A fundamental aspect of the CCSL program is building professional skills for collaboration. Beyond technical expertise, we recognize the essential role of ‘soft' or human skills in helping effectively apply complex knowledge to advance climate solutions. Key amongst these skills is "Collective Leadership," a model that views leadership as a collaborative process, emphasizing the need for self-awareness and reflection.

Margaret Krebs, Director of Stanford's new "Leading Interdisciplinary Collaborations Program," is a leading practitioner and professional facilitator of the Collective Leadership Training model. Margaret created and delivered customized training for both the 2023 and 2024 cohort of Coastal Climate Solutions Leaders trainees this spring.

Over two days of facilitation, trainees learned tools for creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, transdisciplinary project management and collaborating across difference.