Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
Learn More.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
past workshop

Leading at the Edge: Building Trust Through Psychological Safety

July 31 – August 5, 2022

with George Kohlrieser

We are living in a world filled with profound threat, uncertainty, and danger. The COVID-19 crisis is just one example. As a result, leadership — leading yourself and others — is even more important to create and maintain trust to inspire employees. We need leaders who can provide psychological safety even in the face of danger and threat.

Psychological safety starts with the personal effect of the leader, creating an atmosphere of trust in the corporate culture. It starts at the top and filters down through the entire organization. Psychological safety is fundamental for creativity, innovation, and high performance. It establishes trust and respect among team members, allowing them to take risks, for example expressing new ideas, being willing to fail, and asking for help.

Drawing on studies of High-Performance Leadership from the world of sports, business, medicine, music, theater, military, and hostage negotiation, managers can translate this knowledge to the real world of leading.

During this workshop you will develop and learn:

  • Cycle of bonding
  • Leading from the mind’s eye (without falling hostage to anyone)
  • Building trust through secure base leadership
  • The use of words — the power of an interaction
  • Conflict resolution
  • Managing emotions

In this week-long journey, you will explore the roots of your leadership and your leadership talents. The workshop offers cutting-edge theory, experiential learning, and opportunities to overcome barriers to your leadership through personal work and role-plays. Examples of case studies on difficult conversations to build bridges and common understanding will be shared.

Recommended Reading: George Kohlrieser, Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others and Raise Performance; George Kohlrieser, Susan Goldsworthy and Duncan Coombe, Care to Dare: Unleashing Astonishing Potential through Secure Base Leadership.

George Kohlrieser

George Kohlrieser is Distinguished Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at the Institute of Management Development (IMD) Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a best-selling, award-winning author of two leadership books, a veteran hostage negotiator, and an organizational and clinical psychologist. He has been a workshop leader at Esalen since 1979.

Full Bio