Responsible Leadership

“Responsible Leadership Seminar” is the flagship of the Aspen Institute’s program activities, and the initiative to hold the Aspen Seminar was proposed in 2006 to help Ukrainian leaders gain the qualities that are relevant to addressing pressing issues of public life. “Responsible Leadership” seminars are held in Ukraine since 2008 year, offering Ukrainian leaders an understanding of the fundamentals of good society, deepening understanding of the values underlying daily decisions, and thereby increasing m ability to solve complex problems.

The workshop brings together experienced executives and opinion leaders for roundtables. The group consists of 24 participants coming from different regions of Ukraine. Representatives of business, media, public service, politics, culture, science, art, NGOs, etc., take part in the event, which during the week are plunged into thematic discussions, which are subject to common rules and use elements of the Socratic method of dialogue.

Classical and contemporary texts – from Plato and Aristotle to Martin Luther King and Vaclav Havel – are starting points for rethinking leaders’ personal and shared beliefs in the workshop’s lab. The exchange of ideas helps to deepen the understanding of the world, create a new space for personal and professional development.

Until the end of 2024, 26 seminars were held in Ukraine, in which more than 625 leaders from all Ukrainian regions took part. By tradition, the Aspen Institute Kyiv holds a Responsible Leadership Seminar twice a year — in the spring and in the fall.