Overview
Leadership begins with the courage to care – this is the bottom line!
Leadership is not only about performance or control—it is a profoundly human activity grounded in how we relate to uncertainty, the unexpected, others, and ourselves. This three-part webinar series explores the philosophical foundations of leadership through the moods that make wisdom possible.
Each two-hour session introduces one classical philosopher—Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle—and explores how their insights illuminate the human and emotional dimensions of leading well.
You will discover how philosophical reflection can deepen leadership presence, judgement, and care; how moods such as perplexity, aspiration, and attunement shape strategic action; and how the art of thinking well and feeling deeply can guide ethical and effective decision-making.
In this first series we will focus on the contribution of ancient Greek philosophers to our understanding of the human dimensions of being a leader.
Session 1: Socrates — The Courage of Not-Knowing
Discover how the Socratic mood of perplexity opens genuine dialogue, dissolves certainty, and creates the conditions for self-reflective leadership.
Session 2: Plato — The Mood of Aspiration
Explore how the Platonic vision of the Good unites reason, emotion, and desire—and how leaders can harness aspiration to align purpose and action.
Session 3: Aristotle — Emotional Wisdom in real time
Learn how phronesis (practical wisdom) depends on emotional balance and proportion, cultivating the mooded clarity that underpins strategic thinking and ethical execution.
Learning Outcomes
Philosophical leadership is counterintuitive. It doesn’t begin with confidence or control, but with the courage to stay open—to read moods as signals, to lead withcare and reason, and to allow uncertainty to teach rather than threaten.
By the end of this series, participants will:
- Recognise moods as signals, not symptoms. Learn to read anxiety, uncertainty, and doubt as invitations to new possibilities and directions.
- Lead with care and reason, not control. Discover how thoughtful compassion enables clarity and creative action in moments of pressure.
- Turn disruption into dialogue. Practise slowing down enough to let new meanings and relationships emerge from confusion.
- Transform anxiety into new possibilities. Work reflectively with tension and fear so they become starting points for creativity and transformation.
- Develop emotional wisdom for strategic leadership. Cultivate the underlying moods—curiosity, steadiness, openness, resolve—that sustain strategic thinking and effective execution, even under pressure.
- Enable others to tune into what really matters. Learn how philosophical coaching opens shared awareness, authenticity, and purpose among followers and teams.
- Apply philosophical frameworks. Use Convention–Disruption–Transformation (CDT) and Hermeneutic–Existential–Phenomenological (HEP) reflection to navigate change.
- Learn from human exemplars. Explore how Mandela, Ardern, Jobs, Roddick, Grove, Meyerson, and others turned disruption into creative, humane possibility.
Format
Program Structure –
Three live, interactive 2-hour webinars.
Cost: $450 full program / $150 per session
Target Audience
Ideal for: Leaders, coaches and professionals who want to strengthen their capacity to work with uncertainty, deepen their emotional wisdom, and cultivate presence, steadiness, and care in the dynamic flow of coaching and leadership.
Testimonials
You have a gift of making complex philosophical thinking easier to understand and apply to daily life.
I thoroughly recommend Steven’s workshops. His ability to illuminate the link between philosophy and psychological practice has enriched and deepened my work as a psychologist.
I would love to know if you are offering anymore PD related or group work in the future.. have thoroughly enjoyed the Thursday night content over the last month, thank you!
I enjoy every minute of your 'lecturing' I wouldn't refer to it as lecturing. I think you have a lovely conversational style.
I absolutely loved the course and to say it has given me new perspectives is a gross understatement. It is has started me on a long, fascinating journey that I will continue throughout my career. Thank you.
I so much enjoyed the opportunity to do this seminar . It was fascinating, affirming and integrative for me.
Condensing all of these philosophical reflections into 10 meaningful hours of insights is impressive. It has been a blessing for me to have been able to learn from you. Thank you so much for your wisdom.
Thank you so much again for an absolutely lovely opportunity to dive in deep. … Such a blessing to have been taught through such an experiential program. This was also my most enjoyable PD sessions to date!
Dr Steven Segal
Dr Steven Segal is a registered and practising Psychologist. He was appointed Associate Professor of Management at Macquarie University, Sydney where he taught psychology and philosophy in the context of management and leadership.
Dr Segal has conducted professional development workshops in a range of areas including leadership, education, psychology and psychotherapy. He brings a unique combination of psychology, philosophy, management education and leadership to enable professionals at all levels to develop their practice.
Themes which have driven his interest in psychology and philosophy include anxiety and depression. He has always been focused on the practical application of philosophy which gives him an additional and helpful lens in his practice as a psychologist. Utilising philosophy, he enables clients to gain insight into themselves and the social context in which they live. He has an action orientated view of philosophical reflection and believes that action and reflection form an ongoing cycle on the psychotherapeutic journey.
Dr Segal’s Masters and PhD focus on educational frameworks for working with anxiety and despair. His most recent research project focused on the challenging psychological experiences involved in management and leadership development.
He has published two books which both deal with anxiety and emotion in the context of management:
- Business Feel and Management Practice, and
- Creative Destruction: Existential Skills for Inquiring Managers, Researchers and Educators.
He has edited books including Face to Face with Management Practice and been the section editor of the Handbook on Managerial Philosophy. Dr Segal has published over 30 peer-reviewed scholarly articles in a range of disciplines including philosophy, psychology, and management.
Format
Program Structure -
Three live, interactive 2-hour webinars
Cost: $450 full program / $150 per session