THE COUNCIL

THE INNER WORK THAT DRIVES OUTER SUCCESS

The Council is AOA's forum for leaders. It is an invite-only program.
If you want to be considered for an invitation, click below to inquire.
"At [the Leadership Summit] our team did probably six months of work in two days. Every interpersonal conflict that was standing between us just went away.  People shared that they loved each other—something I never heard growing up in Germany. People cried. I cried a lot. I tapped into my helplessness. It was beautiful and efficient at the same time. The clarity we walked away with, and the business decisions we’re now able to make, are extraordinary.”

Johannes Landgraf
Co-founder and CEO, Gitpod

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Align how you lead with who you are

How to lead without burning out or cutting off parts of yourself
How to make tough decisions with clarity and confidence
How to bring honesty into hard conversations without shutting people down
How to stay connected to your values while navigating pressure from investors, peers, or boards
How to grow your business without losing your joy, creativity, or relationships

Sam Altman

CEO, OpenAI
Joe coaches the research and compute teams at OpenAI;

I truly enjoy working with him.

One of his superpowers is that he deeply understands emotional clarity and how to get there; this will be one of the most critical skills in a post-AGI world.

The 4 Pillars


Pillar 1

Personal growth isn't a nice-to-have, it's a fundamental business lever.


Our 2 Leadership Summits are in-person, experiential intensives meant to catalyze profound professional breakthroughs.

These will be personally facilitated by Joe Hudson and other senior AOA facilitators, and you'll have the opportunity to meet other Council members.


Pillar 2

Community accelerates growth, both psychologically and professionally


The Council will place you in a select cohort to learn and practice with - leaders who can deeply empathize with the challenges of leading teams.

Throughout the year, you'll meet with this group during 9 Monthly Forums (3-4 hours each).


Pillar 3

The wisdom of the room surpasses the insight of any single teacher


While traditional programs rely on expert-led sessions, 7 of our 9 Monthly Forums will teach you something more powerful: How to harness the collective intelligence of the group.

We'll equip you with the tools to effectively navigate what comes up in self-run modules, using it in service of growth and empowerment.


Pillar 4

Deep work demands the right circle


Transformative spaces don't happen by chance. That's why we have a strict invitation-only policy.

We will be carefully curating Council groups (and helping Sponsors curate theirs) with the trust and chemistry needed for breakthrough growth.

2025/26 Sponsors

The Council is run as a series of intimate groups, hosted by Sponsors. Groups are either Exec Teams, or Peers.

Johannes Landgraf
Co-CEO, Ona

Obi Felten
CEO, Flourish Labs

Christoph Behn
Founder, celebrate company

Rachel Schneider
CEO, Canary

Joseph Kelly
CEO, Unchained

Agnieszka Snarska
Managing Director, Russell Reynolds

Kalia Crowther
Strategic Director, Cambrian Works

Josh Felser
Co-Founder, Climatic

For life and leadership

Key Dates

The Council is an annually recurring program. Our next cohort begins in April 2026

April 23, 2026: Opening Summit with Joe Hudson

January 2027: Closing Summit with Joe Hudson


Key Details



Yearlong, annually recurring program (April - March)
Intimate, world-class peer group (6-10 other leaders)
2 in-person, 3-day Leadership Summits with Joe Hudson
Monthly 3-hour peer forums (self-facilitated with AOA support)
Quarterly forums facilitated by senior AOA coaches
Full access to AOA leadership content, tools, and ongoing support
INQUIRE ABOUT THE COUNCIL
The past two and a half years, immersed in programs led by Joe Hudson and Tara Howley of the Art of Accomplishment, have been nothing short of a profound transformation. I am deeply grateful.

Pilar Manchón
Senior Director of Research Strategy, Google AI

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