The Art of Leadership (2026)

This program is by application only. Apply here!. 

Are you committed to making a difference in the world? In social change, socially responsible business, education, politics or community service?

Learn to inspire, engage and collaborate with others in effective action to broaden the impact of your work together. Come participate in an intensive process of discovering how who you are, and how you show up, impacts the results you create and co-create with others.

This internationally acclaimed 5-day program includes training in:

• Visionary leadership
• Personal and social power
• Self-management (managing your own state of being)
• Feedback and courageous conversations
• Building effective partnerships and high-performing teams
• Personal ecology (self-care)

Thousands of leaders from around the world have benefitted from this unique integration of profound and practical leadership training, which blends deep inner transformation with immediate, useful application to everyday work priorities.

This program is based on the signature training of Robert Gass, co-founder of the Rockwood Leadership Institute and 6 year leadership consultant to the Obama White House. Robert offered the Art of Leadership at Hollyhock for 20 years. In 2022, he ‘passed the torch’ to the veteran multi-racial leadership team of Michael Bell and Suzanne Hawkes.

Michael and Suzanne both serve on the faculty of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and have collaborated with Robert Gass for nearly two decades. Both believe that building awareness and understanding of power and equity, particularly racial equity, is essential for effective leadership, and this theme will be woven throughout the training.

Program Testimonials

“More than the tools and resources, the Art of Leadership got me to look more inwards and reflect on my motivations and aspirations as a leader. Embracing my strengths, and increasing my awareness on my learning edges have been transformative.” – Claris Canta, Past participant

“It is an incredible privilege to work with an elder in BIPOC community and vital to my positive experience in the program. Michael was able to make the content relevant and understandable for me as a BIPOC participant in ways that are impossible for white folks that are lacking similar lived experience and expertise…Suzanne is a generous and thoughtful facilitator that brings an appropriate degree of humility to her work as a white accomplice supporting the leadership of BIPOC.” – Ak Saini, Past participant

Application Process / Timeline

One major asset of the program is a confidential 360 degree leadership assessment. Many leaders do not have the opportunity to receive confidential, targeted feedback from a circle of peers, subordinates, ‘bosses’ and others, all aimed at strengthening their leadership. We will be encouraging you to seek at least 10 responses from others in order receive a sufficiently comprehensive range of perspectives, and to help ensure respondents’ confidentiality. This is a key part of the program, so apply early (and we’ll get your 360 process started!)

Apply here!

Material Fee

Additional supply costs ($160 CAD) for this program are included in the package pricing.

What You’ll Gain

Who This Program is For

Why This Program Matters

Daily Schedule

A detailed schedule will be emailed to you about 30 days prior to your program. Click here to view a sample program schedule.