Institute for Leadership Studies

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Institute for Leadership Studies

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Our ultimate goal is to facilitate positive individual, organizational and societal change, engaged

As a center for leadership development on Dominican campus, we act as a consortium of faculty and students with businesses and community leaders committed to providing leadership development and practice opportunities. Through leadership education and training, research and consulting services, public forums and community service projects, we serve individuals and organizations both locally and globally, as well as the Dominican University of California community.

10/13/2026

Last Thursday, the Institute for Leadership Studies welcomed representatives from seven North Bay organizations to Dominican University of California for our Leading Through Influence & Persuasion executive education program.

We had a stimulating and thoughtful discussion about how leaders can build trust, understand what drives people, navigate resistance, and influence effectively—especially when they do not have formal authority.

A highlight of the day was the opportunity to learn from the diverse experiences and perspectives participants brought from across their organizations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed so openly to the conversation.

09/23/2026

Yesterday's Business Edge Briefing on design thinking was all about learning by doing.

Led by Robin Beers, founder of Ubuntu Culture Company, participants explored design thinking not simply as a concept, but as a practical, human-centered approach to solving problems.

Thank you to Robin for an engaging and highly interactive session, and to everyone who joined us this morning.

Business Edge Briefings are presented in partnership with the North Bay Leadership Council.

09/15/2026

Last Wednesday, the Institute for Leadership Studies welcomed Angela Duckworth to Angelico Hall for a fascinating conversation with Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr about her new book, Situated: Finding the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best.

Thank you to Angela Duckworth, Steve Kerr, our partners at Book Passage, and sponsors Charles Schwab, Redwood Credit Union, and the Womens Leadership & Philanthropic Council.

Here are a few moments from the event.

08/25/2026

Last night, the Institute for Leadership Studies at Dominican University of California was pleased to welcome Congressman Jared Huffman to Angelico Hall for a conversation with acclaimed actor and author Peter Coyote about Huffman’s new book, No Prophets.

It was a full house, and the conversation offered a thoughtful look at leadership, politics, faith, and the challenges facing our democracy.

Thank you to Congressman Huffman and Peter Coyote for an engaging evening—and to everyone who joined us.

08/17/2026

Join the Institute for Leadership Studies for our upcoming Business Edge Briefing — a breakfast seminar designed to introduce practical tools you can use to approach complex problems differently and turn insights into action. https://lnkd.in/giecAz-q

08/14/2026

This fall, the Institute for Leadership Studies at Dominican University of California welcomes an outstanding lineup of authors and thought leaders for our Leadership Lecture Series.
Join us for engaging conversations about the issues of the day.

https://www.dominican.edu/Leadership-Lecture-Series

04/17/2026

Yesterday in our Leadership Academy, participants explored two complementary dimensions of leadership.

In the morning, former San Rafael City Manager Jim Schutz led a session on leading teams. He discussed how teams form, why they sometimes break down, and what leaders can do to build stronger, more effective teams. He brought these concepts to life by using Together San Rafael as a case study.

In the afternoon, Guryan Tighe connected the topic of fear to a team’s capacity for innovation. She challenged participants to consider how teams become more creative and adaptive when leaders create conditions where people are more willing to speak up, experiment, and contribute new thinking.

Grateful to Jim Schutz and Guryan Tighe for sharing their insight and experience.

04/08/2026

Crisis is inevitable, but chaos is optional. Join Dominican's Institute for Leadership Studies and the North Bay Leadership Council for our next Business Edge Breakfast Briefing on what leaders need to do in the first 24 hours of a crisis. Featured speaker and crisis strategist Susan Barnes reveals a disciplined framework for leading under fire.

RSVP Here: https://bit.ly/4bVmfCz

04/06/2026

On Saturday, more than 800 people filled a sold-out Angelico Hall for Senator Cory Booker in conversation with Steve Kerr. Senator Booker delivered an inspiring message with a powerful call to action: “This is an FDR moment — a time for American renewal.” He urged each of us to ask, “How am I going to participate in that?”

The Leadership Lecture Series is conducted by Dominican's Institute for Leadership Studies in partnership with Book Passage.

Address

50 Acacia Avenue
San Rafael, CA
94901

Website

https://www.dominican.edu/directory/institute-leadership-studies

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