Harvard Business School Executive Education programs strengthen the leadership capacity of individuals and their organizations. The School's learning model immerses the world's most promising managers in a transformational experience that fosters professional, intellectual, and personal development. Every program challenges executives to think and manage more effectively in a changing business world.
Philosophy
Every HBS Executive Education 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 leverage their enhanced leadership capacity to build sustainable advantage for their companies.
Case Method
Pioneered by HBS, the case method is employed as the most effective tool to teach general management and leadership. 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. In addition to gaining valuable insight by interacting with others who lend different viewpoints, Executive Education participants benefit from an added dimension that no other business school can offer—the opportunity to be taught by many of the faculty who wrote the cases and have personal knowledge of the problems and solutions presented.
Interaction
While the School’s hallmark case method is the foundation of the teaching approach, Executive Education programs also maximize learning through a carefully structured, integrated mix of lectures, small-group discussions, presentations, and team-building exercises. Every facet of the programs—from participant selection…to amphitheater classroom seating…to discussion group design…to social activities—is structured purposefully to promote dynamic interchange and shared learning among equally accomplished peers from diverse companies, industries, and countries. To reinforce the School's extraordinary sense of community, Executive Education participants live on campus in single, private rooms arranged around a common area, providing ready access to colleagues and fostering peer-to-peer engagement.
Actionable Learning
Executive Education programs are designed as intensive, interactive opportunities for participants to explore timely business issues and to shape innovative ideas into real-world solutions. Most important, the curricula emphasize implementation strategies, which enable participants to apply the concepts and practices upon returning to their organizations. When appropriate, other value-adding learning componenets—including hands-on exercises, business simulations, personal and organizational assessments, CD-ROM resources, special training sessions, and follow-on projects with the faculty—al are incorporated to facilitate implementation.
Technology
Totally integrated into the academic, living, and social experience, technology plays a major role in the learning process by equipping managers with hands-on tools that facilitate in-depth exploration, as well as communication and collaboration among the participants and faculty. Computer simulations, webcasts, videoconferencing, videos, and other interactive multimedia add a real-life dimension to the classroom sessions. Each participant's room has a personal computer with the latest software, Internet connection, and email application. Program intranet sites also promote learning by providing easy links to class schedules, assignments, teaching materials, participant and faculty biographies, and more. The result is an on-campus environment that is powerfully enriched by shared resources and learning.
