Your Course of Study
In an intensive, engrossing week, you and a talented group of peers will examine the distinctive characteristics leaders must develop to succeed and to model leadership within their organizations. By viewing leadership as the ambition and will to make a difference, you will learn to lead with vision, effect important changes, and unleash leadership potential throughout the organization.
Through a carefully constructed series of leadership training sessions that blend faculty lectures, case studies, videos, group workshops, and individual exercises, you will balance thought-provoking debate and analysis with self-reflection and personal development. The teaching team for this HBS Executive Education program—drawn entirely from the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School—creates a learning environment that is invigorating, demanding, and enjoyable. You and other members of your group will challenge and motivate one another, sharing ideas and forging professional bonds that can last a lifetime.
Leadership in Action
Looking at leaders in action, you will study the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to leadership. Topics include:
- The distinction between leadership and management
- Pros and cons of different leadership styles
- The challenges of co-leadership
Leading Teams
The ability to create a strong team is one hallmark of an effective leader. As your responsibility grows, the challenge shifts from building productive teams of individual contributors to building effective leadership teams. You will explore diverse topics that help you assess your capabilities as a team leader, including:
- The factors that enable you to build productive teams
- How to evaluate and increase the effectiveness of your team
- The reality of team life—the good, the bad, and the paradoxical
- Leading diverse teams—getting the most value from differences
- Maximizing creativity within groups
Leadership Expression
As a leader, you must express yourself effectively, whether you are communicating complex information, leading in a crisis, or defending your decisions. Through a series of nontraditional techniques drawn from the world of theater, storytelling, and public communications, you will expand your repertoire of expressive and persuasive techniques, improving your ability to handle any situation.
Managing Networks
Your internal and external networks are important leadership assets. As you evaluate your own networks, you will gain tips for establishing effective networks and maximizing the value of your networks. Topics include:
- Obstacles to establishing effective networks
- The importance and art of managing up
- Constructive approaches to managing the politics of change
Developing Talent and Leadership
How can you create a culture of leadership and motivate a diverse workforce? Focusing on the challenges of managing performance and on the role of the leader as architect and coach, you will examine the strategic management of talent and how key decisions affect organizational capability, execution, and innovation.
The Value Continues
The program will continue delivering value after you return to work. To help you achieve the personal and professional goals you set for yourself during the session, the faculty will send you brief follow-up reminders. You will also be able to draw on a valuable network of peers for advice and support as you confront ongoing leadership challenges.
"The program enables you to reflect on what it takes to be a more effective leader, and then practice doing those things in a safe environment. Like most senior managers, I thought a lot about managing the team, the business, and the projects. But the program prompted me to think deeply about the difference between management and leadership. As I work with my team, I try to communicate the vision and the strategy—and inspire others."
David Ly [Senior Manager, Marketing], Cisco Systems, U.S.