We don’t often talk about mistakes and failures, but there’s so much to learn from what goes wrong. In this course, Professor Sydney Finkelstein will teach you why leaders make mistakes, and what you can do to avoid making those same mistakes yourself. Using real-life examples of smart executives who failed, Professor Finkelstein will walk you through scenarios that prepare you to understand, manage, and even take advantage of the continuous change that is inevitable in organizations and in life.

Why do smart people sometimes think they are right when they are very, very wrong? Our brains are designed to make quick decisions, and sometimes we miss out on what’s really going on. Knowing this, Professor Sydney Finkelstein walks you through the neuroscience behind decision-making, and teaches you to make conscious decisions that are right for you at work and in life. By teaching you to reflect and move forward even better than before, Professor Finkelstein will help you to be the best you possibly can at whatever you do.

How can a company thrive for the long term? It always comes down to people: finding talented people, retaining those people, and doing it continuously. In this course, Professor Sydney Finkelstein will teach participants how to support and leverage their biggest asset, the people around them. By learning to find world-class talent and help them move forward in their career, you will learn to build success for your organization and yourself. Using examples like the NFL’s Bill Walsh, the Slow Food Movement’s Alice Waters, and fashion’s Ralph Lauren, Professor Finkelstein shows that superbosses can be found across industries and up and down the org chart—and teaches us to find the superboss within.

Lessons on Wisdom: Personal Leadership for Your Life is the culmination of four decades of studying and sharing about leaders and life for Professor Sydney Finkelstein. This course will teach you how to be a wise leader both personally and professionally. It is a personal, meaningful course that encourages all participants to change and grow. In it, you will be asked to think differently about who you are and what you do, so that you can take charge of your own life. By understanding nuance and paradox, by learning who you are as an individual, you will find yourself a wiser—and perhaps even happier—person.