Empowerment ---- VTE Leadership and Management Course One

[Guest guest]

When: March 10 - 16

 

Where: Mayapur (Mayapur Institute for Higher Education)

 

Teacher: Anuttma dasa

 

Course Description:

This six-day course is designed for all devotees with responsibility for

managing, guiding and caring for others. For temples, it is particularly

relevant for Department Heads and Temple Presidents. It is also helpful for

congregational leaders, preachers, educators indeed, anyone interested in

the leadership, management and interpersonal skills required to lead

effectively within Prabhupada's mission. The course facilitator will place

particular emphasis on the understanding and assimilation of the principles

and values behind effective Vaisnava leadership.

 

The GBC Leadership, Training and Assessment Committee developed this course

in conjunction with the Vaisnava Training and Education (VTE) Ministry.

 

Prospective students are encouraged to attend the "Dealing with Conflict: An

Introduction for Leaders, Managers and Everyone Else" seminar on March 9th

because this seminar presents skills that any ISKCON leader or manager will

find useful.

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Please visit http://www.mihe.info/ for more information.

Seats are limited. Please respond to this message for reservations.

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Aprreciations from those who have taken the course:

 

Jayadvaita Swami:

This is a first-class professional course in knowledge and skills that every

effective leader and manager ought to have. It's not a plea for better

management, disguised in the form of a seminar. It's not touchy-feely New

Age stuff. This is a high-quality professional-level course, full of

knowledge, skills and insights that will prove invaluable for any devotee

serving as a leader or manager, either in ISKCON or even in the material

world. Far more than just lectures, it includes lots of experiential

learning--you learn by doing. Even experienced ISKCON managers will find it

worthwhile.

 

Though this course will be valuable for all ISKCON leaders and managers, I

recommend it particularly to young devotees, "second generation" either by

birth or otherwise. Old dinosaurs like me will have to endure the fact that

we spent several decades as managers and leaders without the benefit of the

systematic education this course offers. Young devotees can do a whole lot

better.

 

Hare Krsna.

 

 

Syamasundara dasa:

As a Senior Manager working for a large international company I have been on

programmes of a similar kind and the course that you are presenting is very

much in the mould of a mini MBA programme. This kind of programme is very

much needed as a general management toolset in our ISKCON temples and Srila

Prabhupada must certainly be very pleased…

 

In my opinion, the course has given all temple managers and leaders the

necessary tools with which to properly manage ISKCON's temples in South

Africa. It is a course that has been needed for a long time. Even though

many of the temples had started applying various methods to address their

specific needs and requirements, this particular course has now consolidated

all the right techniques and strategies into a programme that certainly adds

value to ISKCON.

 

(Syamasundara dasa is Co-President of ISKCON Pretoria, South Africa and

Senior Divisional Manager of Group Audit Services for Daimler Chrysler -

South Africa)

 

 

Guru Prasad Swami:

I would like to express my appreciation for the Leadership course in

Mayapur. I found it both enlightening, providing essential tools and skills

indispensable for my service; and entertaining, it was a wonderful

presentation.

 

I lament that I did not have these tools before. They are all logical,

simple to understand and easy to put into practice. There is no doubt in my

mind that had we taken more care to emulate the unique qualities of Srila

Prabhupada in his dealings and command of the devotees, we would have deemed

it crucial to train our leaders in the same skills.

 

I would not only recommend this course for every devotee who has leadership

responsibilities, but emphasize it as a must. Even those who are not

directly involved in management or leading others will find this course

useful in everyday interactions in a world where decision-making is a must.

 

 

Prahladananda Swami:

Anuttama dasa and Hanuman dasa along with the assistance of some of the most

experienced managers and leaders within ISKCON have expertly put together a

course that is both instructive and inspirational. Their team work during

the presentations serves as a practical example of the seminar's teachings.

 

The theoretical as well as the interactive and practical aspects of the

course are well integrated and serve as a foundational stone to continue to

build the dynamic and responsible ISKCON management and leadership that

Srila Prabhupada displayed himself and encouraged others to follow.

 

I highly recommend the seminar and will personally try to apply the

teaching they have generously and warmly imparted in their efforts to serve

the devotees within ISKCON and to make ISKCON more attractive to others.

 

 

Gopinath dasa:

I attended the VTE "Leadership and Management Course One" from 10-13 October

2004 held in Washington, D.C. I have found this course the most practical

aspect towards day-to-day management. I have just now completed my Masters

Degree in Marketing from Mumbai University with 67% marks, but what my

entire masters could not give was punched inside this VTE course by Anuttama

Prabhu.

 

I studied many management theories and big names of management gurus in the

college, but finally what it should boil down to is the practical

application of everything we learnt - that was taken care of only by this

VTE course. I would like to proudly say that the VTE handbook serves all my

strategic purposes all the time and I carry it always with me as an integral

part of my computer bag.

 

(Gopinath dasa manages Share Your Care - Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai.)

 

 

Manasi Ganga devi dasi:

I enrolled in this year's course with a certain degree of desperation. It

can often feel isolating and overwhelming in management, especially in

ISKCON, where we've often just "stepped in" to do the needful.

 

So, when I saw the degree of time, expertise and intense endeavor that had

gone into the preparation and delivery of this course, my anxiety was fully

pacified. Here is a real gesture of concern and practical assistance from

the GBC for the benefit of every devotee-whether a leader or a follower.

 

If you want to understand your own potential as a leader, learn how to plan

successfully, develop the skills needed to build and maintain a positive

team spirit, or just get inspiration and individual feedback from others in

your field, this is the best investment of time I could honestly recommend.

 

The course has been developed to give a deep focus on assisting Srila

Prabhupada's mission through competent leaders. As many participants

commented, it's only fault is that we didn't have access to it years ago!

 

(Manasi Ganga dasi is a manager and teacher in the Sri Mayapur International

School in Sri Dhama Mayapura.)