Originally architected by Charlie Pellerin, the former Director of Astrophysics at NASA, the 4-Dimensional Leadership Course is critically different in that it equips leaders to create the social conditions for high performance. Updated with contemporary neuroscientific studies and simulations from the current space program, this leadership framework played a pivotal role in NASA becoming Best Place to Work in federal government for the 12th year in a row (as at May 2024).
The explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger rocked the world and the seven astronaut fatalities and subsequent failed missions led to multiple senate inquiries and the eventual realisation that it was social context, and not technical incompetence, that led to this and other failures. The 4-D leadership course was designed to foster 8 key behaviours that have transformed life at NASA.
About the NASA 4-D Leadership Course
Acquire 8 Leadership Capabilities
The program develops eight critical leadership capabilities:
- Connect a team and create a sense of shared purpose.
- Develop individuals relative to their idiosyncratic strengths.
- Set and maintain individual boundaries and team standards.
- Include appropriately, whilst avoiding wasteful over-inclusion.
- Align responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities for autonomy.
- Challenge dysfunctional beliefs and behaviours with radical candour.
- Acknowledge uncomfortable truths, but transition to an optimistic mission without delay.
- Co-create and communicate a collective vision using all four dimensions to make it inspiring and inclusive.
Leadership Lessons from Frontiers Like Space
Crazy Might Work has updated the NASA 4-Dimensional Leadership Program with contemporary neuroscience and immersive experiences from the current space program. In this episode of the Space Connect podcast, recorded at the Australian Space Summit in May 2024, Paul Hawkins talks to host Adam Thorn about the program.
Listen Here
The Experience
Expert practitioners deliver stimulating, immersive and memorable learning experiences, using simulations drawn from the current space program. These transfer readily and are immediately applied to your workplace. Leadership course learnings are exchanged creating rich peer-to-peer learning.
Benchmark Against NASA
The 4-D Leadership Course enables organisations to benchmark their teams against over 1,500 NASA project and engineering teams. These comprise astronauts, scientists, engineers and managers. We review the results with you and create a Playbook (based on the NASA version) to operationalise your behavioural insights. Typically, teams improve by 4-5% each time they benchmark the leadership course behaviours.
Benefits
High Performance
Be equipped with the skills to create psychological safety and high-performing teams
Alter Social Context
Acquire the ability to recognise and shift teams away from ‘red story lines’ to reality-based optimism
Be Inspired
Take inspiration from the lessons that made NASA the Best Place to Work in Federal Government for 12 years in a row
Save Time
Establish high-performing teams without the usual ‘forming’, ‘storming’, ‘norming’ and ‘performing’ dramas
Immediate Application
Apply these behaviours to your organisation for accreditation and immediate impact
Delivery
The public leadership course runs as 8 x 2 hour modules, delivered virtually, once a week. Organisations running the leadership course internally can customise the cadence and delivery to suit. In both formats, the leadership course is designed to be immersive and experiential, with participants applying new skills to real organisational challenges between sessions.
Who Should Attend?
- LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS – You are never too young or too old to master the leadership skills that make teams high-performing.
- CHIEF LEARNING OFFICERS – HR Executives looking for something unique in the leadership development space.
- CULTURE TRANSFORMERS – If you think that leaders working with their teams can transform your culture, you are right.
Upcoming Public NASA 4-Dimensional Leadership Course
6 Feb 2025 – 27 Mar 2025
8 x online 2-hour sessions over 8 weeks on consecutive Thursdays from 12:00pm to 2:00pm (AEST)
All sessions are recorded (for program participants only) so you will not miss any content.
Pricing
$1,999 per participant
If you have a discount code, you will be able to enter it on the registration page.
Get Started
You might also like
‘How NASA Builds Teams’ podcast with author Charlie Pellerin
What are the secrets of high-performing teams?
How does NASA create high-performing teams?