Zen Leader 1 Program – Zen Leadership
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Zen Leader 1

Blue Ridge and fog

NOT GET THROUGH BUT BREAKTHROUGH

How can you use challenges, paradoxes and even your own weaknesses to breakthrough to new possibilities and a boundless sense of self? How can you embody essential wisdom and realize your goals?

Here’s your foundation.

Who is it for?

Leaders at all levels committed to making a positive difference and upleveling their leadership to embody the wisdom of connectedness.

What will you learn?

  • How to flip problems to opportunities
  • How to release tension and extend energy
  • How to reconcile seeming opposites or decide between right and right
  • How to center yourself and increase your power using hara
  • How to develop your concentration and self-regulation in meditation
  • How to work adaptively with the 4 large-scale energy patterns of the nervous system
  • How to increase your influence
  • How to bring a desired future into the present
  • How to apply Zen leadership to a current challenge or opportunity

“I arrived at the Zen Leader training exhausted, depleted, and bordering on depression. A mere two and half days later, after deep nourishment on every level, I left re-energized, restored, and excited about a new vision for my business. In a word: Transformative.” 

Amanda Blake 
Founder, Embright

Zen Leader logo in blue

How does it work?

Live, cohort-based program offered in two online formats.

Weekend Version

  • Starts Thursday evening, runs through the weekend, finishes Sunday at noon CT.

AGENDA OVERVIEW – ZL1 WEEKEND

  • What is Zen Leadership?
  • Finding Opportunities in Your Challenge
  • Introduction to Zen meditation and Hara Development
  • Experiencing Your Energy Patterns
  • From “or” to “and” – decision making in paradox
  • From Control to Connect, Increasing Your Influence
  • Realizing Your Vision
  • Crafting Your Way forward

6-Week Version

  • Meets for 6 Saturdays, 2 hours most weeks and a full day in week 5
  • Complemented by video content to view on your own time

AGENDA OVERVIEW – ZL1 SERIAL

  • WEEK 1: From Coping to Adding Value; introduction to Zen Leadership and hara development;
  • WEEK 2: From Tension to Extension; introduction to Zen meditation
  • WEEK 3: Experiencing Your Energy Patterns
  • WEEK 4: From “or” to “and” – decision making in paradox
  • WEEK 5: From Control to Connect, increasing your influence; deepening  practice
  • WEEK 6: Realizing Your Vision; crafting your Way forward

Original watercolor by award-winning artist, Diane Chencharick, IZL alum

with both versions you get:
  • A comprehensive workbook
  • Your personal FEBI report
  • Practical ways to apply 5 of the “flips” of Zen Leadership to a challenge you’re facing
  • Physical practices and somatic experiences for deeper integration
  • An introduction to Zen meditation and the Chosei Zen community with the opportunity to continue in Zen training after the program.
choose your Program Fee

When registering, you’ll have the option to select the pricing level that fits your circumstances.

  • $240 – Scholarship rate (e.g., student, limited income, international low currency)
  • $449 – Supported rate (e.g., part-time or self-employed, non-profit)
  • $599  – Regular rate (e.g., full time, government or corporate)
  • $749 – Benefactor rate (e.g., able to contribute to support another)      

A limited number of fuller scholarships may be available, usually linked with an opportunity to volunteer. We welcome a conversation to discuss how to make your participation possible. Contact us. 

Select your program below and register now

Zen Leader 1: May 2025

May 15, 2025 – May 18, 2025

Embody the basic flips of Zen Leadership from transforming problems to realizing a desired future.

Zen Leader 1: September 2025

September 25, 2025 – September 28, 2025

Embody the basic flips of Zen Leadership from transforming problems to realizing a desired future.

“Wonderful to take part in a program that integrates mind and body into 21st century leadership. Simple wisdom for complex times. Can’t wait until the next training!”

Jules Lewis

Founder and Director of Mountain High

“Everything in the training contributed to less duality and more wholeness. Now I experience everything as more whole.”

Bernd Linsenbuehler

Sales Director for GSK

“Zen Leader 1 helped me to clarify a challenge, identify options, understand energies, and get to a commitment and belief in myself to move forward.”

Wendy Luke

President of HR Sage

“The integration of Zen training, concrete strategies to ‘flip’ challenges, and an intentional community led to deep, transformational change.”

Amber Smith

Associate Director of WISCIENCE at University of WI

“The Zen Leader program could not be more pressing or timely. Reconnecting with what we know to be true through this exquisitely balanced experience is transformational. I leave with joy and a renewed sense of purpose.”

Glynnis Rengger

CEO of The Immersion Lab

“This program will open your ‘eyes’ and your energetic senses in a way to jumpstart your leadership in powerful ways!”

Chris Johnson

Q4 Consulting

you hAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS

What happens if I cancel?

Depending on when you cancel relative to the program start date, we can transfer your registration forward to a future offering or you may be eligible for a refund. See our cancellation policy here.

What if I miss part of the program?

Part of what makes our programs so strong is the sense of community in the cohort, so we encourage you to attend all sessions live.  If you have to miss 1-2 hours, we’ll help you get caught up. If you have to miss more than that, we’ll suggest rolling your registration forward to the next offering.

I don’t know if I can quiet my mind or sit still in meditation; can I still do it?

Quieting your mind is not required for meditation, but more of an outcome and we’ll show you how to get started. Sitting in stillness is part of our tradition, and you’ll see it’s a super-efficient way to train because the same things that get in our way in life and leadership come up quickly when we stop moving, but we’ll give you the tools to deal with them like you never had before.

What if I’m not a leader?

If you’re committed to making a positive difference through your life, you fit our definition of leader, and we’re here to help you do it better, even if that positive difference is in your personal life, rather than work life.

What if I can’t afford the program?

If you’re committed to training with us, we’d like to make it possible for you. We offer a scholarship rate and have a limited number of fuller scholarships available, generally in exchange for an opportunity to volunteer. Contact us at thezenleader@gmail.com to discuss further.

Is this too Zen-y or religious-y?

We do not ask you to believe anything or adopt any religion. Zen is not religious in the ordinary sense of the word, but rather physical training to break through barriers and free the mind. It is a foundation for being more of who you are.

Can my whole team attend?

Absolutely, in fact, it’s easier to integrate the program’s learnings in your workplace when multiple people or a team train together. Contact us for group discounts or if you would like to bring a tailored version of the program to your organization.