Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The
School was established in 1908.

Program for Leadership Development

Program for Leadership Development PLD is designed for emerging business leaders who will assume the integrated responsibilities of company leadership.

Its comprehensive and holistic approach broadens your understanding of core business functions and deepens your confidence to take on greater cross-functional responsibility.

Fees, Payments, and Cancellations

The $47,000 program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals.

There is no application fee.

No payment is necessary until you have been accepted into an HBS Executive Education program.

After admission notification, they will send you an invoice via email; payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date.

If admission is within 30 days prior to the start of the program, payment is due upon receipt of the invoice.

Payment is required prior to the program start date.

They accept payment by company check, bank wire transfer, or credit card (American Express, MasterCard, Visa).

Curriculum-

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 two-week module.

wo important program components contribute to the personal and professional transformation that sets PLD apart:

Personal Case Study: Your PLD lessons come to life through a personal case, which enables you to address a specific challenge in your organization through an in-depth strategy and implementation plan. in Module 2, you will identify and scope the challenge, and then build your strategy throughout the course of PLD. During this process, your living group will provide feedback that you can use to develop an effective and realistic leadership approach.

Professional Coaching: You will meet your personal coach via a one-on-one phone session during Module 1. Throughout the program, one-on-one professional coaching sessions and facilitated team meetings are held to help you develop your unique leadership style and create a personal action plan for ongoing development. All coaching sessions are strictly confidential, giving you the freedom to share your personal goals and professional challenges.

Module 1

To help establish a common level of knowledge in the classroom, you are asked to complete introductory courses in accounting, finance, and quantitative methods before arriving on campus. While you can work at your own pace, you are expected to dedicate 10 to 12 hours of work each week in the 10 weeks leading up to Module 2. During this module, you are given access to PLD's proprietary skill-building materials and interactive exercises. These online tutorials and proficiency exams are designed to provide a greater understanding of your organization's budgeting, pricing, and forecasting decisions.

You will take part in:

The Financial Accounting Tutorial: You will receive Module 1 Finance and Accounting coursework, including the Macroeconomics book mailing, assignments, and an online quiz, to ensure that everyone is working from a common baseline in preparation for Module 2.

The Cost Accounting Tutorial: You will learn to recognize, assign, and measure the cost of different resources as they relate to various cost objects, including projects, products, orders, customers, distribution channels, and divisions within an organization.

The Leadership Learning Path Assessment: You will examine your leadership and management strengths and identify areas for improvement through this customized 360-degree assessment.

The Financial Analysis Exercise: You will receive a presentation on a specific Module 2 business case, including exhibits and a forecasting tool, and prepare a formal forecast projection, income statement, and balance sheet.

PLD Webinars: You will interact with your peers in faculty-led, real-time webinars based on selected PLD topics.

Module 2 Case Prep: You will read and prepare for all the cases that are part of the on-campus experience in Module 2.

After arriving on the HBS campus, you will begin to develop an integrated perspective on business. Through the multifaceted curriculum, you will delve into the building blocks inherent to all businesses and gain an in-depth understanding of how the various functions interrelate and contribute to a company's overall strategy. Examining the core operations and best practices associated with key functional areas provides an end-to-end view of business that is essential to your growth as a leader.

You will explore:

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 resources capabilities.

Other Topics Include: Building your confidence and presence to achieve more power and influence in new situations; understanding the critical relationship between leadership and corporate accountability; developing greater language skills and cultural awareness throughout your organization to compete locally and globally; and examining how economic, political, and social forces shape the global business environment.

Module 2 also includes several coach-led exercises aimed at helping you better understand your leadership potential. You will:

Upon returning to your organization, you will have the opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge to your everyday work and to contribute more effectively to projects and initiatives. You also will continue to develop your skills through a series of highly structured online exercises, group work, and individual study.

Personal Case: During this module, you will draw on your foundational skills and cross-functional knowledge to create a strategy statement and value proposition for your company. Back at work, you will conduct a root cause analysis with your colleagues, identify aspects of your leadership and your team that contribute to the gap, and diagnose the group or organizational culture related to your personal case.

Alumni Challenge: in this global team project, you will work with your living group members via a dedicated portal, online meeting rooms, and teleconferencing, where you will put your business acumen to the test. You will learn how to analyze the competition and address important real-world issues as you develop a solution to your Alumni Challenge.

Faculty-led Webinars: in addition to participating in discussions on selected PLD topics, you will gain insights into using a language strategy to manage global teams and developing a leadership presence.

Personal and Team Coaching: During three one-on-one phone sessions, you and your personal coach will review feedback received during the real-life case exercise and address questions you may have about your development as a leader. An additional team session will explore the productivity and effectiveness of your living group as a team.

In this module, you will discover why innovation is so critical to your company's future—and how to make it happen. With a better understanding of change management processes and approaches, you will be prepared to help your company innovate, navigate an evolving global marketplace, and move quickly on promising opportunities. Working closely with your personal coach in two one-on-one sessions, you will gain confidence as you strengthen your leadership effectiveness and ability to influence others. This module also includes a session on binding your company's global talent management and vision to gain a competitive advantage.

The curriculum in Module 4 is designed to help you deliver measurable results through innovation. You will explore topics such as:

Change Management: Identifying performance and opportunity gaps; aligning your organization for change; becoming an ambidextrous organization able to respond to new challenges or opportunities; creating an organizational culture that facilitates and welcomes change; overcoming roadblocks to change; understanding the links between innovation and organizational evolution; and examining the impact of disruptive technologies.

Innovation Best Practices: Establishing a common language for company-wide collaboration; developing processes that facilitate innovation; enabling strategic experimentation and learning; creating an entrepreneurial mindset within your organization; managing the existing businesses while enabling innovation; and examining the potential of distributed innovation systems.

Leadership and Execution: Driving change by enhancing decision-making processes, negotiation strategies, and teamwork skills; crafting a leadership style that helps you drive change more effectively; understanding the difference between management and leadership; uniting a team around a clearly articulated vision; building effective teams that can manage conflict and execute change; and identifying and addressing risks.

Personal Case: You will present an overview of your business challenge and action plan to your coach and your living group. Based on their feedback, you will refine and finalize your personal case.

Alumni Challenge: Back on campus for Module 4, each competing team will present the solution to its Alumni Challenge. Following the presentations, the faculty and company representatives will select the winning teams for each challenge.

Upon completing Module 5, you will earn HBS alumni status.* You will return to your company with a new perspective on the challenges that leaders face in driving change throughout the organization and new insights into your own leadership development path as your career progresses.

Key elements of this module include:

Corporate Finance: Senior leaders must have a firm grasp of finance to maximize profitability. While building a foundation in finance, you will learn how to apply financial analysis techniques, work with capital markets and financial institutions, and set performance goals and compensation incentives. You also will gain insights into the flow and management of financial resources at the divisional and corporate levels.

Authentic Leadership: The best leaders are authentic leaders—people whose inner compass guides their daily actions and enables them to earn the trust of their subordinates, peers, and shareholders. By determining what qualities define an outstanding leader who empowers others, you will develop greater self-confidence and emotional intelligence—the two keys to becoming a successful and authentic leader. You will return to your company with a framework for leading with integrity.

Leadership and Accountability: Senior leaders are confronted with complex and often contradictory demands from a range of stakeholders—customers, employees, investors, and governments. While assessing your responsibilities as a decision maker, you will establish guidelines for making decisions that support your organization's financial needs, legal requirements, and ethical obligations. You also will practice adapting your personal leadership style to different business scenarios.

Personal Leadership in Business and Society: Facing heightened competition and transparency, executives are expected to consider the impact of every decision on their organization and their community. Examining innovative ways to build competitive advantage, you will explore your personal role—and your company's organizational role—in generating more value for the business and for society. You also will develop your leadership vision and address a specific personal leadership challenge.

Negotiation and Decision Making: in a highly competitive business arena, attaining the best outcome in high-stakes negotiations is vital to your organization—and your career. By actively engaging in dealmaking scenarios, you will learn how to prepare for and navigate complex negotiations, examine the psychology of decision making, and even predict the outcome of strategic interactions. in collaboration with your peers, you will plan, simulate, obtain feedback, and discuss diverse negotiation and competitive strategies.

Contact address

Harvard Business School
Boston, MA 02163, United States