The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness is a dynamic curriculum designed by Harvard University faculty and tailored to the challenges business, government and nonprofit leaders face.

The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness initiative is supported by a generous grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Immediate Evaluations

Summit participants consistently give the summits high marks. In surveys conducted immediately after 10 Meta-Leadership Summits held between 2007 and 2009:

• 88 percent of respondents rated the overall quality of the summit as “good” or “outstanding.”
• 92 percent of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that attendance at the summit was a valuable use of time.
• 89 percent of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they intend to apply what they learned at the summit.

Respondents consistently comment that the Summit provides an excellent opportunity to bring important stakeholders together to network and discuss preparedness and emergency response. Respondents also report that they intend to apply meta-leadership concepts and principles by continuing to network and collaborate with other Summit attendees.

Follow-up Evaluations

Surveys and interviews were conducted five months after the Columbus summit to collect information regarding the use of meta-leadership within the Columbus community, particularly in crisis preparedness and response activities. Survey results indicated that:

• 92 percent of respondents are confident that they can better call upon others in times of crisis.
• 85 percent of respondents have made new connections within the community as a result of the summit.

In addition, respondents indicated that they have taken a variety of actions as a result of the summit:

• 67 percent of respondents have provided assistance and information to others and 51 percent have acquired assistance and information from others regarding preparedness and/or emergency response.
• 69 percent have participated in preparedness and emergency response activities, including participating in one or more meetings to discuss their organization’s role in Columbus preparedness efforts.

Individuals who were interviewed as part of the follow-up Columbus evaluation described some specific concrete actions they have taken as a result of the summit, applying the meta-leadership concepts they learned.

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