Leadership Development Expeditions

Develop your leadership skills through faculty-led adventure expeditions

Through Leadership Development Expedition (LDE) courses, students develop their capacity for leadership and build a deep understanding of their own strengths and contributions as a leader in a high-performing team.

LDE courses draw on outdoor experiential education theory and challenge participants to serve as leaders during an adventure expedition. These courses build leadership skills through a combination of rigorous academic inquiry into the nature of leadership, honest self-assessment and reflection, and hands-on experiences in challenging environments.

Who can take Leadership Development Expedition courses?

LDE courses are offered for all MBA students at the Carey Business School. Full-time MBA students can take the LDE Belize course during the January intersession term as one of their experiential course electives required for the program. Flex MBA students can take either the LDE Belize course during the January intersession term or the LDE Norway course during the Summer term in July.

CIL also offers LDE courses for practicing leaders and executives in partnership with the Carey Business School’s Office of Executive Education. Learn more below about opportunities to participate in an Executive LDE or about custom executive treks for organizations wishing to develop high potential managers and build a pipeline of strong leaders.

LDE Norway

The Norway Leadership Development Expedition course takes place in the mountains of Norway starting from the town of Bergen. Spanning nine days, students will trek through Norway’s famous mountains, traverse glacial fields, and ultimately reach some of the highest points in Scandinavia.

The group will work together as an expedition team to navigate along trails and terrain, moving each day between various Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) cabins and huts. Each individual will be responsible for leading the group through various challenges and working together, at times, literally connected to one another while trekking across the glacier. Throughout the trip, students will focus on enhancing individual and team performance, learn and apply appropriate leadership models, and provide and receive structured feedback. Food and lodging will be in rustic DNT cabins.

Program Costs

• 2-credit Tuition Fee
• Course Program Fee (covers all in-country transportation, lodging, meals and activity fees during course dates). Program fees will be listed in SIS for each course.
• Students are responsible for their own international airfare, pre- and post-course expenses, travel insurance and travel documentation (including a passport and visa)

Physical Demands

This is a physically challenging course which requires approximately 10 miles of hiking each day at a moderate pace. Participants should be in good physical health and able to walk/hike for more than five hours per day with regular rest breaks. However, students do not need any prior mountaineering experience. For students with physical disabilities or needs that might require accommodations, or if you have any questions about the level of physical activity, please contact Mike Doyle to discuss options.

Register for the Next Expedition

Participation in the LDE course is by application, due to the limited number of spaces available in the course. You can find more information about the course and application information in in SIS (search for the course code BU.003.893). Applications for the Summer 2024 session of the LDE Norway course will be available in Fall term 2023.

LDE Belize

The Belize Leadership Development Expedition course places students on barrier islands off the coast of Belize, starting upon arrival in the capital Belize City. Over the course of nine days, the group will work together as an expedition team to kayak, navigate, cook, eat, and set up camp on remote islands along Belize’s pristine coastal waterways.

Students will experience the first-hand challenges of leading a group in a remote destination, relying on themselves and their teammates to successfully reach each island and provide the team with meals and shelter. Students will reflect on this challenge to develop their own conceptualization and practice of leadership.

Throughout the trip, students will focus on enhancing individual and team performance, learn and apply appropriate leadership models, and provide and receive structured feedback. Island Expeditions provides trip logistics and local guides to support the trek and teach students about life in Belize.

Program Costs

• 2-credit Carey Tuition Fee
• Course Program Fee (covers all in-country transportation, lodging, meals and activity fees during course dates). Program fees will be listed in SIS for each course.
• Students are responsible for their own international airfare, pre- and post-course expenses, travel insurance and travel documentation (including a passport and visa)

Physical Demands

This is a physically challenging course which requires four to six hours of sea kayaking each day at a moderate pace with regular breaks. Participants should be in good physical health and able to sit in a boat for more than one to two hours at a time. However, students do not need any prior sea kayaking experience to participate. For students with physical disabilities or needs that might require accommodations, or if you have any questions about the level of physical activity, please contact Mike Doyle to discuss options.

Register for the Next Expedition

Participation in the LDE course is by application, due to the limited number of spaces available in the course. You can find more information about the course and application information in in SIS (search for the course code BU.003.893). Applications for the Intersession 2024 session of the LDE Belize course will be available at the end of Spring term 2023.

Executive LDE

How do you build the leadership skills needed to navigate your team through uncertainty and difficult situations? Put yourself in a controlled, high-stakes situation with Johns Hopkins leadership experts by your side. Whether as part of an open-enrollment Executive LDE course to Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador or as part of a custom program carefully crafted for the developmental needs of your organization, CIL's outdoor leadership experiences will help you develop the skills to succeed as a leader.

LDE Cotopaxi

The Cotopaxi Leadership Development Expedition is a nine-day intensive trek where practicing leaders and managers work collaboratively with a team of fellow executive education participants to climb Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador.

Summit one of the world’s highest active volcanoes and use leadership skills gained on the trek to climb in your career.

Working one-and-one with Johns Hopkins faculty, and engaging in thorough debriefing and learning sessions with other participants, participants will learn how to translate the teaming skills developed on the mountain directly into their own workplace leadership.

On the climb, you will:

• Find solutions to difficult challenges and gain experience giving and receiving effective feedback.
• Build effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Gain group decision-making skills to reach consensus efficiently and effectively.
• Reveal untapped aptitudes and attitudes.
• Develop a sense of agility to lead through changes and unforeseen circumstances.
• Strengthen your ability to empathize with those around you.

This Leadership Development Expedition is offered through Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Executive Education. Reach out to the Executive Education team for more details on upcoming course opportunities, logistics, and preparation.