Aspen Executive Seminar
Leadership, Values, and the Good Society

For nearly 75 years the Aspen Executive Seminar on Leadership, Values, and the Good Society has challenged participants in every field to achieve meaningful leadership growth through a critical examination of their core values. The Aspen Executive Seminar is an invitation for every leader to answer the question ‘How do I lead well and live justly in a good society?’ We offer the invitation, you discover your answer.

Clarify values. Catalyze action.

Seminar Premise

The truly difficult problems leaders face are ultimately human problems: problems concerning relationships to ourselves, to others, to our organizations, and to society. We cannot lead others through this complex landscape until we fully understand it and know how to navigate it ourselves.
Read more about the history of the Seminar here.

What You Will Learn

Leading others requires the ability to understand and forge alignment among diverse values systems. The Aspen Executive Seminar on Leadership, Values, and the Good Society will provide you with the tools to identify the cultural context and underlying values systems in which your organization and colleagues operate, successfully navigate the tensions among values in your current role, and leverage your personal leadership philosophy to tackle your most pressing leadership challenges.

Aspen Method of Leadership Development

The Aspen Method appeals to both the professional and the personal dimensions of leading. The small group, text-based dialogue process will challenge you to expand your perspectives, refine your understanding, and become more resolved in action. Read more about the Aspen Method here.

Key Outcomes

greater self-knowledge and an authentic leadership style rooted in core values
increased self-directed vision and the ability to inspire others
enhanced abilities to deal with ambiguity, complexity, and change
improved capacity to work with diverse groups towards a common purpose
a council of dedicated peers from diverse sectors

Who Should Attend

Leaders in the corporate, non-profit, civil service, or military sectors who are seeking

a thought-provoking, interactive program that focuses on leadership, not simply management skills
to integrate previous skills training in a deeper framework of values
clarity during a professional inflection point, promotion, or career transition
to engage with alternate leadership styles and strategies

apply here

Interested in a scholarship to attend?

At the Aspen Institute, we are committed to making our transformative leadership development programs accessible to a diverse range of leaders. To support this mission, we offer a limited number of scholarships for the 2025 Aspen Executive Seminars, designed to provide financial assistance to individuals whose organizations may face financial constraints.

LEARN MORE

Want to preview the Aspen Method before you apply?

Join a Flash Seminar on Rooting Leadership in Humanity to get a preview of the experience. In a one-hour virtual session, you’ll get a teaser of the questions explored at the Executive Seminar and get a glimpse at what an Aspen dialogue is like alongside other leaders. Expect to be engaged and participate throughout the duration of the session to best understand what the full seminar experience could do for you. Be prepared to participate with cameras and a microphone on!

The final 2024 session has concluded. Stay tuned for the announcement of our first Flash Seminar back in 2025!

“What attracted me to my seminar was that it wasn’t the ‘typical’ executive training where you discuss technical management skills. Instead, the curriculum challenged you to think about your values and leadership.”
–Liz Lopez
Senior Director, Social Impact Investing & External Affairs YWCA USA
“The tactical leadership programs are a dime a dozen. You can find them on any street corner, but if you want a program that will help you see through a different lens and feel the guidance of timeless literature and timeless thinking, the insights are profound.”
–Elise Mitchell
Founder of Mitchell, Former CEO of Dentsu Aegis Relations Network
“Thanks to the Aspen Executive Seminar… I have created an environment where people feel safer to be critical in their thinking and to use critical thought as a way to innovate and problem-solve.”
–Sunil Deshumkh
Managing Director, Wilson Cables Private LTD
“I was extremely impressed by the cohort and appreciative of the great moderators. They truly set the tone for an extraordinary experience and provided a safe space to ensure all participants and could be their authentic selves.”
–Nora Vargas
VP, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest
“I was really pushed and challenged that week and still reflect often about how I was able and at times not able to be vulnerable in that room with a group of people who I’d met days earlier. It’s absolutely something that I’ve home with me and informs how I can lead with authenticity and the values that the seminar helped me sharpen.”
–Laura Herman
Vice President, Partnerships, Cedar
“Reason is important. Aptitude is critical. However, if we forget our humanity… I think that we run the risk of going astray. I think the seminar does a really great job emphasizing all three dimensions as we tackle some of the bigger questions of the ‘great conversation.”
–Chris Hope
Executive Director, The Loop Lab

Information for Employers TESTIMONIALS

Seminar Dates

2025 Seminar Dates

Seminar Fee (inclusive of seminar materials, activities, meals and lodging at the Aspen Meadows Resort): $14,450*

*Cancellation/transfer fees apply

April 5-11, 2025 in Aspen, CO
June 7-13, 2025 in Aspen, CO
August 16-22, 2025 in Aspen, CO
September 13-19, 2025 in Aspen, CO
October 4-10, 2025 in Aspen, CO
November 1-7, 2025 in Aspen, CO

apply here

The Aspen Institute is committed to creating a safe seminar experience for all participants. Please see out latest COVID-19 safety guidelines here.

We are monitoring new variants and caseloads and are prepared to adjust the in-person seminars to meet health and safety guidelines. In addition, the Aspen Institute guidelines will be regularly updated to meet the latest health and safety guidance of the CDC and local authorities. If you anticipate any issues or have any concerns, please contact us at seminars.info@aspeninstitute.org

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