Developing Yourself as a Leader—Virtual

Through a rich learning experience that includes live online case discussions, self-paced learning, and personal development mentors you will assess, design, and prepare for your leadership trajectory. You will have self-assessments that identify your leadership profile and the opportunity to design and map out the leader you strive to be. There will be a focus on utilizing your leadership skills to avoid the most common pitfalls that derail emerging leaders while building not just an effective but also transformational career.

Over the course of 13 high-impact weeks, you'll experience the power of the Harvard Business School Live Online Classroom—discussing, debating, and engaging live with faculty and peers. The live classroom sessions will take place every Tuesday between January 04 and April 5, except for February 1 (Lunar New Year), from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM ET (Cohort 1) or 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM ET (Cohort 2). Participants will need to log into the Live Online Classroom 30 minutes before the start of each session to conduct a technical check. Program sessions are offered at two different times to accommodate multiple time zones or schedules. Participants will choose a Cohort as part of the application process.

Each week, before the live online session, participants will schedule a discussion group meeting to reflect on the prior week's session, as well as that week's case study. Collaborative learning is an integral part of the experience. To maximize the benefit for everyone, you are expected to attend every session, complete all assignments, and contribute effectively in the class, in small groups, and in the on-going Slack discussion among your classmates and faculty. We advise setting aside a total of 3 hours per week for program work in addition to the live online class sessions.

Mini-360 and DiSC Self-Assessment

Prior to the start of the program, participants will complete a mini-360 review and DiSC self-assessment. The mini-360 will allow you to provide 3-12 of your closest colleagues (your inner circle at work) an opportunity to confidentially assess where they believe you can make the most progress as a developing leader. To complement those perspectives, the DiSC inventory will provide you with a self-assessment of your leadership style. Together, these tools will help form a foundation for individualizing your discussions in the classroom, with your peers, and with your mentor. Participants should expect to spend roughly 3-5 hours per week for 1-2 weeks on the mini-360 and DiSC self-assessment.

Mentorship Sessions

You will meet one-on-one with a personal development mentor. The one-hour meetings will take place during the fourth, seventh, and twelfth weeks of the program; you will work directly with your mentor to schedule the meetings. Your mentor is intimately familiar with the program and will spend time assessing and preparing you for your leadership journey. They will translate the program curriculum into specific goals for you. At the end of the program, you will have a plan to achieve your leadership trajectory.

Quantified Communications

Participants receive a one-year subscription to Quantified Communications, a talent development lab that helps leading organizations cultivate great communicators at every level. Its human-trained AI uses sight, sound, and language understanding to hone communication skills. Quantified Communications provides participants with personalized feedback on strengths, and opportunities for improvement, as well as resources that will enhance their influence and impact as leaders.