Growing as a Purposeful Leader
- Dates: 23–28 JUN 2024
- Format: In-Person Learning takes place on the HBS campus or a designated location.
- Location: HBS Campus
- Fee: $17,000
The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals.
Application Due: 14 JUN 2024

The Impact of Purposeful Leadership
Summary
Leaders today have to lead in the context of extraordinary changes and challenges. The demands of today's stakeholders have risen significantly, and what is expected of senior leaders is quickly evolving in terms of their mission (more than profit), the scope of their responsibilities (beyond the four walls of the business), and how they should lead (not as superheroes and not just as good business leaders, but also as great human leaders).
In this program, you will prepare to become an authentic, purposeful leader who can step up to more challenging roles and lead effectively in this new era. You will develop new capabilities and learn new tools and approaches on how to orient your business around a noble, meaningful and credible purpose, set strategies that can help the chosen purpose come to life (addressing the needs of your company's varied stakeholders in the process), and create an environment that can unleash the potential of your organization. In parallel, the program will guide you in a profoundly personal exploration that builds your self-awareness and emotional intelligence, delving into the core of your experience to strengthen your capacities as a great purposeful, authentic human leader, not just a great business leader.
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Summary
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Leaders today have to lead in the context of extraordinary changes and challenges. The demands of today's stakeholders have risen significantly, and what is expected of senior leaders is quickly evolving in terms of their mission (more than profit), the scope of their responsibilities (beyond the four walls of the business), and how they should lead (not as superheroes and not just as good business leaders, but also as great human leaders).
In this program, you will prepare to become an authentic, purposeful leader who can step up to more challenging roles and lead effectively in this new era. You will develop new capabilities and learn new tools and approaches on how to orient your business around a noble, meaningful and credible purpose, set strategies that can help the chosen purpose come to life (addressing the needs of your company's varied stakeholders in the process), and create an environment that can unleash the potential of your organization. In parallel, the program will guide you in a profoundly personal exploration that builds your self-awareness and emotional intelligence, delving into the core of your experience to strengthen your capacities as a great purposeful, authentic human leader, not just a great business leader.
DetailsExpand AllCollapse All
Become a purposeful leader able to deal with increasing demands and complex challengesBecome a purposeful leader able to deal with increasing demands and complex challenges
- Lead in an era in which the mission of leaders has broadened considerably
- Change the way you think about your company and your role as a leader
- Leverage your motivations as an individual as you work to align your company around a purpose
- Become a leader who is guided by a greater purpose, a set of values, and key leadership principles
- Become effective at making a company's purpose come to life and unleashing extraordinary performance
- Enhance your effectiveness in dealing with a volatile, uncertain world
Make a noble purpose come to lifeMake a noble purpose come to life
- Define a corporate purpose beyond creating shareholder value, or, if you already have an established purpose, assess its effectiveness
- Reflect your company purpose in its strategies and activities
- Incorporate purpose into decision-making
- Create a culture that empowers employees to support the corporate purpose in every action they take
Unleash "human magic"—and business results—through purposeful leadershipUnleash "human magic"—and business results—through purposeful leadership
- Shape an environment that can allow every employee to be the biggest, best version of themselves and drive exceptional outcomes
- Inspire employees to connect what drives them with their work
- Increase employee engagement and commitment, and in turn generate new levels of contribution
- Uncover untapped creativity and innovation as employees strive to do their job better
Expand your personal and professional networkExpand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds and industries
- Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business and personal challenges
Become a purposeful leader able to deal with increasing demands and complex challenges
- Lead in an era in which the mission of leaders has broadened considerably
- Change the way you think about your company and your role as a leader
- Leverage your motivations as an individual as you work to align your company around a purpose
- Become a leader who is guided by a greater purpose, a set of values, and key leadership principles
- Become effective at making a company's purpose come to life and unleashing extraordinary performance
- Enhance your effectiveness in dealing with a volatile, uncertain world
Make a noble purpose come to life
- Define a corporate purpose beyond creating shareholder value, or, if you already have an established purpose, assess its effectiveness
- Reflect your company purpose in its strategies and activities
- Incorporate purpose into decision-making
- Create a culture that empowers employees to support the corporate purpose in every action they take
Unleash "human magic"—and business results—through purposeful leadership
- Shape an environment that can allow every employee to be the biggest, best version of themselves and drive exceptional outcomes
- Inspire employees to connect what drives them with their work
- Increase employee engagement and commitment, and in turn generate new levels of contribution
- Uncover untapped creativity and innovation as employees strive to do their job better
Expand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds and industries
- Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business and personal challenges
Who Should Attend
CEOs and senior executives one or two levels from the CEO at large companies in any industry with a sizable workforce, who are looking to embrace broader responsibilities in a challenging business environment.
Attendance by two or more representatives of your organization will facilitate broader impact by creating a common vocabulary and helping the participants support each other in their purpose-driven journey. (Please note that executives from the same company will be placed into different discussion groups.)
Related Programs
Executives who wish to strengthen their global business acumen on top of the themes
of this program may consider attending the Leading Global Businesses program.

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
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Who Should Attend
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CEOs and senior executives one or two levels from the CEO at large companies in any industry with a sizable workforce, who are looking to embrace broader responsibilities in a challenging business environment.
Attendance by two or more representatives of your organization will facilitate broader impact by creating a common vocabulary and helping the participants support each other in their purpose-driven journey. (Please note that executives from the same company will be placed into different discussion groups.)
Related Programs
Executives who wish to strengthen their global business acumen on top of the themes of this program may consider attending the Leading Global Businesses program.Program for Leadership Development participants earn 5 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
Dive Deeper into the ExperienceSee how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.
Learning and Living at HBS
When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
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Learning and Living at HBS
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When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
Admissions Criteria and Process
Answering Your Questions
Application Submission
Application Review
Fee, Payment, and Cancellations
Answering Your Questions
Application Submission
Application Review
Fee, Payment, and Cancellations
What You Will Learn
Through a rich learning experience that includes case studies, small group discussions, and faculty presentations, this program will help you guide your organization in a rapidly changing business landscape, pursue a purpose-driven strategy serving diverse stakeholders, and drive strong performance. Cases examine iconic company transformations of the last decade from the perspective of executives in crucible moments, while videos created for this program feature interviews with top executives about their purposeful leadership journey. Throughout the program, you will be prompted to rethink traditional leadership models and consider the significant value purpose can deliver in today's business environment.
Participants should expect to spend at least 20 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
-
What You Will Learn
-
Through a rich learning experience that includes case studies, small group discussions, and faculty presentations, this program will help you guide your organization in a rapidly changing business landscape, pursue a purpose-driven strategy serving diverse stakeholders, and drive strong performance. Cases examine iconic company transformations of the last decade from the perspective of executives in crucible moments, while videos created for this program feature interviews with top executives about their purposeful leadership journey. Throughout the program, you will be prompted to rethink traditional leadership models and consider the significant value purpose can deliver in today's business environment.
Participants should expect to spend at least 20 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
Key TopicsExpand AllCollapse All
Leading selfLeading self
- Revisiting your life story, including your key crucibles
- Reflecting on what drives you and your values
- Identifying or refining your personal purpose—why do you work?
- Evolving your leadership style in the pursuit of your purpose
- Leveraging authentic leadership practices as you guide your company in pursuit of a greater purpose
- Becoming a leader who leads from a place of purpose and with humanity
Defining a corporate purposeDefining a corporate purpose
- Understanding the role and intent of a corporate purpose
- Exploring the characteristics of an inspiring corporate purpose
- Understanding the process for determining a corporate purpose; considering how ambitious to be with your purpose
- Articulating a meaningful corporate purpose that prompts employees to think about their work in new ways
- Embracing all stakeholders in the definition and pursuit of your company's purpose; addressing the inevitable tensions among stakeholders to create win-win-win outcomes
- Building the connection between your company's ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy and practices, and its purpose
Putting a noble purpose to workPutting a noble purpose to work
- Making the chosen purpose the cornerstone of the strategy
- Evolving the company's initiatives accordingly, deciding what activities to stop, evolve, continue, or start
- Exploring what markets to serve and what products/services to launch to align with the purpose
- Overcoming operational challenges
- Measuring performance in the context of your purpose
Creating an environment that unleashes human magic in support of the company's purposeCreating an environment that unleashes human magic in support of the company's purpose
- Understanding and applying the key ingredients of human magic, such as meaning, human connections, psychological safety, autonomy, a learning environment, and a growth mindset
- Making your corporate purpose real and relatable; translating purpose into day-to-day behaviors
- Uniting employees, partners, customers, and other stakeholders around the purpose
- Defining the company's culture in support of its purpose and strategy
- Allowing everyone at the company to write themselves into the corporate purpose "story"
Leading with purpose in a new eraLeading with purpose in a new era
- Recognizing and accepting the new rules of engagement for today's companies, particularly in a multi-stakeholder world
- Deciding when and how to engage in societal issues
- Exploring how the pandemic has prompted new leadership requirements and approaches
- Fostering inclusion and diversity as a key element of business success
- Helping your company develop the agility needed in a digital, constantly evolving business landscape
- Leading through external or internal crises
Leading self
- Revisiting your life story, including your key crucibles
- Reflecting on what drives you and your values
- Identifying or refining your personal purpose—why do you work?
- Evolving your leadership style in the pursuit of your purpose
- Leveraging authentic leadership practices as you guide your company in pursuit of a greater purpose
- Becoming a leader who leads from a place of purpose and with humanity
Defining a corporate purpose
- Understanding the role and intent of a corporate purpose
- Exploring the characteristics of an inspiring corporate purpose
- Understanding the process for determining a corporate purpose; considering how ambitious to be with your purpose
- Articulating a meaningful corporate purpose that prompts employees to think about their work in new ways
- Embracing all stakeholders in the definition and pursuit of your company's purpose; addressing the inevitable tensions among stakeholders to create win-win-win outcomes
- Building the connection between your company's ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy and practices, and its purpose
Putting a noble purpose to work
- Making the chosen purpose the cornerstone of the strategy
- Evolving the company's initiatives accordingly, deciding what activities to stop, evolve, continue, or start
- Exploring what markets to serve and what products/services to launch to align with the purpose
- Overcoming operational challenges
- Measuring performance in the context of your purpose
Creating an environment that unleashes human magic in support of the company's purpose
- Understanding and applying the key ingredients of human magic, such as meaning, human connections, psychological safety, autonomy, a learning environment, and a growth mindset
- Making your corporate purpose real and relatable; translating purpose into day-to-day behaviors
- Uniting employees, partners, customers, and other stakeholders around the purpose
- Defining the company's culture in support of its purpose and strategy
- Allowing everyone at the company to write themselves into the corporate purpose "story"
Leading with purpose in a new era
- Recognizing and accepting the new rules of engagement for today's companies, particularly in a multi-stakeholder world
- Deciding when and how to engage in societal issues
- Exploring how the pandemic has prompted new leadership requirements and approaches
- Fostering inclusion and diversity as a key element of business success
- Helping your company develop the agility needed in a digital, constantly evolving business landscape
- Leading through external or internal crises
The HBS Advantage
Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.
Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management
UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
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The HBS Advantage
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Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.
Faculty CochairsFacultyNovartis Professor of Leadership and Management
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementUPS Foundation Professor of Service Management
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementSenior Lecturer of Business Administration
HBS Unit:General Management
