InterMission - An Action-Learning Expedition

InterMissions - An Action-Learning Expedition --- InterMission is a self-leadership course for students adrift in a sea of expectations who are exceptional at fulfilling goals set by others but find themselves too busy to reflect on whether they're the right thing to do. The goal of the course is to help you authentically lead yourself and others -- every day, in ways large and small. To achieve this goal, InterMission explores personalized pursuits of coherence, purpose and significance in service of an impactful career. The course includes a one-week wilderness expedition in Utah's Canyonlands with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The wilderness expedition is strenuous and has an incremental cost, for which scholarships are available to offset the course fee. The action-learning expedition is a capstone experience of the course, blending awe-inspiring landscapes with a unique leadership challenge, and an opportunity to integrate and apply course teachings. InterMission has 12 classroom sessions of 90 minutes each and 7 intensive days on the wilderness expedition, which runs at the conclusion of winter term before summer internships or post-graduation pursuits. The classroom sessions will utilize and apply rigorous, science-based frameworks and experiential formats developed at Harvard Business School, UPenn Wharton, Virginia's Darden School, UC Berkeley and Michigan Ross School. The frameworks will be further supported by practice, including self-tests and action-learning exercises. The learning and practice exercises culminate in a final assignment where students are tasked with passing on what they've learned. The course is taught in partnership with the Business+Impact Program and Sanger Leadership Center and builds upon the Ross Leadership Journey topics of self, interpersonal and team leadership. We will explore, in more depth with practice, areas such as values, purpose, crucible moments, feedback, and conflict resolution, that have been cited by students as leadership development priorities. You will be challenged to be more authentic, build purpose-centeredness, and improve teamwork and collaboration by embracing change and growth. The skills you cultivate will then be applied to when, how and with whom you want to make an impact. Modern movements of social justice, sustainability and the changing role of business in society demand these perspectives and skills. The course is taught by a Professor who has been a Peace Corps volunteer, corporate executive, social intrapreneur and current global sustainability leader.

InterMission is a leadership and life course for students adrift in a sea of expectations who are exceptional at fulfilling goals set by others but find themselves too busy to reflect on whether they're the right thing to do. 

We explore the implications of an erosion of high quality connections with others, how the scarcity of time impedes our ability to think about anything else and the lack of space to reflect on what matters most. Our learning model moves from perspectives to purpose through practice.

We transition from the classroom to the field on a one-week wilderness immersion in Utah's Canyonlands with the National Outdoor Leadership School.