The Program
GMA Foundations of City Leadership
In a time of deep uncertainty and growing complexity, the GMA offers a clear and powerful learning journey for those who want to lead differently—with clarity, resilience, and wisdom. This programme gives you the tools, relationships, and insights to:
- Navigate complexity with confidence
- Turn challenges into opportunities
- Improve both your life and leadership and the future of your city
The Program
The GMA takes place over 6–7 months, with 12 interactive, world-class modules, delivered online through a mix of live sessions, peer coaching, and self-reflection.
Each module explores a key area of city life—climate, education, health, infrastructure, spirituality, culture, governance—and connects the technical challenges with the human and relational capacities needed to transform them.
Every session includes:
This ensures each session is grounded in what works—delivering both inspiration and application. Through careful sequencing and intuitive facilitation, GMA builds toward a powerful shift in perspective and practice.
Each module explores a key area of city life—climate, education, health, infrastructure, spirituality, culture, governance—and connects the technical challenges with the human and relational capacities needed to transform them.
Every session includes:
- Real-world case presentations from experienced practitioners and experts with direct city experience
- Contextual exploration so you can reflect on your city’s unique realities
- Guided inquiry and leadership development to uncover new possibilities
- Solution sharing with adaptable frameworks you can apply in your context
- Integrative reflection to connect insights across the whole journey
This ensures each session is grounded in what works—delivering both inspiration and application. Through careful sequencing and intuitive facilitation, GMA builds toward a powerful shift in perspective and practice.
In person Swiss event
For those who choose our program concludes with an exclusive in person event in Switzerland from July 1 to July 5.
What is the program? Including certificates and awards ceremony
What is the program? Including certificates and awards ceremony
Deepen your learning
Between sessions, your learning deepens through:
- Guided Inquiry – Question-driven reflection tailored to your city’s context
- Small Group Coaching – Peer learning to build trust, support, and insight
- Leadership Maturity Tools – To help you grow resilience and self-awareness
- Systemic Frameworks —Revealing where the leverage points for transformation truly are.
Inner and Outer Development — Together
Unlike most leadership programmes, GMA recognises that practical change and personal development go hand in hand.
To lead differently, you must also become different. You must grow the mindset, the presence, and the capacity to work with uncertainty, conflict, and possibility.
This programme supports inner development and outer action—not in isolation, but together. It helps you move beyond business-as-usual thinking, into a more connected, conscious approach to city leadership. One where decisions are not just efficient—but wise, and change is not just managed—but reimagined.
To lead differently, you must also become different. You must grow the mindset, the presence, and the capacity to work with uncertainty, conflict, and possibility.
This programme supports inner development and outer action—not in isolation, but together. It helps you move beyond business-as-usual thinking, into a more connected, conscious approach to city leadership. One where decisions are not just efficient—but wise, and change is not just managed—but reimagined.
Who is it for?
The Academy is for leaders who hold both responsibility and the potential to shape long-term change. This includes:
Mayors leading small and medium-sized cities
City administrators and senior managers overseeing operations and public systems
Civic leaders who are responsible for essential services such as education, health, policing, planning, infrastructure, business development, and justice
Mayors leading small and medium-sized cities
City administrators and senior managers overseeing operations and public systems
Civic leaders who are responsible for essential services such as education, health, policing, planning, infrastructure, business development, and justice