We spend years in classrooms studying facts and complicated theories, but one thing we are never taught is how to have a fulfilling life. Our Leadership Development Program – LEAP bridges the gap. It challenges participants to reflect on their inner selves and inspires action. In the September edition of our “30 seconds with” segment, some of our LEAP Advanced 2018/2019 shared their thoughts about the program and described the impact it had on their lives.
Hannah Muther, oikos Graz
“Before I started my studies in Graz I did not consider myself a balanced person. Not that I am perfectly balanced now, but I live much more in harmony and peace with myself. Yet, getting where I am now, has not been an easy task. Joining LEAP undoubtedly stood as a milestone in my self-development, as it triggered in me a valuable process of introspection: thinking about myself, my actions, my feelings, my beliefs, my values, my emotions and, ultimately, my purpose.
Before, such thoughts were indeed present but kept whirling through my mind in indiscernible and sometimes overwhelming patterns. The LEAP program thus infused me with unprecedented cognitive acuteness and provided me with a space for pursuing personal reflections. Something inside me started changing as a consequence, opening my understanding of a variety of hitherto unchartered regions of the mind. LEAP has therefore been remarkable empowerment for me, and I urge any other oikees to benefit from it as well.”
Nino Kvaratskhelia, oikos Tbilisi
“LEAP put me on a journey to discover who I am. It gave me confidence, taught me to be a change agent, gave me a deeper insight into today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities, helped me make a transition, made me consider what kind of leader I want to be and create my path towards sustainable future.”
Luisa Pütz, oikos Bayreuth
“The LEAP program inspired me to pursue my interest in spreading awareness of sustainability and becoming a responsible leader. Being part of the LEAP Program 2018/2019 was one of the best experiences of my life. The LEAP program taught me, for instance, how to be a responsible leader, gave a clearer understanding of my values and my WHY in life. Our webinars broadened my horizon as we discussed topics I hadn’t been familiar with before. For example, I learned about the importance of organizational culture and how to overcome procrastination by just ‘eating a frog’. The LEAP program changed my life by teaching me how to be aware of my own body, thoughts, and actions. And I would like to pass this knowledge unto other oikees.
During my time as president of oikos Bayreuth (2018-2019), I directly used the learned methods and shared experiences of the LEAP program. During this time, we changed the whole organization structure and speeded up processes by using Podio. We separated projects from our discussion panels and built a strong team spirit. I am really proud of everything the whole oikos Bayreuth group achieved in this short amount of time. And I think it would not have been possible without the LEAP experience.”
Sagar Vatkar, Alumnus, oikos Kolkata
“I joined LEAP advanced program as a participant in 2015-16 and gained a lot of interesting perspectives on leadership. After 2 years of corporate experience, I came back to oikos as a coach for its LEAP advanced program of 2018-19 to contribute and help new participants. The team organizing the LEAP is dedicated to giving participants a truly experiential program on leadership with its webinars, onsite meetings, and coach-assisted peer-to-peer online meetings. With the programs’ regular feedback mechanism, I am sure that it will grow better in future”
