By Michelle Maldonado
Associate Vice President of Corporate and Strategic Relationships, American Public University System
Founder of the Institute for Personal Leadership Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa believes our global society is in a period of awakening in how we create environmental conditions to pursue personal leadership both for ourselves and for the organizations in which we work. In our fourth installment of the Authentic Leadership Series, we speak with Dr. Wadhwa about his pioneering research and lessons regarding the inside-out approach to leadership and the powerful science of inner mastery that all great leaders pursue.
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Q: How did your unique approach to personal leadership come to fruition?
Dr. Wadhwa: I discovered there was a critical conversation about leadership that was missing in traditional business school courses—how can one lead oneself? I observed a strong push by students and executives to explore their own personal leadership development. Beyond technical or financial mastery, these people I encountered desired to learn about how to deal with adversity, how to flourish in life and how to find fulfillment and meaning in their careers. In essence, they desired to pursue a more reflective path in life, where they were authoring their own journey, and to have a positive impact on the world around them. Fortunately in this day and age there has been a confluence of science from multiple disciplines—neuroscience, psychology, psychotherapy, behavioral economics and sociology—that allows us to study personal leadership in a rigorous manner. For example, neuroscientists are revealing what’s happening in our brain at a fine-tuned level when we act, think and feel in a certain way. I also pursued a study of the inner lives and the outer behavior of great leaders, individuals who have achieved remarkable accomplishments and transformed societies. It is from this blending of science and great leader studies that I approach and teach personal leadership development to professionals across industries today. It has been very gratifying to help others develop an authentic framework for their own leadership development.
Read on to learn more about Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa’s insights on our global society as part of the APUS_Authentic_Leadership_Series,_”Mastering Personal Leadership for Professional Success.”
About Michelle Maldonado:
Associate Vice President Michelle Maldonado is the creator of The Authentic Leadership Series and leads the Corporate and Strategic Relationships team for American Public University. She is a former practicing attorney with more than 17 years of leadership experience in strategic planning, operations and partnership development across the education, technology, and online media industries. Michelle is passionate about talent development, coaching, and mentoring of professionals to support individual growth and success. Utilizing an authentic and consultative approach, Michelle collaborates with industry organizations to form education alliances that support overall talent and institutional growth strategies. To learn more about how American Public University’s programs and services may help you, please visit: www.StudyAtAPU.com/Solutions.
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