Thought Leadership
Dr. Max Klau’s thought leadership focuses on the intersection of inner development and systemic change. As an author, speaker, and public intellectual, he explores how leaders can confront their shadow, cultivate courageous wholeness, and build organizations capable of responding to the challenges of our time with integrity, wisdom, and service.
Learn More:
Book
Developing Servant Leaders at Scale: How to Do It and Why It Matters, was published in October 2025. The book tells story of the years-long effort to develop a powerful, scalable approach to inner development. The ideas in this book are foundational to the work and mission of the Center for Courageous Wholeness.
Learn more here.
The Courageous Wholeness
Podcast
The Courageous Wholeness Podcast is the official podcast of the Center for Courageous Wholeness. Hosted by Dr. Max Klau, the podcast features interviews with the remarkable community of human beings across the globe who are striving to meet this moment of polarization and crisis with wholeness. These are the folks who have found powerful ways to use their gifts to serve others. Along the way they have learned invaluable lessons about how to work skillfully with shadow, how to heal and harness trauma, how to live with joy and creativity, and how to navigate the uncertainty of the unknown with confidence and grace.
Presentations &
Media Appearances
Max is a frequently invited to talk about the work of courageous wholeness guest on podcasts, as a speaker and presenter, and as a public intellectual. Here are a few highlights:
Inner Development Goals Summit 2025:
Story from the Field
The fourth Inner Development Goals Summit occurred in October 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. The gathering brought together 800 people in person with 7,000 joining virtually. Max was selected to share a “Story from the Field”, and gave a talk explaining how inner development is being used by the New Politics Academy to develop politicians dedicated to renewing and restoring American democracy. Here’s the eight-minute talk given from the Main Stage in Stockholm on October 15th, 2025.
Max was interviewed by Dr. Angel Acosta, the visionary founder of the Acosta Institute.
In this hour-long video interview, they explore the concepts of courageous wholeness, servant leadership, and shadow.
Date: July 2025
In this video, Max is in conversation with Emily Cherniack, Founder and Executive Director of the New Politics Academy. Together, they discuss the work of developing servant leaders, and why this approach to inner development is so important in the space of American politics today.
The ManKind Podcast is produced by the ManKind Project, a global non-profit organization that offers personal development training and community support for men, with a focus on emotional maturity, spiritual awareness, and deepening community. This interview explores how Max’s encounter with the organization’s work has shaped his approach to leadership development in powerful ways.
Date: July 2025
“The Practice of Coaching”, by Integral Coaching Canada
In this video, Susan Lorree of Integral Coaching Canada interviews Max about his approach to leadership development, how his encounter with integral coaching has shaped his work, and why he chose Integral Coaching when seeking Coaching certifications.
Date: August 2025
Check out Max’s article in the Harvard Business Review exploring what he calls “the Gandhi/ Hitler problem” in leadership studies.
Check out Max’s article in Fast Company describing this approach to creating spaces for inner development that are integrated into the work day.