Executive Education

Program for Leadership Development

Accelerating the Careers of High-Potential Leaders

Successful businesses know that investing in the next generation of leaders is critical to sustaining competitive advantage and achieving corporate growth over the long term. The Program for Leadership Development (PLD) equips functional managers with the advanced decision-making and execution skills they need to excel as multifaceted leaders. You will emerge fully prepared to take on greater cross-functional responsibilities, facilitate change and innovation, and, ultimately, drive improved performance throughout your organization.

An alternative to the executive MBA, PLD is an accelerated learning experience that puts you on the fast track to leadership. But unlike an executive MBA program, PLD is tailored to your unique leadership goals and challenges.

What You Can Expect

Designed for individuals who will assume the cross-functional responsibilities of company leadership, PLD presents an integrated view of the fundamentals of management. Leveraging advanced strategies and techniques, you will learn how to excel in decision making, execution, and leadership.

Who Is Right for the Program

Created for managers and functional specialists with approximately 10 years of work experience, PLD serves individuals with excellent prospects for leadership within their organizations. You and your peers will represent diverse business functions, companies, industries, and countries.

Investment in the Future

By providing a broader strategic perspective, PLD helps organizations groom the next generation of high-potential leaders. You will experience extraordinary professional and personal growth, while your organization will deepen its talent pool.

Your Course of Study

Through on-campus and distance-learning modules, this Executive Education leadership training program offers an integrated set of individual and classroom components. The program structure is well suited to the needs and time demands of this accomplished group of managers.

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. Carla Tishler, Portfolio Director, at +1-617-496-3876.

What You Can Expect

Recognizing that today's uncertain business climate calls for visionary leaders, the Program for Leadership Development presents an integrated view of the fundamentals of management. By gaining a deeper understanding of core business functions, you will improve your decision-making skills and expand your leadership capacity. Through an examination of macroeconomic topics—such as the links between developed economies and emerging markets, you will assess how changing global markets are impacting your industry.

Your PLD learning experience will be enhanced by the dynamic interchange that takes place among the eight members of your living group, which is carefully designed to span industries and countries. During the course of the program, you will share diverse perspectives on strategies, ideas, opportunities, and personal and professional challenges. These intimate relationships not only enable you to consider a business challenge from different angles, but also serve as a global support network as you work to achieve your leadership goals.

The result is a personal and professional transformation that contributes to your company's succession planning while strengthening its competitive position. You will:

• Gain in-depth knowledge of business functions and build foundational skills to integrate these functions across the organization
• Examine new techniques and technologies for driving results throughout the company in any market cycle
• Formulate a holistic approach to identifying problems, formulating solutions, and adapting to change
• Build strategic skills for effective decision making, strategy development, and implementation
• Expand your capacity to lead cross-functional initiatives and corporate projects amid challenging global markets
• Develop a personal leadership philosophy that reflects greater knowledge, capabilities, and insight

"PLD was life-and career-changing. It improved my knowledge, confidence, and skill in business finance, added to my knowledge of global economics, and gave me tools to develop and execute strategy across business functions. But more than that, it gave me very clear direction for improving my leadership skills. I know what I need to do. I have cases to turn to for help. I have networks to refer to. I have more clarity on my leadership and its value to the business. This program is designed to help you be the best general manager you can be."
Wendy Rayner [Head of Marketing], NZ Lotteries, New Zealand

Your Course of Study

Focused on leadership, change, and innovation, the PLD curriculum is built around four educational modules—two distance-learning and two on-campus sessions—plus a fifth optional module.

The first module builds on foundational business skills; the second presents a cross-functional business approach; the third hones strategic skills through a business simulation; and the fourth sets the stage for leading innovation and change. Module 5—an optional two-week session—further accelerates your leadership skills development and provides a path for earning HBS alumni status. Completion of each module is required in order to advance to the next module of the program.

Two important components of PLD begin in Module 1 and continue throughout the program, both facilitating the personal and professional transformation that sets PLD apart.

• Personal Case: You bring your PLD lessons to life through a personal case, which enables you to address a challenge in your organization through an in-depth strategy and implementation plan. In Module 1, you identify the topic and begin to scope the challenge, and then build your strategy during the following modules. At every stage, you draw on the members of your living group for the insight and feedback essential to formulating an effective strategy.
• Coaching: The PLD coaching program helps you apply the knowledge you have acquired to your specific professional situation. A professional coach who is assigned to each living group provides one-on-one sessions and facilitated team meetings that help you develop your personal leadership style. These sessions provide the opportunity to process personal feedback, seek advice on improving leadership skills, and customize an action plan for personal and professional development.

Module 1: Foundational Skill Building

Format: Off-Campus Learning

Duration: 10 Weeks

Distance-Learning Courses – Given their diverse educational and professional concentrations, participants will have varying degrees of experience and proficiency in fundamental areas such as accounting, finance, and quantitative methods. To establish a common level of understanding and to maximize your learning experience, you must finish the required coursework—including proficiency exams—before arriving on campus for Module 2.

Leadership Skills Assessment – You will begin to determine your goals for the program through an assessment of your personal leadership and management competencies.

Faculty-Led Webinars - HBS faculty will lead interactive case discussions on selected PLD topics. You'll have a chance to meet other participants online within the context of the discussion.

Module 2: Cross-Functional Business Approach

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS

Duration: 2 Weeks

Through an in-depth examination of key functional areas, you will examine the latest business techniques and technologies. You also will explore new ways to manage in down cycles as your company faces increasing budget reductions, shrinking markets, intensifying competition, more price-sensitive customers, and fewer resources. Functional areas examined include:

Strategy – Functional and business-unit strategy formulation; strategy implementation; alignment of strategy and control systems; and growth strategies.

Marketing – Product management; marketing strategy; market segmentation; product positioning; pricing; market analysis and planning; branding; customer acquisition and retention; and employee, shareholder, and customer satisfaction for profit and growth.

Finance and Accounting – Financial accounting; financial statements; accounting choices and financial reporting policies; financial analysis; budgeting; forecasting; control systems; and profitability analysis.

Operations – Internal processes; technology and operations strategies; product and market capabilities; operations improvements; coordination/supply chain management; new product/process creation and analysis; and human resource capacities.

Module 3: Strategy Formulation and Implementation

Format: Off-Campus Learning

Duration: 14 Weeks

You will engage in synchronous and asynchronous online exercises, group work, and individual study designed to improve your strategic skills and drive cross-functional collaboration. These include:

Strategy Project – You will formulate a detailed strategy statement and implementation plan for your organizational unit. Drawing from the foundational skills and cross-functional business knowledge you acquired in the previous modules, you will make organizational decisions and apply management techniques and technologies that will drive optimal results.

Business Simulation Exercise – Assigned to management teams in companies competing in the same industry, you and your peers will each assume the role of a senior executive in charge of a primary business function. Working together through a dedicated portal, virtual meeting rooms, and teleconferencing, you will analyze the competitive landscape, and then formulate and implement strategies for your respective companies. As you strive to achieve competitive advantage, you will make decisions about raising capital, entering or exiting product categories, manufacturing and distribution, and marketing and sales strategy. Through online debriefings with program faculty during the simulation exercise, you will evaluate company performance, assess teamwork effectiveness, and reinforce the results-oriented learning.

Introduction to Change Management – Through video case studies, multimedia faculty presentations, and hands-on exercises, you will explore the elements of leading change—interfunctional relationships; internal communication networks; incremental and discontinuous organizational change; organizational ambidexterity; and strategic experimentation and learning. You also will be presented with a framework for implementing the results of the company-specific strategy exercise.

Customized Leadership Learning Path Assessment – PLD provides you with an enlightened perspective through 360-degree feedback from your program sponsor, managers, and coworkers on your skills, leadership competency, and performance. The results not only will help you develop goals for strengthening your individual leadership capacity, but also will serve as the basis for personal coaching activities in Module 4 and for a personalized set of leadership resources and tools.

Faculty-Led Webinars - HBS faculty will lead interactive case discussions on selected PLD topics. There will also be some opportunity to get insights on your personal case study/strategy project.

Module 4: Leading Change

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS

Duration: 2 Weeks

With an integrated organizational perspective established, you and your peers will be ready to learn how to drive real results for your organization. Focused on change and innovation, you will learn how successful executives move their company from market player to market leader. You will explore:

Change Management – Performance and opportunity gaps; organizational alignment and design skills; organizational culture; and links between innovation and organizational evolution.

Innovation Best Practices – Common language for company-wide collaboration; experimentation and learning; enablement of an entrepreneurial mindset; opportunity identification; balance between core businesses and innovations; and new-growth businesses.

Leadership and Execution – Decision-making processes; negotiation strategies; teamwork and group effectiveness; management versus leadership; conflict leadership; risk management; and adaptation of leadership styles.

Module 5: Personal Leadership (optional)

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS

Duration: 2 Weeks

This two-week session brings all the elements of your PLD learning together in an intensive exploration of what it means to be a leader, your responsibilities as a leader, and how to lead effectively at each stage of your professional development. Through the completion of this module, you will earn HBS alumni status. (You also can earn alumni status by completing 10 days/two credit weeks of open-enrollment or custom programs.)

You will acquire a deeper understanding of how exceptional leaders influence their companies as well as the people around them. Key elements of this module include:

Authentic Leadership – The leadership journey; experiences and passions that inform your leadership; self-awareness; values, ethics, and standards; life balance; and leadership through purpose.

Leadership in Action – Common leadership styles; leadership through example; empowerment of team members; challenges to leadership; effective use of power; selection of the right tools, strategies, and methods.

Leadership Development – Leadership exercises; reassessment of your personal leadership goals and action plan.

"PLD was an important life experience—I only wish I had done it 10 years earlier. The cases were highly effective in demonstrating principles, and the fourth module really opened my eyes to the essence of leadership. I found the self-reflections insightful and the positive feedback powerful, something that I will definitely carry forward in my teams."
Adam Cox [Commercial Executive], MBD Credit Solutions (Pty) Ltd., South Africa

"In this intellectually stimulating program, I acquired concepts and practical tools I can use to expand my contribution to the company. But more than that, I gained a deeper understanding of myself as well as the confidence to be the best leader I can be."
Tracey Paterson [General Manager, HR], Ravensdown, New Zealand

Who Is Right for the Program

The Program for Leadership Development is designed specifically for managers and functional specialists who have approximately 10 years of work experience and are considered to be outstanding prospects for leadership within their organizations.

Each group of participants represents diverse business functions, companies, industries, and countries, helping to further broaden your perspective and expand your knowledge.

Appropriate titles include, but are not limited to:

• Vice president
• Director
• Project manager
• Functional manager

Past Participants Represented:

Participating Companies Have Included:

"The Program for Leadership Development is the best educational and professional course that I have experienced to date. It offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from distinguished HBS professors—and provides the cross-functional knowledge, personal development, and leadership skills that both emerging and high-potential leaders need to take their next career step. That's why I'm looking forward to returning to HBS for follow-on programs."
Cindy Park [Vice President, Marketing], Prometheus Real Estate Company, U.S.

Meet the Program Faculty

PLD is developed and taught by a core faculty of Harvard Business School professors who are skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. HBS faculty leverage their business expertise and field-based research to create new knowledge and enduring concepts that shape the practice of management. The result is a teaching team that exposes participants to multiple perspectives, challenging their thinking on many levels.

Core Faculty

"My primary goal was to become a better leader through developing my talents and putting them into service for others. I found the Program for Leadership Development to be very challenging and I believe I have a now greater knowledge of the strengths I need to enhance and the weaknesses I need to curtail and the tools to work on this. The program is worth 10 times the time and money invested."
Pedro Madeira Rodrigues [Secretary General], Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Portugal

"With a background in political science and government, I found myself starting a new commercial venture. PLD provided a wonderful way to polish and expand my knowledge in a range of topics, receive leadership coaching, and grow my business connections. The program transformed the way I relate to my employees. I realized I had not communicated enough with my team or translated strategy effectively. Since the program ended, I've begun clarifying roles and responsibilities and working to make sure we are all on the same page. With this new management style, I've seen positive change in how employees, partners, and clients respond to me."
Lina Xu [Executive Director], Universal World Trade Investment Consulting, People's Republic of China

In-Depth Learning Experience

Why PLD? – Instead of delivering an all-purpose executive MBA program, Harvard Business School delivers an accelerated learning experience that transforms high-potential managers into powerful leaders—the Program for Leadership Development (PLD). Unlike an eMBA, PLD is tailored to your unique needs and leadership challenges. One-on-one coaching, living groups, personal strategy projects, practical application, and a faculty composed of full-time HBS professors are hallmarks of this intensive program.

Time to Learn – The length and intensity of the Program for Leadership Development enable you to step back from your career, reassess your role within the company, and develop a broader and more updated perspective on the relationship between management and the organization. While on the HBS campus, you will be immersed in the learning experience and fully engaged 14 hours a day. During the distance-learning modules, you are expected to spend an average of 10 to 12 hours each week on course preparation and other program assignments.

Environment – With three on-campus residential modules (including one optional module) and two home-based modules, the program structure is carefully designed to balance preparation, intensive learning, and practical application. Active involvement in all classroom sessions, home-based assignments, case discussions, exercises, and other program activities is expected. During the on-campus modules, classes are held six days a week, residency on campus is required, and you must remain free of outside responsibilities. Since you will be devoting time and intellect to this leadership training experience, it is strongly recommended that your family members not accompany you to Boston.

Sound Investment – Designed to groom outstanding leadership prospects, PLD is ideal for managers and functional specialists with approximately 10 years of work experience. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the organization's varied functions and how they interrelate to impact its bottom line, enabling you to more fully contribute to your company's success.

How Will Organizations Benefit? – PLD is a significant investment for both you and your organization. By helping high-potential leaders develop a broad, integrated perspective on general management, PLD supports organizations in their pursuit of sustained competitive advantage. With a comprehensive understanding of how organizations function, you will come away with actionable lessons that can be effectively applied to your organization's challenges and goals.

"I was looking for an education that could be considered an alternative to a top-league Executive MBA program coupled with leadership training. PLD was it. Now I am able to lead new disciplines and teams effectively and demonstrate greater knowledge and capabilities. The program was phenomenal and exhilarating."
Venkatesh V. Iyer [Global Sales Manager for Electrical & Automation Business], Siemens Industry Inc., U.S.

"Those who come to PLD as leaders will leave as better ones. Those who come thinking they may not have what it takes to be a leader will leave believing in themselves."
Tibor Nemes [Head of Operations], Novartis Vaccines, Germany

The Learning Model

Philosophy – Every HBS Executive Education leadership development experience is shaped by the School's cross-functional approach to general management, innovative teaching methodologies, and residential learning environment that promotes teamwork and collaboration. Participants are exposed to an in-depth education that goes beyond frameworks and theories—and prepares them to exercise their enhanced leadership skills to build sustainable competitive advantage for their companies.

Case Method – Pioneered by HBS, 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 situations and companies. Cases provide an opportunity to study general managers—in action—and to apply frameworks and theories in the context of practice. At Harvard Business School, Executive Education participants benefit from an added dimension that no other school can offer: the opportunity to be taught by many of 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, providing ready access to colleagues and fostering peer-to-peer engagement. The intellectual stimulation of learning in the company of peers is one of the most rewarding aspects of the program experience, and most participants establish a network of friendships and business contacts that lasts a lifetime.

The Learning Commitment – Residency on campus is required, and classes are held six days a week. Active involvement in all classroom sessions, case discussions, and other program activities is expected. Participants devote considerable time and intellect 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. 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 resource. HBS encourages all managers to maintain good health and fitness habits, providing access to the School's health club at Shad Hall. This private fitness center on the HBS campus includes an indoor elevated walking/jogging track; three basketball courts; racquetball and squash courts; four outdoor tennis courts and three gymnasium courts; table tennis; an indoor golf net; two aerobics studios with classes ranging from spinning to yoga to kickboxing; an extensive fitness equipment area; and fully equipped men's and women's locker rooms, complete with whirlpool, steam, and sauna rooms.

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.

"The program provided a comprehensive vision of corporate dynamics by integrating theory, practice, and real-life complexities, and was enriched by the leadership of top-class professors and peers from around the globe. This transformational experience enabled me to create value at my company and on my career path."
Gastón Wainstein [Sr. Director Real Estate Development], Walmart Argentina, Argentina

"PLD teaches you how to engage, lead teams effectively, and assess information in a logical manner to create amazing business results. In two months, my team has carried out the same number of projects we would normally complete in six months. This is a program that enables you to walk away as a better individual—not only in business but also in life."
Justin Rakestraw [Assistant General Manager, HR], SCR Medical Transportation, U.S.

Alumni Status

After completing PLD's four core modules, participants can earn HBS alumni status in one of two ways:

• Completing PLD Module 5
• Completing an additional 10 days (two credit weeks) of HBS Executive Education open-enrollment or custom programs

Participants have five years from the completion of either PLD or the first qualifying program to fulfill these requirements. Qualifying programs include those completed within two years prior to the PLD start date. Participants must apply for each open-enrollment program and must meet admission requirements.

As a member of the HBS alumni community, you will enjoy exclusive access to:

• The HBS alumni network – Tap into a global resource of more than 78,000 MBA and Executive Education alumni in 167 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 Alumni 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

"The Program for Leadership Development takes you on a journey and makes you not only a better leader with impeccable expertise in many areas—but also a better visionary, friend, colleague, partner, family member, and human being. Each and every segment made this program such a profound experience."
Cveti Yotova [Business Development Manager], Materna GmbH, Bulgaria