The Dorot Fellowship in Israel (DFI) is a year-long fellowship for young American Jews with high potential and aspirations to leadership. The fellowship combines group and individual learning and encourages self-reflection and critical thinking as core components of leadership.
Strategies for Leadership
Challenge
The Fellowship had recently overhauled its leadership curriculum but there were concerns that it was still not meeting its full potential. Fellows were not finding the meaning that was intended and there was criticism that needed to be addressed. In 2018, the DFI staff turned to M² with a request to assess the leadership curriculum and consider where and how it was falling short, and what could be done to address the issue.
Solution
For this project, M² brought a deep understanding of the processes of experiential education to the specific context of a leadership development program. We were not there to share expertise in the various theories of leadership. Rather, we considered leadership from the perspective of experiential learning, values exploration, and Jewish values in particular. Using interviews, we asked questions about the ways that learners experienced the program, and the journey through leadership that they underwent during the year of the fellowship. We reviewed the curriculum and assessed the staffing, the materials, and the Fellows’ specific experiences. We observed the program and the learning experience in action and conducted a comprehensive strategic review. Ultimately, we presented a report with actionable recommendations for implementation that immediately improved the program’s outcomes.
"It is rare to find colleagues in the field who combine the depth of experience and the sophistication of thought as powerfully as the extraordinary team at M². The insights they shared were invaluable and the changes we made, as a result, had a profound effect."
Steve Jacobson
The Executive Director of Dorot Foundation
Let’s explore how we can work together!