ALEA - Art of Leadership Award
The award for exemplary leadership at ETH Zurich
The ALEA Award honours ETH members with an exemplary leadership style. This includes any group leader acting with responsibility, fostering inclusivity and prioritising the well-being of their team members by coaching and supporting them, showing them respect and appreciation, and exploring innovative ideas. These leaders contribute to making ETH Zurich a global champion in teaching and research.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Academic Association of Scientific Staff at the ETH Zurich (AVETH ) and the Vice-Presidency for Personnel Development and Leadership (VPPL), the ALEA award also invites nominations for employees taking on technical leadership roles without assuming personnel responsibility at the same time. Eligible for nomination are thus also senior scientists, project managers, workshop leaders, etc. in recognition of their contribution.
Call for nominations 2024
Do you know someone who meets the criteria for exemplary leadership and who you think deserves recognition?
If so, please complete the form below and send it to by 10 May 2024.
DownloadSubmit nomination form (PDF, 112 KB)
Thank you for your nominations. We look forward to the award ceremony in autumn 2024 where both the ALEA and the ETH Diversity Award will be granted.
A good leadership style distinguishes itself through allowing employees to exploit their full potential and develop optimally. Possible criteria therefore are:
Acting responsibly
- Acting with integrity
- Reflecting on, and improving, one’s own behaviour
- Serving Swiss society and society as a whole
- Integrating sustainability into daily actions
Driving innovation
- Being courageous, open and curious
- Being flexible and adaptable to change
- Questioning the status quo
- Exploring new ideas, solutions and technologies
Building bridges
- Showing appreciation and respect
- Being authentic and empathetic
- Communicating effectively
- Seeking opportunities to collaborate
Nurturing well-being
- Being mindful of one’s own well-being
- Being attentive to the well-being of others
- Managing one’s own resources sustainably
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
Living inclusivity
- Reflecting on one’s own biases, assumptions and stereotypes
- Treating everyone fairly
- Standing up to disrespectful and non-inclusive behaviour
- Informing oneself on diversity and inclusivity topics
Enabling people
- Coaching others to find their own solutions
- Understanding feedback as an opportunity to develop potential
- Providing constructive feedback with an appreciative attitude
- Contributing to a culture in which failures are dealt with constructively
Find out more about ETH Zurich's social- and leadership competencies here.
ALEA Award ceremony 2023
This year's award ceremony took place on Friday 17 March 2023 from 15:00 to 16:45. Afterwards, there was an opportunity to discuss leadership, exchange ideas and learn from each other.
Read more about the event, the award winner Thomas Meierhans and the two finalists Lavinia Heisenberg and Mark Tibbitt in Internal news.
The ALEA Award is the successor prize of the Golden Tricycle, which was initiated by AVETH and ETH Diversity in 2007.