Executive Education

General Management Program

Creating Outstanding Business Leaders

Today's global economy calls for multifaceted leaders who have a more holistic view of business, who can spot emerging opportunities, and who can navigate all economic environments. In response, GMP helps participants master new skills, explore diverse perspectives, and develop new leadership styles—transforming them into outstanding business leaders who can lead their organizations with newskills, judgment, and confidence.

What You Can Expect

Early career success often comes through specialization in a specific functional domain, but further advancement requires a more comprehensive, multifunctional perspective. Without careful preparation, this transition can be risky and take years to complete—time that companies can ill afford as they attempt to sustain and grow their business amid uncertain market conditions. GMP is designed to smooth and accelerate this career transition.

Who Is Right for the Program

This leadership development program is designed for executives with recently acquired or significantly expanded general management responsibilities, and for senior functional managers who need a broader perspective on company operations or who will become business-unit, division, or regional leaders in the near future.

Investment in the Future

Participants return to their organizations with the analytical skills needed to identify, frame, and solve complex business problems, the confidence needed to make important business decisions, and the leadership skills needed to drive fundamental change in an uncertain world. In short, this program is designed to maximize the impact you make when you get back to work.

Your Course of Study

Through a tightly integrated structure with both on- and off-campus modules, this executive education program combines a collaborative learning environment with a results-focused, action-oriented curriculum. The case-based curriculum presents a holistic picture of leadership with an emphasis on practical knowledge and personalized learning.

Comprehensive Leadership Programs Summary

Compare the key features of Harvard Business School's three comprehensive leadership programs—the Advanced Management Program, the General Management Program, and the Program for Leadership Development.

A limited amount of partial scholarship funding may be available for qualified applicants from not-for-profit organizations. To be considered, you must complete and submit your application and include a request for funding. FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Ms. Vicki Good, Portfolio Director, at +1-617-495-6486.

Facing—and Meeting—a Critical Challenge

The Challenge – Most managers achieve success in the early phases of their careers through increased specialization—continually refining their expertise in a single functional area. At some point in their careers, however, the best of these specialists face a difficult challenge: to re-create themselves as generalists. Almost overnight, they must develop new skills and adopt a businesswide perspective to become effective strategists, organization builders, and leaders. They must address the threats—and the opportunities—posed by a changing competitive environment.

Whether formally designated as "general managers" or senior functional leaders with general management responsibilities, they must rapidly transform themselves into effective generalists. If this transition is left to on-the-job training, it can take years to complete and may cause unnecessary business disruptions.

The Response – Early career success often comes through specialization in a single functional domain, but further advancement frequently requires the development of a more general set of skills and a more comprehensive, multifunctional perspective. In short, future success requires an ability to think, act, and lead differently. The goal of Harvard Business School's General Management Program (GMP) is to smooth and accelerate this transition into general management.

In five segments that take place either on the HBS campus or at your workplace, GMP combines skill building—in strategy, finance, and leadership—with the exploration of new theories and practices, as well as exposure to critical new perspectives.

GMP helps you select, develop, and retain employees; build strong teams; and position your business for growth and sustained profitability. On a personal level, the program enables you to examine and rethink your most basic assumptions about management and leadership. It is a time for self-reflection and personal discovery—an interlude that helps you refine your judgment, enhance your skill set, and increase your confidence.

"I took away a lot of value from the General Management Program. The interactive, discussion-based learning that took place in the classroom and the real-world experience shared by industry guest speakers were most beneficial. From administration to teaching, every aspect of the General Management Program was exceptional."
Syed Abdullah [Group Director], Naghi Group, Saudi Arabia

Curriculum: The Five Modules

Through a tightly integrated structure of both on- and off-campus modules, GMP provides a holistic view of leadership with an emphasis on practical knowledge and personalized learning. The on-campus modules present a rigorous, action-oriented, and collaborative learning environment designed to develop outstanding business leaders who can achieve results in all market climates.

Module 1: Building Foundational Skills

Format: Off-Campus Learning

GMP begins well before you set foot on the HBS campus. After completing the admission process, you will receive a set of online, print, and audio materials. These tools provide a solid foundation in financial management, strategy formulation, and accounting, while introducing the HBS learning environment. New this year, selected audio cases enable you to use the latest technology in preparing for classroom case discussions. The goal: to ensure that you arrive on campus ready to learn. Depending on your background and your knowledge of these topics, the work in Module 1 should require from three to six hours per week.

Module 2: Sharpening Diagnostic Skills

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS

The first on-campus module builds a deeper understanding of the general manager's job, with particular emphasis on assessing the current challenges facing a business unit: setting strategy, building the organization, understanding the economics and key value drivers, and exploiting new opportunities in both good and bad economies. You will acquire critical analytical skills and frameworks in three core areas—human resources management, financial management, and strategy formulation—and to a lesser extent in accounting, marketing, operations, and negotiations. While the objective is to develop working knowledge in each of these functional domains, the program employs a highly integrated approach: case studies analyze cross-functional problems that require comprehensive action plans. Finally, to address the current economic climate, the program features special sessions and outside speakers that analyze today’s changing global marketplace, explore the skills needed to navigate uncertain environments, and examine the process of managing in a highly competitive business arena.

During this module, you will begin working on a personalized strategy statement and case study. The strategy exercise focuses on setting direction and determining a sustainable competitive position, while the case study exercise analyzes a particular leadership challenge associated with implementing the chosen strategy. You will then develop a detailed action plan to implement your strategy and address your challenges. Personalizing the GMP experience by directly linking it to the company context maximizes the learning, sets the stage for subsequent learning in later modules, and delivers greater benefits to the sponsoring organization. As part of the peer-to-peer learning model, the program utilizes professional networking software to connect participants who have particular leadership challenges with those who have expertise or experience in those same areas.

Module 3: Applying the Knowledge

Format: Off-Campus Learning

In the third module, you will return to your sponsoring organization and begin applying what you have learned in the first two modules. You will continue to assess and develop your leadership challenges as part of the case study exercise. This month-long period of analysis and experimentation—an interlude focusing on knowledge-in-action—begins to deliver concrete benefits to your sponsoring organization. It also provides an opportunity for you to share your insights and analyses with colleagues at work as a way to further refine your personalized action plan.

During this off-campus module, you will gain access to the proprietary HBS website, "Transition to General Management," which features video clips from HBS alumni who have recently made this difficult transition. The website conveys the critical issues encountered when making the transition from senior functional to general management positions, and provides the "rules of the road" for managers exploring their new roles and responsibilities.

Module 4: Action-Oriented Leadership

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS

Challenged by reimmersion in the workplace, you will bring new energy to the second on-campus module. Equipped with fresh insights into your job and your organization, you will be determined to tackle new challenges, share your newfound knowledge, and refine your personal action plan.

Serving as the capstone of GMP, this three-week module provides an in-depth examination of leadership-in-action. The focus is on leading in turbulent and uncertain environments, driving fundamental change throughout the organization, and achieving longer-term objectives. While analyzing the ethical, motivational, and performance challenges associated with leadership positions, you will develop the skills to capitalize on changing technology and globalization. Against this backdrop, you will finalize your personal action plan.

At the same time, you will continue the process of personal transformation through self-reflection. By completing the Campbell Leadership Descriptor questionnaire, you can better evaluate your own leadership abilities and target specific areas for improvement. As a result of this process, you will discover new insights about yourself: how you analyze problems, how you can apply the leadership skills of your mentors to your own growth, what constitutes your personal leadership style, and how you can best contribute to the success of your sponsoring organization. Through a series of reentry exercises toward the end of the module, the program prepares you to make the critical transition from the HBS learning environment back to your front-line leadership position.

Module 5: Implementation and Ongoing Learning

Format: Off-Campus Learning

Equipped with a detailed action plan developed during GMP, you will return to your organization ready to lead. The ultimate measure of success is the positive impact you will make when applying your new leadership skills and insights across all levels of the organization.

In addition to implementing your personal action plan, you will begin the process of lifelong learning. Through a variety of resources, the School enables you to stay abreast of new developments in management theory and practice, while keeping in touch with your GMP classmates and other HBS alumni. As a graduate of GMP, you have access to a powerful network of advisers and coaches who can guide you in navigating current and future leadership challenges.

"Not a single week goes by when I am not utilizing a concept or technique learned at GMP. My colleagues and I were lamenting this morning that, while it would have been nice to return to a more economically stable environment, our time at GMP better prepared us to deal with the downturn. Perhaps the economy has changed the direction of our companies, but the strategies we learned are helping us lead our companies through these difficult times."
Sandi Baylor-Schmidt [Vice President Human Resources & Legal Affairs], Genus Americas, U.S.

"GMP helped me gain a bigger picture of what we're doing as a company, and that's a huge advantage. Every year, we try to send one or two of our people to HBS to get the same experience as I did. And we've continued to do that during the downturn. When they get back, they think differently. Because they can now see the bigger picture, they understand the value in respecting other cultures and other people."
Hege Kverneland [Chief Technology Officer], National Oilwell Varco, U.S.

Who Is Right for the Program

The General Management Program is designed primarily for executives with recently acquired or significantly expanded general management responsibilities. It is also appropriate for senior functional managers who have important cross-functional or cross-organizational responsibilities, who need a broader perspective on the company's operations, or who will soon become business-unit, division, or regional leaders. Executives who need to develop a more comprehensive, integrated perspective and to sharpen their strategic, financial, and leadership skills will benefit most from this program.

The most common titles of GMP participants include:

• General manager (deputy, assistant, or divisional)
• Senior vice president or VP (divisional, regional, or corporate)
• Director (executive, managing, or divisional)
• Head (business unit or division)
• Manager
• Partner

Participants typically have 15 to 20 years of work experience.

Is GMP right for you? Talk to someone who has been there.

Past Participants Represented:

Participating Companies Have Included:

This list of companies includes participants who have attended recent GMP programs.

"Beyond the tremendous learning and changing that takes place during the program, GMP results in an amazing network that would be impossible to build otherwise. You create bonds and friendships with brilliant people from around the world and across many disciplines that you can draw upon for support and professional guidance at any point after the program ends. That kind of support—both from classmates and faculty—will be invaluable to me as I continue to evaluate opportunities and grow my company's business."
Michelle Sherwood [National Sales Director], Sensis Pty, Ltd., Australia

Meet the Program Faculty

The General Management Program is taught by a core faculty of senior Harvard Business School professors who are skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors, and who serve as advisers, consultants, and directors of companies around the world. HBS faculty leverage their business experience to create new knowledge and enduring concepts that shape the practice of management. Other HBS professors join the core faculty to present special topics, conveying their specific insights to further enrich the learning experience. The result is a teaching team that exposes you to multiple perspectives and challenges your thinking on many levels.

Core Faculty

GMP: A High-Return Investment

Going far beyond basic skills, theories, and frameworks, the General Management Program conveys and instills the reality and practice of general management. You will return to your organization with the analytical skills needed to identify, frame, and solve complex business problems; the confidence to make important business decisions in an uncertain and rapidly changing environment; and the leadership skills to drive fundamental change in your organization and industry.

How is this accomplished?

• GMP builds on Harvard Business School's six decades of experience in designing and running outstanding leadership programs for senior executives. It offers a large, diverse, and challenging peer group, with constant feedback from unbiased, noncompetitive peers. The third-party, noncorporate setting allows you to take risks, experiment freely, and escape the confines of your daily working life.
• A world-class faculty, working as an integrated team, provides an unparalleled educational experience. Faculty members work closely with you, in many cases creating bonds that last for years.
• The five-part GMP learning experience moves you from your current knowledge and skill base to a broadly expanded one—with the goal of helping you to think and act differently.
• You will create strong and durable personal networks that provide enduring benefits to both you and your sponsoring organization.
• GMP combines the large-group learning of the classroom with small-group learning, creating an incomparable leadership development experience.
• The small living groups—assembled to include a range of experiences and talents—provide a unique context for personal feedback and professional development. Within these groups, you and your peers will act as mentors, coaches, advisers, teachers, and even as students. You will teach, as well as learn, giving and receiving constructive criticism and honest feedback.
• The length of the program is critically important: Effective learning groups grow out of cohesion and trust, which only can be achieved through a sustained immersion in the learning environment, away from the routines and pressures of the workplace. While shorter programs can offer skill building, they cannot provide the personal transformation that occurs in GMP.

"I highly recommend the GMP program! It truly is a life-changing experience—but you can only grasp its full impact once you’re back at work applying the skills you gained at HBS. The combination of outstanding peers, fantastic faculty, an exhilarating classroom experience, and the vast resources of HBS make this program second to none!"
Boris Kuehn [Head of Mergers & Acquisitions], DB Mobility Logistics AG (FGP), Germany

The Learning Model

Philosophy – Every HBS Executive Education experience is shaped by the School's cross-functional approach to general management, its innovative teaching methodologies, and a unique residential learning environment that promotes teamwork and collaboration.

Case Method – Pioneered by Harvard Business School, the case method is one of the most effective tools for teaching general management and leadership—especially to practicing managers. Case studies offer multiple levels of learning, compelling participants to identify relevant issues and to apply practical business lessons to their own companies. Cases often are complemented by videotaped interviews or in-class visits by case protagonists. At HBS, Executive Education participants benefit from an added dimension that no other school can offer: the opportunity to be taught by the faculty who wrote the cases, who know the case protagonists, and who have personal knowledge of the problems encountered, alternatives considered, and solutions presented.

Interaction – Every facet of an HBS Executive Education program—from participant selection…to amphitheater classroom seating…to learning group design…to social activities—is carefully crafted to promote dynamic interchange and shared learning among accomplished peers from diverse companies, industries, and countries. To reinforce the School's extraordinary sense of community, Executive Education participants live on campus in suites of single, private rooms arranged around a common area. This provides ready access to colleagues, while fostering peer-to-peer engagement. For many participants, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of the HBS experience.

The Learning Commitment – Residency on campus is required, and classes are held six days a week. The faculty expects active involvement in all classroom sessions, case discussions, and other program activities. Participants devote considerable time and energy to the learning experience, putting in long days and nights. Therefore, they must be free of outside responsibilities during their stay at HBS. Except during specified breaks and at the end of the program, spouses and other family members should not plan to visit participants in Boston.

Technology – Program participants benefit from an on-campus environment that is powerfully enriched by state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. The range of hands-on tools spans computer simulations, webcasts, and videoconferencing in class; a personal computer equipped with all the necessary software in each participant's room; and immediate access to extensive databases and proprietary resources exclusive to the HBS community. The result is an innovative, on-campus environment that is supported comprehensively by shared resources and learning.

Health and Fitness – A leader is an irreplaceable corporate asset. As part of the curriculum, the General Management Program offers classes on stress management and work-life balance. In addition, GMP participants enjoy full access to the extensive fitness facilities at Harvard Business School.

Why HBS? – With more than 60 years of experience in executive education, Harvard Business School is the leading provider of advanced learning opportunities that strengthen the leadership capacity of both individuals and their organizations. Unlike any other, the HBS Executive Education learning model immerses the world's most promising managers in a transformational experience that transcends the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and tools—and fosters professional, intellectual, and personal development. Every program challenges executives to grow as leaders, to shape powerful ideas into decisive action plans, and to think and manage differently in a changing business world.

"Since returning to work, I have a new perspective on my day-to-day role, as well as the way I lead and manage my team. As a result of what I learned in the program, I now meet with my staff on a more regular basis and address issues head-on as they arise, rather than letting them persist, which is really making a big difference. I am also trying to focus less on the "minutia" and more on the big picture."
Linda Fisicaro [Senior Corporate Lawyer], Linfox Pty., Ltd, Australia

Alumni Status

After completing the General Management Program, participants become alumni of Harvard Business School with exclusive access to:

• The HBS alumni network – Tap into a global resource of more than 72,000 MBA and Executive Education alumni in over 150 countries
• The HBS Alumni Clubs and Associations – Connect with members of 85 Alumni Clubs and Associations worldwide on diverse business and social levels. Besides strengthening alumni relationships and offering opportunities for continued learning, many Clubs and Associations provide community service, reinforcing the HBS mission "to educate leaders who make a difference in the world."
• The Baker Library services – Access a comprehensive collection of content assets and thought-leadership pieces on wide-ranging aspects of management and leadership online at http://www.library.hbs.edu/resources_alumni.html.
• The HBS Publishing Alumni Plus Program – Identify yourself as an alumni member when placing an order and receive a 20-percent discount on regularly priced items. This includes HBS Press books, Harvard Business Review article reprints, and case studies (subscriptions not included). If other discounts are offered (such as quantity or special pricing), the lowest available discount will apply. After completing a program at the School, alumni will receive a free one-year subscription to Harvard Business Review.
• A 30-percent discount on all HBS Executive Education Open-Enrollment programs
• A lifelong HBS email forwarding address

"If you can make one good business decision, you've paid for the program. I got the investment back the week I returned from the first session. Six months later, I am still consulting my GMP materials. I also bring many of the key lessons of the program to my team. Our staff meetings are no longer simply meetings—they are a time for everyone to learn."
Jennifer Wilfong [Global Brand Manager], Caterpillar Inc., U.S.