Understand.​Context

Positive psychology primarily focuses on defining happiness and exploring ways to sustain it in the long term. In this module, both individual and collective perspectives are examined to determine how you can find personal happiness, engagement, and meaning, as well as how to shape your work environment to merge happiness and productivity.

In this module, you will not only learn to think analytically about familiar concepts such as freedom, market economy, justice, value, morality, and personal property, but you will also be presented with clear alternatives to traditional economic theory and social policy. Having a theoretical understanding of how capitalism works or what constitutes an open and free society is a necessary prerequisite for any serious political discussion. Only those who can challenge useless ideas and positions with well-founded socio-economic analysis and viable alternatives have the ability to engage in debates about free markets, redistribution, or business ethics.

Decision-making in complex situations is often problematic. Decision-makers do not always have all the available information or may not be able to consider it all—or may choose not to. This inevitably leads to errors in decision-making. Therefore, it is important to understand how decisions can be optimized and mistakes can be avoided. This is where insights from economic and financial psychology can be helpful, as they deal with the behavior of individuals and groups in the workplace, organizations, and markets—often yielding surprising findings.

Although we live in the safest and most comfortable phase of humanity, we often feel stressed and exhausted. This module examines and discusses the relevant social, economic, and technological influences, along with their impact on our professional and personal lives. We explore why we may be living at the end of a historical anomaly and why uncertainty is the prevailing feeling of our time. We examine various strategies for coping with this feeling and how our personal beliefs about the world and work play a role. Ultimately, resilience means cultivating inner strength instead of seeking security in the external world. You will be equipped for this after completing this module.

This admittedly unconventional but impactful module provides training in the three core competencies of communication, trust, and respect through a simulation with horses. The behavior of the horse serves as neutral feedback to recognize one's strengths and development potential. Trying out and experiencing changed behaviors yields immediate results and helps you gain leadership experience in a safe environment.