Wayfinding Leadership Cohort: Leading in Right Relationship in Times of Complexity
An Invitation to Executive Leaders
In a world shaped by uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change, leadership can no longer rely on static maps or inherited assumptions.
Wayfinding serves as a metaphor.
Rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, Wayfinding teaches leaders to navigate relationships—reading people, values, land, context, and consequences rather than trying to control them.
The Wayfinding Leadership Cohort is a 9-month, IACET-accredited executive learning journey designed for leaders ready to embody ethical, relational, and adaptive leadership—not just as theory but as lived practice.
Course Description
Wayfinding Leadership is a development program for Executive Leaders grounded in Indigenous leadership traditions that emphasizes relational accountability, adaptive navigation, and leadership in times of uncertainty. Participants engage in experiential learning, reflective practice, and applied leadership scenarios to cultivate presence, ethical decision-making, and systems awareness.
Program Overview
Wayfinding Leadership Cohort
A 60-hour immersive leadership experience recognized by the
International Accreditation of Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
Duration: 9 months
Format: In-person immersion plus live online integration
Cohort Size: Limited to 20 executive leaders
Total Credit: 6.0 IACET CEUs
(1 CEU = 10 clock hours total program= 60 hours)
Earning CEUs: To earn CEUs for Wayfinding Leadership, participants must complete the full required instructional hours, including all synchronous virtual and in-person sessions, and actively participate in experiential activities, dialogue, and applied learning practices. Participants must also complete all required assessments, reflective assignments, and post-program evaluations demonstrating engagement and satisfactory completion.
Opening Immersion Retreat
Dates: TBD
Check-in: TBD
Two Full Immersion Days: 8-hours each day
Check-out: TBD
This opening retreat establishes the relational foundation for the full nine-month journey. Participants will build trust, shared accountability, and collective alignment—essentials for leaders working closely together over time.
Shared meals are integral to the learning experience, reinforcing leadership as a relational, human practice shaped through presence, reciprocity, and conversation.
Monthly LIVE Integration Sessions
Following the retreat, participants will participate in eight (8) monthly live online integration sessions:
Format: LIVE, facilitated, interactive (dates decided within the community)
Length: 3 hours per session
Focus: Applied leadership, peer learning, and capstone support
These sessions ensure Wayfinding principles translate into measurable, meaningful organizational impact.
Learning Framework
The cohort is built around the Five Waypoints of Wayfinding Leadership (from Wayfinding Leadership: Groundbreaking Wisdom for Developing Leaders by Spiller, Panoho, & Barclay-Kerr):
1. Orientation on How to Lead
2. Implementing Values
3. Human Dynamics
4. Deepening Practices in Leadership & Management
5. Exploring & Discovering Destinations
Across all Waypoints, participants embody the Guiding Principles of A.L.O.H.A.: Ask • Listen • Observe • Heart-Focus • Adapt
Outline of Topics Covered
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Indigenous foundations of Wayfinding and navigational leadership
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Values-based leadership and ethical decision-making
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Navigating uncertainty, complexity, and systemic change
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Relational accountability, trust, and reciprocity
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Whole-systems and ecological thinking
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Personal coherence and leadership presence
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Adaptive leadership practices
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Capstone design: applied leadership intervention
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Reflection, integration, and future waypoints
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
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Explain Wayfinding Leadership as a metaphor for navigating complexity and change.
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Demonstrate relational leadership practices that build trust and coherence.
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Analyze complex leadership scenarios using systems awareness.
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Apply adaptive strategies informed by reflection, feedback, and context.
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Evaluate personal leadership patterns and identify areas for growth.
Capstone Project
Each participant will complete a capstone leadership project, dedicating 16 documented hours to the design, implementation, and evaluation of a real-world leadership intervention within their organization, such as a policy, practice, governance change, or leadership approach. Participants will then join the incoming cohort for a 4-hour facilitated session to present their capstone project and reflect on their learning journey.
This is applied leadership, not just theoretical study.
Program Investment
Total Program Cost: $3,500.00
Includes:
- Two-day immersive retreat (meals and lodging included)
- Eight live integration sessions
- Capstone coaching and facilitation
- IACET CEUs
Contact & Registration
Register HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/wayfinding-leadership-cohort1
** Invitation-only cohort. Limited enrollment. **
Wayfinding does not provide leaders with a map.
It teaches them how to read the world—and lead responsibly when the path is unclear.