Designed for executive leaders facing an increasingly complex world, the Connected Leadership Program explores the potential of psychedelics to unlock greater creativity and resourcefulness for navigating complexity. The program is embedded within the context of a scientific research study led by faculty from the University of Maryland and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board.
Two cohorts (14 participants each) starting in June & October, 2024.
If you have questions, please contact us at info@leaders.study.
Or, watch our recent webinar on the science of psychedelics for creativity, leadership and decision-making along with program information.
To learn more or apply for the Connected Leadership Program:
Scientific Background
The Connected Leadership Program was developed in conjunction with the Connected Leadership Study, a rigorous research project examining whether and how perspective shifts associated with consciousness-expanding experiences affect decision-making in organizations. Participants in the Connected Leadership Program have the opportunity to take part in this pioneering research.
A growing body of clinical research at leading academic institutions including Johns Hopkins, NYU, Stanford, Yale, and UCSF demonstrates psychedelics’ ability to alleviate mental health conditions such as depression (Carhart-Harris et al. 2016), anxiety (Griffiths et al. 2016), and PTSD (Mitchell et al. 2023). The Connected Leadership Study builds on related research exploring cognitive processes linked to flexible and innovative thinking in non-clinical populations (Harman et al., 1966; Gandy et al. 2022).
Breakthrough discoveries in multiple fields have been attributed to substantive insights gleaned from psychedelic experiences, including:
- Kary Mullis, who credited psychedelics for his pivotal discovery leading to the development of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), revolutionizing molecular biology (Doyle 2002);
- Ralph Abraham, who reported significant insights in the emergent mathematical field of chaos theory following psychedelic use (Abraham 2008);
- Carlo Rovelli, whose revelations surrounding quantum gravity theory were influenced by psychedelic experiences (Higgins 2018); and
- Steve Jobs, who attributed his shaping of Apple’s business strategy and focus on quality to psychedelic experiences (Dormehl 2012).
Psychedelic experiences may contribute to such insights by increasing connectivity within the brain (Carhart-Harris et al. 2016; Calder & Hasler 2023). Enhanced neural connectivity may be accompanied by a greater ability to recognize connections among problems or areas that were previously perceived as separate, supporting holistic (or “synthetic”) thinking in which diverse elements or concepts are combined to generate new ideas and cohesive solutions (Gandy et al. 2022).
In addition, psychedelics have been shown to foster a sense of connection to self, others, and the wider world (Watts et al. 2017). The Connected Leadership Program invites participants to explore new leadership possibilities and practices cultivated by this awareness, in service both to their organization’s stakeholders, and to a future in which humans live in balance with each other and the planet.
Research Study Opportunity
Exclusive Opportunity for Connected Leadership Program Registrants
Faculty from the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business, are conducting a novel research project – the Connected Leadership Study – in conjunction with the Connected Leadership Program.
Program registrants are encouraged to enroll in this study, which examines whether and how perspective shifts from psychedelic experiences affect decision-making in organizations.
Connected Leadership Study Principal Investigators
Rachelle Sampson, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator
Rachelle Sampson is a social scientist, educator, and consultant with training in the neuroscience of change, business economics, law and transformational coaching. She is Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Senior Research Fellow at the Wharton…
Bennet A. Zelner, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator
Bennet Zelner researches, teaches, and advises on regenerative economics, psychedelics, and leadership. Current projects include ongoing work on the Pollination Approach–a regenerative economic approach to delivering mental health treatment–and the Connected Leadership Project.
To learn more or apply for the Connected Leadership Program:
Why Connected Leadership?
“There’s another level of connectivity – world consciousness, planet consciousness, whatever you call it – where you think less about self and ego and more about what’s needed. Psychedelic experience just opens the door for you. Once you’ve savored that, and you’ve put a decision through that filter, you know which way to go. So it gives you an inner knowing that you can’t do with logic alone.”
– Connected Leadership Program Participant (CEO-Founder)
We are at an inflection point.
We face a pivotal moment in which global shifts are reshaping the ecological, economic, political, and social systems that support our individual and collective wellbeing. Our most intractable problems call for new thinking. Our institutions require repair. Our environment demands fundamental shifts in our behavior.
Where to stand?
The Connected Leadership Program is born of the premise that executives and entrepreneurs working with psychedelics can lead a new way.
Business leaders are world builders, risk takers, and innovators. They are not afraid to think big or small. They are comfortable with increasing complexity and the elegance of simplicity. They possess the ability to turn concepts into visions, strategies, and plans. They are capable of mobilizing others to act.
The Connected Leadership Program holds a unique promise, one shaped by the transformative potential of psychedelics, the depth of the participants’ lived experience, and the collective complexity of the challenges they face.
Where to stand in a tumultuous world? Out front, at the edge of what is unfolding.
Why you?
Are you an entrepreneur or executive who has experienced success in your field and is curious about what might be next for you and the communities you lead and care about?
Are you interested in contributing to a research project that may benefit others and the renewed interest of psychedelics on human consciousness?
Are you open to sharing your insights and questions with other executives and entrepreneurs for greater collective learning and growth?
Program Overview
Online
To support long-term, transformational change, the Connected Leadership Program asks participants to engage in two live virtual group sessions and six individual executive coaching sessions (by telephone or Zoom).
Group sessions are organized in cohorts of up to 14 executives:
- One session occurs prior to the retreat in the Netherlands. This session is designed to prepare for the psychedelic experience, foster deeper thinking, and introduce concepts of group development. This session also provides an opportunity for cohort members to get to know each other.
- One session post retreat (plus an additional, optional check-in) focus on integration, shared insights, and real-world application in a supportive peer environment.
- Key topics: Regenerative thinking, individual and collective leadership development, and sensemaking and redesign in complex systems.
Individual executive coaching sessions:
- Each participant is paired with an executive coach for six one-hour individual coaching sessions throughout the program. Coaching sessions are coordinated with the participant’s schedule, ideally every two weeks throughout the program.
- Content and key topics: Why self-improvement paradigms fall short, creating a developmental container for growth and ongoing transformation, post retreat integration and meaning-making, and practical applications of key learnings and insights.
See Program Dates & Investment below for more information on key dates.
In-person
The retreats, which are integrated in the middle of the program, take place in July and November in the Netherlands. This format provides ample time for preparation and integration.
June cohort retreat dates: 21 – 26 July 2024
October cohort retreat dates: 9 – 14 November 2024
Psilocybin truffles, legal in the Netherlands, are used during the retreat. Kiyumi’s retreat team of experienced practitioners support your preparation, journey, and integration process.
Program Dates & Investment
Key program dates and investment for the June 2024 and October 2024 cohorts are set out via the links below. Please note the following schedule details:
- Live virtual group sessions run for 120 minutes, starting at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 4pm UTC / 6pm CET. Additional times may be added to accommodate Asia/Pacific timezones.
- Executive coaching sessions run for 60 minutes and will be arranged for a mutually convenient time between participant and coach, ideally every two weeks during the program.
To learn more or apply for the Connected Leadership Program:
Connected Leadership Coaching Team
Kerry Radcliffe
Program Lead & Executive Coach
Kerry Radcliffe is an Executive Coach with 30 years of experience in business strategy, organizational behavior, and leadership development. She combines an understanding of complexity theory and organizational systems with emergent findings in human development and leadership growth.
Luther Kitahata
Executive Coach
Luther Kitahata is an Executive Leadership Coach known for his expertise in innovation, C-Suite roles leading global organizations, and as an entrepreneur building companies from the ground up. Luther draws on his deep understanding of the patterns that drive human behavior as well as his…
Kiyumi Retreat Facilitator Team
Amit Elan
Visionary Director | Facilitator
Amit Elan is leading the vision of Kiyumí. He is co-director of Altered – a conference exploring psychedelic research and consciousness in Berlin. Over the last 6 years Amit worked as a facilitator with different legal psilocybin assisted retreat organisations including the Psychedelic Society UK…
Lisa Wessing
MA Clinical Psychologist | Facilitator
Lisa Wessing has a Master in Clinical Psychology and was trained in psychology, anthropology, and biology in her BSc. Lisa has been fortunate enough to work in one of the most renowned psychedelic centers in Mexico, assisting in psychedelic therapy and providing support to people dealing with…
To learn more or apply for the Connected Leadership Program:
FAQs
If you have questions about the Connected Leadership Program, please email us at info@leaders.study.
If you have questions about Kiyumi’s other programs, please read Kiyumi’s general FAQs, and for any other questions, you can always reach out to Kiyumi via contact@kiyumi.org.
Both venues are set in the Dutch countryside to foster a connection to nature and peacefulness. The program fees include the standard accommodations, which are shared rooms with 2 people sharing a room. There are also private rooms available for an extra cost of 300 euros.
Private room availability for June cohort: 3 private rooms
Private room availability for October cohort: 3 private rooms
During your registration, please mention whether you would like a private room and our administration coordinator will guide you through the following steps.
Payment
To secure your place within the program, you need to pay 50% of the total program price (i.e., a deposit of $5,100 towards the full program price of $10,200). This deposit includes a $1,000 non-refundable application fee.
Your final balance is due at least seven (7) days prior to the start of your program. The final dates for your payment are as follows, depending on the cohort you are participating in:
- June cohort: 13 June 2024
- October cohort: 3 October 2024
Cancellation
Should you wish to cancel please notify us as soon as possible. You will receive a refund of your deposit (minus the non-refundable application fee) if you cancel thirty (30) days prior to the start of the program. Deposits will not be refundable for cancellations made after this time period.
- June cohort: 20 May 2024
- October cohort: 10 September 2024
Program fees will not be refunded if you wish to cancel within seven (7) days of the beginning of the program. The deadlines are as follows:
- June cohort: 13 June 2024
- October cohort: 3 October 2024
Travel Insurance Recommendation: Kiyumi strongly encourages participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance at the time of participant registration that covers trip cancellations due to personal circumstances such as illness or emergencies.
More Questions?
For any questions about the Connected Leadership Program, please contact our program lead at info@leaders.study.
For any other inquiries, please email us at contact@kiyumi.org
