Mission Statement
Our Vision
The Lassalle-Institut addresses leaders in business, politics and other sectors of society and advocates ethics rooted in holistic consciousness. It promotes an ethically-based culture of values by means of lectures, seminars, research, coaching and corporate consulting.
The Institut was founded by Niklaus Brantschen and Pia Gyger in 1995 and has its headquarters at the Lassalle-Haus, Bad Schönbrunn. Both - the Institut and the Lassalle-Haus - institutions take their names from the Jesuit priest and Zen master Hugo Enomiya Lassalle (1898-1990). Father Lassalle bridging the gap between Eastern and Western thought, found a connection between spirituality and professional work - the inner journey and outer action.
The Lassalle-Institut is one of Europe's most distinguished institutions in the fields of Zen, Ethics and Leadership. It is financially autonomous in the pursuit of its goals and relies on voluntary contributions to carry out its projects.
Zen. Ethik. Leadership. - These describe the goal and purpose of the institution.
Zen – the art of seeing clearly
Zen is a holistic practice that is especially helpful in everyday life. More precisely, practicing Zen means pulling back and setting thoughts and plans aside for a designated period of time. It means opening one's mind, seeing interrelationships and situations more clearly and taking appropriate action. Zen meditation promotes creative flexibility and mindful presence.
Ethics –more than just part of a good mission statement
Ethics is a culture of values and forms the basis of sustainable societies and businesses. The Lassalle-Institut carries out surveys of how ethics and ethical behavior are perceived in various sectors of society. The knowledge gained from this research finds practical application in the Institut's seminar programs.
The Lassalle-Institut's ethics lectures and seminars promote
- mindful perception of life in all its forms
- wise decision-making
- sustainable action
Leadership - creating and implementing visions
The Lassalle-Institut's approach is unique: The «Lassalle-Institut-Modell»® supports responsible decision-makers in their efforts to develop and implement their visions and to promote holistic corporate and dialogue cultures.
Approach
The «Lassalle-Institut-Modell»® provides an integral framework for the workplace. The Model consists of 3 modules divided into 3 specific parts and combines comprehensive knowledge, proven experience, and practical implementation in the practice of daily leadership:
Three forms of intelligence:
In addition to mental intelligence (IQ), emotional (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ) are given equal attention and encouragement.
Three modes of being:
Holistically developed intelligence makes it possible to experience how unity, diversity and uniqueness are part of the essential structure of mankind and the planet.
Three levels of action:
Sustainable action encompasses the individual (micro-), institutional (meso-) and global (macro-) levels.
The team at the Lassalle-Institut focuses on the following values and attitudes which are part of the Lassalle-Institut's unique dialogue and corporate cultures:
- Respectful and authentic communication
- Open and attentive listening
- Constructive conflict resolution and patience in stressful situations
- Enabling the emergence of unity, diversity and uniqueness and promoting all three equally
Implementation
The Lassalle-Institut seminar program includes the following subjects: Zen for Leaders, dialogue culture and corporate culture in the training program «GEIST & Leadership»®, and symposia and conferences on current ethical questions.
Zen for Leaders
This meditative practice derived from the Buddhist traditions of China and Japan is an extremely simple and efficient way of getting in touch with one's inner self and the world around us. The Lassalle-Institut's Zen practice is characterized by its lack of dogma and is taught by autorized Zen teacher.
«GEIST & Leadership»® Training Program
The training program is designed to offer holistic trainign which complements existing professional education. It combines contemporary insights form the fields of management, ethics, psychology and consciousness research with traditional Asian wisdom teachings.
Symposium
In the annual international Symposium recognized leaders in science, humanities, business and politics speak about their personal experiences as these relate to integral leadership and ethics in their daily professional lives. The Symposium addresses leaders who value cross-generational, interdisciplinary continuing education.
In-House Training
The Lassalle-Institut supports teams, businesses and institutions with its individually-tailored seminars and workshops:
- in the area of team development
- in developing and implementing corporate culture
- in the process of change
Coaching
The Lassalle-Institut's coaching program focuses espacially on leaders who face the following challenges:
- work-life-balance
- crisis situations
- implementing spiritual experience in daily professional life
Coaching is arranged with clients individually and can include Zen Meditation on request.
Jerusalem - Open City for Learning World Peace
The Lassalle-Institut works for the creation of an open space for non-violence, peace research, and peace education in Jerusalem as described in the prophetic teachings of the three abrahamitic religions.
Future Leaders Lab®
The Lassalle-Institut cooperates with universities and institutions of higher learning in researching and developing a complementary training program for future leaders. In addition to mental intelligence, the program addresses and promotes emotional and spiritual intelligence. This training enhances future leaders' professionalism through its combination of professional, personal and social compentence.
Ethics research
The Lassalle-Institut has designed a comprehensive research plan to develop appreciation of ethics and ethical behavior in the various sectors of Swiss society. Studies in the areas of business, politics, as well as health and educational services are carried out at three- to four-year intervals in Switzerland. Results are presented, areas where action should be taken are identified, and discussion of ethics is promoted in the various social groups.