Become the Leader the World Needs

The Fellows Program empowers professionals to take a holistic view of their leadership purpose, sharpen their emotional intelligence, and develop the practices to cultivate a team that produces superior results. It asks the same things of every candidate: a willingness to self-reflect, grow, and change. What you get in return is the chance to close the gap between who you are and who you have it in you to be, and to see that growth show up as real, measurable impact in your work, your relationships, and the people who count on you.

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Our Leadership Perspective

Our leadership perspective is a systems-based approach grounded in four basic precepts that lay the foundation for equipping courageous leaders to develop a high-performing team.

Leadership and followership are defined by one’s character.
Character is shaped by a core set of timeless virtues.
Service to others is not a style of leadership, but a learned behavior.
Leadership and followership together create effective teams.

See the Full Framework

The Virtue Proposition Framework

Severn Leadership Group graphic showing Formation and Results: virtues, character, leaders, teams, culture, performance, and mission

Fellow presents to her cohort during a Severn Leadership Group leadership session

A Transformational Arc, Not a Single Workshop

The Fellowship unfolds over five months in nine cohort sessions, our proprietary virtuous leadership curriculum, applied fieldwork, and a dedicated one-on-one Mentor. Along the way you will develop the practices to build high-performing teams, strengthen your emotional intelligence and self-awareness, apply what you learn through practice and real-world case studies, and commit to growth through honest reflection, challenge, and change. This sustained program allows participants to truly learn, practice, and integrate what they learn in their day-to-day life and work.

In-Person, Virtual, and Custom Cohorts

In-person cohorts

In Annapolis, Maryland, and Groton, Connecticut, with opportunities to expand in your area.

Virtual cohorts

With Fellows and Mentors across North America.

Hybrid cohorts

Combining in-person sessions with virtual follow-through.

Custom cohorts

Designed around a specific organization’s culture, timeline, and goals.

Certified Mentorship Is the Foundation

Mentor and Fellow review materials together on a couch during a one-on-one Severn Leadership Group mentoring session

One-to-one guidance

From experienced, high-character leaders matched specifically to you.

Graduating Fellow and two mentors pose with a certificate at a Severn Leadership Group ceremony

Who your mentor is

Executives, founders, and senior leaders who have chosen to pass on what they have earned, from business, the military, nonprofits, and government.

Mentor and Fellow meet one on one across a table in an office during a leadership mentoring session

Support during and after

Your mentor relationship does not end when your cohort does.

Two women sign copies of Mentorship Mastery at a Severn Leadership Group book signing at Park Books

A network of 120+ Mentors

Across the United States and internationally.

The Fellowship Includes

The Difference Makers Program Guidebook
One-on-one mentorship
Pre-work assignments
An Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i) Assessment
Individual EQ coaching session
Cohort sessions
Fieldwork, applied directly to your life and your team
A copy of The Virtue Proposition: Five Virtues That Will Transform Leadership, Team Performance, and You

Fellow reads through printed program materials during a Severn Leadership Group leadership session

How This Is Different From Other Leadership Development

Our program is far from the typical leadership training. See the SLG difference.

	Many leadership development programs	Severn Leadership Group
Timeframe	One to two days, up to a few months	Five-month program
Behavior change theory	Personal alignment with or adherence to Values via information transfer	Personal transformation and behavior change through alignment with Virtues
Focus of outcome	Understanding of leadership, with emphasis on personal growth and development	Understanding of leadership and followership, with emphasis on cultivating teams
Psychology	Values-based positive psychology and personality style (DISC, MBTI, CVI)	Values-driven Harvard Human Flourishing Model, behavior-based Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Virtue Intelligence (VQ)
Coaching or mentoring	Short-term or long-term coaching, focused on action in the workplace	Long-term holistic mentoring focused on character formation, team culture, and accountability through applied EQ
Theory	Academic and theoretical, providing information	Research-based and experiential, providing formation
Cohort format	No cohort, or a short-term cohort led by a teacher or facilitator	A cohort of like-minded leaders, facilitated by a credentialed SLG program manager and reinforced by SLG Certified Mentors long after the program ends
Community	Varies by program, typically no mechanism for long-term commitment to future growth	An active mechanism for continued learning and support through the SLG Alumni Network

What Fellows Do With It

Where many programs leave participants with new skills focused mainly on individual growth, or checklists that never quite become actualized, SLG Fellows put what they learn into practice immediately: leading from a strong foundation of timeless and transcendent virtues, establishing a healthy team culture, focusing on team performance rather than individual performance, and engaging their team to solve problems and advance the organization.

Of Fellows apply SLG principles in their work

Report a stronger sense of purpose

Would recommend the program

SLG Is for You If You Are

A leader who knows there is potential for more inside them, and is ready to reach it.
Someone responsible for building teams and delivering results, who knows that responsibility matters.
A leader who wants to move through change with resilience and confidence instead of just getting through it.
Someone who wants what they learn here to be visible in how their team trusts and follows them.
Those seeking mentorship and deeper conversation with an experienced and accomplished leader, far beyond any back-and-forth a chatbot can offer.

Fellow shares his perspective during a small group discussion at a Severn Leadership Group session

In Their Words

This program will challenge you, stretch you, and ultimately grow you in ways you did not expect. It is not just about becoming a better leader, it is about becoming a more whole person. If you are ready to reflect, be honest, and build meaningful relationships, this is the program for you. The community, mentorship, and resources are unmatched.
Jaspreet B.
SLG Fellow
I would say you should absolutely join SLG. The sense of community, the network of leaders, the readings, and the discussions will push you to think about how you are being the best leader and serving your team. SLG arms you with a mentor and a cohort of like-minded individuals to help you succeed on your journey.
Caitlin A.
SLG Fellow, Military and Commercial Real Estate
What an amazing opportunity to explore oneself, the team, leadership, and the synergy of the three. If anything, if more leaders followed this model, we would have a better world. The opportunity is worth the investment.
Aaron C.
SLG Fellow, Engineering

An Investment in Leadership That Creates Lasting Impact

Tuition for the 2026 Fellows Program is $6,000, less than 10 percent of the cost of one employee leaving an organization. That includes an EQ assessment and coaching, individual and team development plans, all program materials, nine cohort sessions plus fieldwork over five months, and full access to expert mentorship and the SLG Alumni Network.