.
This micro-learning unit is intentionally designed as a listening practice, not just a reading activity. Most of the core ideas come through short audio clips so that you can actively practice focused listening, notice your own listening habits in real time, and prepare for deeper work with tools like Dialogue later in the program. The four-levels framework is based on the work of MIT faculty member Otto Scharmer.
This unit introduces the concept of mental models—how we understand reality, make decisions, and interact with others. You will explore what mental models are, where they come from, and why they matter, especially when working on global teams. Through short explanations, interactive checks, and a personal reflection activity, you will start to recognize your own ways of thinking and how they influence your behavior at work.
In this unit, you are introduced to David Bohm and the foundations of Bohmian dialogue. You’ll learn what makes this kind of “dialogue” different from everyday conversation or debate, and why it is so important for global, cross-functional teams.
In this unit, you move from the foundations of Bohmian dialogue into practice. You’ll learn how to suspend assumptions in real conversations, work skillfully with emotions, and distinguish Bohmian dialogue from debate.
In this unit, you apply Bohmian dialogue to real work contexts. You’ll see how dialogue supports global, cross-functional teams, explore case studies, and learn how to structure dialogue sessions to support team learning and organizational change.
On global, cross-cultural, often remote teams, the real risk isn’t just the complexity of the work—it’s how people react to uncertainty. This unit uses real-world global scenarios (like Dutch–Malaysian and US/Canada–India collaborations) to show where uncertainty comes from, how it affects emotions and behavior, and how awareness can turn confusion into clarity and innovation. You’ll explore the three core sources of uncertainty (ambiguity, unpredictability, complexity), see how cultural and power dynamics amplify them, and practice simple tools to notice your reactions, reduce misalignment, and strengthen collaboration—starting with your very next meeting.
