Event details

Academic Skills	Digital Literacy	Personal Development	Responsibility	Sustainability	Work Environment

Leadership can be completely different! In this 2.5-day intergenerational seminar, students and alumni explore together how positive leadership opens up new avenues for fulfilling and effective leadership.
Positive leadership is based on the findings of positive psychology and shows how leadership can contribute to both individual well-being and organizational success. The focus is on three central dimensions:
1. Self-leadership: How do I lead myself? We explore our own strengths, values, and resources as the foundation of authentic leadership. Through self-reflection and practical exercises, participants develop a deeper understanding of their own leadership personality.
2. Encountering others: How do I build appreciative relationships? We work out how positive communication, psychological safety, and trust arise and how these can lead to high-performance teams.
3. Encountering culture: How do I shape a positive leadership culture? Together, we examine which systemic factors enable or hinder positive leadership and how change can be initiated.

What makes it special: The intergenerational exchange between students and experienced alumni creates a unique learning environment. Students benefit from the practical experience of the alumni, while the alumni gain new inspiration from the fresh perspectives of the students. Together, we question traditional leadership models and develop visions for a people-centered leadership culture.

Contents:
•    Fundamentals of positive psychology and its application in leadership
•    PERMA-Lead model: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, achievement in leadership practice
•    Strength orientation
•    Psychological safety and culture of trust
•    Self-leadership and resilience
•    Meaning-making and purpose-driven leadership
•    Cross-generational dialogue on leadership experiences and expectations
•    Development of personal leadership models

The seminar is highly interactive, combining scientific input, self-reflection, small group dialogues between generations, practical exercises, and transfer tools for everyday life.

 Workload for ECTS:

2 ECTS:

•    Active participation in the 2.5 seminar days (attendance and follow-up session online)
•    Peer learning dialogue with alumnae/student tandem
•    Creation of a personal leadership model (5-7 pages)

As part of the Alumni4Students program (https://www.alumni.kit.edu/Alumni4students.php), long-term mentoring relationships between alumni and students are initiated, which can continue beyond the seminar.

 

Lecturer:

Christian Thiele is a university lecturer, trainer, speaker, and author on positive psychology and positive leadership (positiv-fuehren.com). In his courses, he helps managers and teams develop a positive leadership culture that balances human needs with organizational goals. He is particularly passionate about how leadership can contribute to greater well-being, engagement, and potential development. As part of the “Unlocking Leadership” program, he brings different generations together to jointly develop new perspectives on leadership.