Teaching
Most degree programs train the mind.
Few train the human being behind it.
This one does.
Since 2019, I have been teaching the module Self-Management and Social Competences in the European Master in Project Management at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund – as a guest lecturer in an intensive block-week format.
The course addresses what most academic programs leave out entirely: the inner architecture of effective, conscious integrated leadership.
What we cover
The course is built around ten core competency areas defined by the FH Dortmund curriculum: Self-reflection and self-management · Personal integrity and reliability · Personal communication · Relations and engagement · Leadership · Teamwork · Conflict and crisis · Resourcefulness · Negotiation · Results orientation
Within that framework, the course goes deep across five interconnected modules:
1️⃣ Foundations
Emotional, social and creative intelligence. Levels of decision-making: rational, emotional, intuitive. Goal-setting and personal mission.
2️⃣ Inner World
Identity and self-perception. Conditioning, values and belief systems. Inner critics and blockages. Self-management and radical integrity.
3️⃣ Outer World
Mindful dialogue and active listening. Nonviolent communication. Group dynamics, negotiation and self-organization systems.
4️⃣ Practical Application
Stress management and resilience. Storytelling and presentation. Meaningful conversations. Social competence in real-world settings.
5️⃣ Conscious Leadership
Agile transformation and New Ways of Work. Values-based organizations. Developing your own leadership style. Synergistic co-creation and flow.
Theory is introduced. Then applied. Then pressure-tested in group settings – because that’s where it actually matters.
Why this matters
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 ranks resilience, leadership and social influence, and emotional intelligence among the top core skills employers demand through 2030 – and identifies them as strongly human in nature, with significantly lower substitution rates by AI. This course addresses all of them – directly, practically, and from the inside out.
Results
A few numbers from the most recent student evaluation:
100% — The lecturer demonstrated strong professional competence.
96.6% — Would recommend this module and lecture format to future students.
96.6% — Feel better prepared to use social-competence skills in real project situations.
96.6% — gained practical experience applying communication, teamwork, and conflict-management skills.
96.5% — improved their understanding of self-management and social competence.
96.5% — said the module helped them reflect on their own behaviour, strengths, areas for improvement.
Also available as an online course for non-students:
For your Institution
If you are a program director, department head, or faculty coordinator looking to add meaningful depth to your curriculum in the areas of leadership, self-management, and social competence – this is built for that.
The module can be delivered as a block week (5–6 days) or distributed across a semester (40–48 hours), in person, hybrid, or online, in English or German, and is designed to work across disciplines.
It has been taught to groups of 30–50 students drawn from across the globe – typically 20+ nationalities in the room, spanning different religions, professional backgrounds, ages, and life experiences. The course has been designed to work precisely in that kind of setting. And it does.