Leadership

Developing Leaders, Driving Impact

Leadership isn’t just a title—it’s a practice. At the Aspen Institute, we connect and develop leaders across sectors, geographies, and generations, building a community of individuals committed to addressing the world’s greatest challenges. Through dialogue, reflection, and shared learning, we cultivate the skills, relationships, and perspectives leaders need to navigate complexity, foster trust, and create meaningful, lasting change.

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Aspen Institute Leadership Seminars

Aspen Institute Leadership Seminars provide a transformative space for reflection, dialogue, and growth, equipping leaders with the insights and skills to navigate complexity.

Ideas in Leadership

Explore bold ideas, diverse perspectives, and timeless lessons on leadership from across the Aspen Institute.

How Higher Ed is Tackling Climate Change

This is Planet Ed‘s Higher Ed Climate Action Plan is a roadmap to support comprehensive climate action across higher education with recommendations for different stakeholders to catalyze and scale these efforts around the country.

Women and Girls are a Critical Climate Solution

At Aspen Ideas: Climate 2024, women leaders came together to discuss the burden of climate change on women and girls—particularly in securing resources like food and water—and how their innovation and ingenuity can be major contributors to climate solutions.

Navigating The Rural Green Economy

As we envision a green economy for the future, what are the concerns of rural residents? The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group shares some essential lessons for the green economy of the future coming out of rural communities across America.

Five Big Ideas from Aspen Ideas: Climate 2024

The ideas discussed at Aspen Ideas: Climate in Miami Beach make evident that if climate challenges are plentiful, so are creative solutions, and we can hold these ideas at the same time and choose optimism, with a dash of realism.

Upcoming Events

Through immersive seminars, dynamic discussions, and cross-sector convenings, we create spaces for reflection, dialogue, and action. These gatherings challenge assumptions, foster meaningful connections, and support leaders in navigating an ever-changing world. Explore our upcoming events.

Aspen Institute Leadership Experiences, Designed for Your Organization

Aspen Institute Custom Leadership Seminars offer tailored experiences that foster reflection, dialogue, and growth. Designed for organizations and teams, these seminars cultivate purpose-driven leadership, trust, and collaboration, equipping participants with the mindset and skills to navigate complexity and drive meaningful impact.

Latest in Leadership

Leadership is about action, not just position. Explore how Aspen cultivates leaders who think deeply, act boldly, and collaborate across differences to solve complex challenges. Learn more.

Maureen Conway discusses the unique challenges and opportunities that come from creating large-scale systemic change in our economic and business structures.
Blog Posts Videos

In Session: Maureen Conway

Maureen Conway discusses the unique challenges and opportunities that come from creating large-scale systemic change in our economic and business structures.

Blog Posts

A Blueprint for Action: Lessons from the National Strategy to Prevent Scams with Nick Bourke

In this Q&A with Aspen FSP Fellow Nick Bourke, we go behind the scenes of National Task Force to Prevent Fraud and Scams and how it led to the an actionable strategy for multi-sector action.

Post-it notes cover a wall during a brainstorm activity
Publications

Families Need Wealth. But How Much Is Essential?

Attaining a baseline of security, mobility, and well-being requires wealth. But exactly how much is needed? This brief aims to offer a path toward greater empirical understanding of what constitutes essential wealth and how to measure it.

Blog Posts

What Did You Learn in 2025?

Across our conversations, a single theme emerged: leaders are being asked to make decisions under conditions of heightened scrutiny, political complexity, and accelerating change.

2026 Science and Technology Policy Fellowship

A paid, full-time summer 2026 fellowship for science and technology leaders.

Jun 1 – 26, 2026, 9:00am – 5:00pm PDT

What Did You Learn in 2025?

Across our conversations, a single theme emerged: leaders are being asked to make decisions under conditions of heightened scrutiny, political complexity, and accelerating change.

December 18, 2025

Are You Ready for the AI Reckoning?

How can business leaders manage AI responsibly and effectively in this moment of sweeping technological change?

December 18, 2025

Reflections and Horizons

Standing Firm on Shifting Ground: The New Rules of Principled Leadership: a briefer from the 2025 Resnick Aspen Action Forum

December 13, 2025
China Fellowship Reunion in Penang, Malaysia

Flash Seminar: Rooting Our Leadership in Humanity – February 2026

Get a glimpse into what the Aspen method of text-based dialogue can do to strengthen the connection between your leadership and your values

Wed Feb 25, 2026, 4:30pm – 5:30pm EST

Socrates Japan, Kanagawa 2026

Innovation has been the source of increased wealth, new technologies, and growth at a rapid pace over the past two centuries. Our society either lauds the individuals who drive change as innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders or denigrates them as mavericks out of touch with reality. Often the technologies they invent rely on creative destruction to drive their successes, but this raises the question of when its acceptable or not. Join us for an exploration of case studies of innovators, innovation, and regulation. When does creative destruction cross the line into complete destruction? Can regulation keep guardrails on the creative process or is it always a step behind?

May 22 – 24, 2026, 8:00pm JST

Socrates Seminars

The Aspen Socrates Experience

December 11, 2025

2026 Seminar on Strategy for Artist-Endowed Foundation Leaders

Feb 23 – May 12, 2026, 1:00pm – 5:30pm EST

In Session: Danny Harris

Danny Harris, Executive Director of Aspen Socrates Program, shares some lessons on leadership collected along his journey, including as a parent.

December 10, 2025

Leading with Purpose: Why Bodily Autonomy is the Ultimate Act of Freedom

Catalina Martínez Coral is a leading force for reproductive rights across Latin America and the Caribbean, guided by her belief that “the political is personal, and the personal is political.” As Vice President at the Center for Reproductive Rights, her leadership has driven landmark victories—from decriminalizing abortion in Colombia to securing justice for women and girls across the region.

December 10, 2025