Mission
To present an educational experience with intellectual depth and substance that focuses on the individual as leader and the person as a whole to encourage participants to connect interpersonally and emotionally to better lead themselves and others.
Values
Education
Leaders must be prepared to deal with unknown, ambiguous challenges; therefore, the Institute is focused on intellectual curiosity and professional growth. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of education over training. Education prepares us for the unknown while training teaches someone how to manage what is already known. Because of the complexity of each person and each team (and group), understanding from education using trusted principles and concepts are more realistic. Because it is impossible to know exactly what will happen – the formulas and protocols of training will not work in programs designed to understand how to lead people. The learner, therefore, must suspend old expectations so he or she is not limited by patterns learned in past experiences.
The point of education with this philosophy is not to make you comfortable but to make you think. The leadership concepts taught at MLI are based upon scientific, objective information. The stories used to bring the concepts to life for the students are illustrative and personal to the respective presenters. Critical thinking starts here. As such, they may not be perceived as universally inclusive or applicable. However, the concepts are universally applicable to all races, genders, age groups, sexual identification, etc. It is incumbent on the students to translate the application of the concepts, via the presenter’s personal stories, to their own personal experience or those of their colleagues and/or subordinate employees.
Scientific Objectivity
The information and process of the educational experience is based upon scientific, objective information. This is true for the educational process as well as the content. We are not faith-based, nor grounded in a political ideology. The information about people and their relationships at work will apply generally to any person or group of people at any time anywhere. Therefore, if our educational concepts do not apply, then we will change the concepts to fit reality. We welcome each participant in this journey of scientific discovery.
Developmental Growth
The education we value is that which contributes to the growth and development of leaders. This includes their ability to connect interpersonally and emotionally as leaders. Thus, participation in the Institute should be a life-changing experience, promoting healthy growth.
Health
Health means vitality, being realistic, good judgment, social maturity, integrity, and many other positive attributes. We value the health of people, leaders, organizations, communities, and society.
Discipline
Successful leadership depends upon the intellectual and personal discipline of the individual. Adherence to the other values is contingent on that kind of discipline.
Ethical Behavior
Ethical behavior is foundational to the other values and depends upon an ethical mind-set. Leaders should seriously examine both the means and all of the consequences—ends—of their actions. Relentless consistency in the application of the leader’s values is a manifestation of the leader’s integrity. While we are pragmatic and realistic, we are not amoral. We are concerned about the right way to educate leaders to use scientific information to grow and develop in a healthy way.
