It’s hard to believe that in less than 24 hours we will be in the air on our way to Havana, Cuba, by way of Miami!

We’ve been preparing for the trip in the usual way one would prepare for a long journey. However, our studies are also preparing us for the trip through added layers of examining our mental models, frameworks, and biases, as well as an extensive deep dive into the history of Cuba. This course we are undertaking together, The Cultural Context of Leadership, will allow us to observe our leadership strategies in an unfamiliar place and will encourage us to approach new perspectives with curiosity.

Crucially, we will examine the power of narrative and frames of reference on our individual and collective worldviews. Over our three course sessions so far, we’ve practiced conversation protocols. We’ve synthesized a social contract as a team and created an individual self-care plan to allow us to experience discomfort in a reflective and deliberative way. Beyond the usual expectation of building cultural competency through travel, our course of study will develop the following outcomes: Think Critically and Strategically, Advance Social Justice, Act with Confidence, and Communicate, Influence, and Engage.

As a team, it is important for us all to respect what each person needs and communicate these needs to each other. We will continue to build upon these skills over the next two weeks. As individuals, we are asked to examine our way of thinking and apply our understanding of social constructivism in a mindful way. During this trip we will grow as leaders and thoughtful communicators – we can’t wait to have this amazing experience together!

~Laura Bowe