The Science of Well-Being and Mindful Leadership

  • Executive Education
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Registration Deadline: August 27

This 12-week online program equips participants with evidence-based strategies to integrate neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and personal well-being into their leadership for more resilient, sustainable performance.

  • Online; Self-Paced

Self-paced learning complemented by live sessions with faculty and weekly office hours conducted by program leaders.

$4,500

Flexible payment and team-based learning options are available.

Certificate

Upon completion of this program, you will receive a digital certificate from Harvard Medical School.

12 Weeks

Each week you will engage with recorded video lectures from faculty, attend webinars and office hours, complete quizzes and required activities, engage in moderated discussion groups with, and work on your final project, if required.

On This Page

Overview

Discover how neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and personal wellness shape effective leadership. The Science of Well-Being and Mindful Leadership program from Harvard Medical School Executive Education combines two expert-led online programs: The Science of Leadership: The Brain, Resilience, and Mindfulness and Building a Life of Wellness: The Science of Fostering Happiness and Health Span.

This learning journey equips you to understand how your brain responds under pressure, what genuinely drives long-term fulfillment, and how to sustain your effectiveness as a leader without sacrificing your well-being in the process.

A Research-Led Foundation for Leadership and Wellness

In a world where professionals are constantly navigating change and burnout risk, this program provides a research-led foundation in leadership and wellness through self-paced learning, applied reflections, and instruction from Harvard Medical School faculty and leading specialists.

You will gain evidence-based frameworks to:

  • Manage stress
  • Strengthen the relationships that matter most
  • Build habits that support both your performance and physical health over the long term

Learning Objectives

  • Discover how core neuroscience principles shape high-performance leadership.
  • Learn how emotional intelligence builds trust, connection, and stronger teams.
  • Understand the real impact of stress and burnout and how to protect resilience and engagement.
  • Analyze evidence-based research on wellness, happiness, and longevity to develop frameworks for overall well-being.
  • Design and implement impactful action plans by incorporating evidence-based techniques proven to enhance personal and others' well-being​.
  • Cultivate supportive relationships and successfully navigate major life transitions.
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Who Should Participate

Professionals seeking evidence-based strategies to integrate personal well-being with leadership effectiveness, including mid- to senior-level leaders in high-pressure environments, individuals in health care, HR, or coaching roles, and those navigating career growth, leadership transitions, or major life changes.

About the Program

Guided by Harvard Medical School faculty and leading specialists, deepen your understanding of how neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and well-being drive effective leadership, and learn to translate evidence-based insights into practical strategies for managing stress, fostering resilience, and leading with clarity and purpose.

Questions?

Contact one of our program advisors at learner.success@emeritus.org.

This Harvard Medical School Executive Education program is taught by HMS faculty and is promoted by Emeritus. Emeritus is responsible for advertising, marketing, registration, and collecting payment.

This program does not grant academic credit or professional certifications from Harvard Medical School. 

Curriculum

Through self-paced modules and applied reflections, this comprehensive curriculum helps you progress from understanding how the brain, emotions, and stress shape leadership to applying evidence-based practices that foster resilience, strengthen relationships, and sustain well-being and effectiveness over the long term.

Modules

Module 1: The Neuroscience of Leadership Behavior​

Module 2: Emotional Intelligence and the Science of Connection​

Module 3: Stress and Resilience in Leadership​

Module 4: Organizational Change and the Brain​

​Module 5: Mindfulness and Focused Attention for Leadership Presence​

Module 6: The Neuroscience of Sustained Leadership Effectiveness​

Module 1: Foundations of Well-Being and Life Stages​

Module 2: Cultivating Values and Purpose​

Module 3: Building and Sustaining Life-Affirming Relationships​

Module 4: Navigating Life Transitions with Resilience​

Module 5: Strategies for Responding to Life’s Challenges​

Module 6: Implementing Happiness Practices in Influencing Behaviors

Teaching Team

Blaise Aguirre.

Blaise Aguirre

MD

  • Medical Director, 3East Program, McLean Hospital
  • Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School​
Jim Dowd.

James (Jim) J. Dowd

DBA, MBA

  • Consultant and Coach, Leadership Development and Executive Education Executive Education Teaching Associate, Harvard Medical School

Guest Speaker

Margaret Moore

MBA, NBC-HWC

  • Co-Founder and Chairperson at the Institute of Coaching

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In order to comply with applicable U.S. export control and sanctions regulations, Harvard Medical School prohibits access to and use of Harvard Medical School educational offerings, programs and resources to individuals from certain sanctioned regions or who are otherwise subject to U.S. government sanctions, unless appropriate authorization is in place.

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