10 Executive Leadership Programs That Should Be On Every Business Leader's Radar (2023)

Many leaders spend most of their day meeting with others – but their lives can also be very isolating.

"The whole saying 'It's lonely at the top' is really true," said Mike Malefakis, former Wharton CEO for executive education and associate vice president. While he recognizes this reality, Malefakis also champions the value of leadership development.

These programs provide opportunities to network, learn and grow with others in C-suite roles. Programs update their management approaches and some even offer a sabbatical from everyday working life.

many of the nationbest business schoolsoffer courses and programs tailored to executives and designed to meet executives' demanding schedules. Below are 10 executive management programs (someon-line, hybrid or fully personal) tailored for the C-suite and addressing topics such as risk management, competition and brand reputation.

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Living in the C-suite means long days at work, but little time to think and learn from others. "That's why the five weeks are crucial to almost taking a gap year from what you regularly do day to day and investing in yourself," says Malefakis. During theWharton School at the University of PennsylvaniaIt's five weeks, on campusAdvanced Management Program, participate in breakout sessions, simulations, and experiential learning with other leaders (for example, team rowing exercises to practice communication and coordination). You'll walk away with a methodology for stopping, reflecting, learning, and then acting in future business situations. Wharton also offers a hybrid version of the program, in which leaders take two trips to Philadelphia and complete courses online. On-campus and hybrid options cost $65,000.

Stanford University Graduate School of Business Administration

DieBlack Leaders ProgramnoStanford Graduate School of Businessis tailored for black business leaders or executives who want to advance black leadership. One week program highlights about race and leadership, power, negotiation, relationships, communication and networking. The face-to-face program also provides a space to discuss barriers to Black leadership and identity in the workplace. After the sessions, you'll work on a final project focused on career advancement, with coaching and feedback from peers along the way. Program Director Brian S. Lowery's research focuses on perceptions of injustice and how to reduce it. The Black Leaders program costs $13,500 to join and you will receive a certificate of completion at the end.

MIT Sloan School of Business

before divingBridging the gap between strategy and execution, a two-day face-to-face course, you will complete a survey to assess whether your organization has been successful in executing on strategy and identify opportunities for improvement. the course inMIT Sloan School of Businessis taught from the perspective that strategy execution relies heavily on risk management and not on implicit beliefs. You use situations from your own business experiences to apply ideas from the course, which treats strategy as a cyclical process. The course is aimed at executives of companies with annual revenues of at least US$ 30 million and is taught by Donald SullRanked as a Management Guru by Fortune.Closeing the Gap membership costs $4,900 and is suitable for executives, including CEOs and chief strategy officers.

Kellogg School of Management da Northwestern University

Kellogg's is one year longExecutive Program for Womenfor top women leaders includes four three-day sessions focused on decision-making, negotiation skills, ethical challenges and external management. The crown jewel of this program inKellogg School of Management na Northwestern Universityis a 360-degree assessment that provides unbiased feedback on your leadership style within your own organization. The assessment is specifically designed to assess women's leadership qualities, taking into account their individual challenges. Leadership Advisors offer check-ins throughout the year to help you define your development goals and track progress. Graduates of the program are CEOs, CFOs, CMOs and presidents of organizations. Participants pay $26,150 to attend, including room and board.

Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

Dartmouth is on campus biweeklyAdvanced Management Program goes beyond the basics and provides executives with in-depth insight into strategy, competition, globalization and brand management. the program belowTuck School of Business no Dartmouth Collegeintended for executives with at least 12 years of professional experience,and includes a healthy mix of lectures, discussions, tours and workshops. You will also work on a project management action plan to bring back to your organization. Projects can be focused on solving business challenges or new growth opportunities. "At the end of the day, it's all about impact," says Phil Barta, executive director of Tuck Executive Education in Dartmouth. “That's what these organizations want to see from their leaders when they send them out.” Tuck's Advanced Management Program costs $24,000.

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

The Executive Program: Strategic Leadership at the Top, organized byDarden School of Business da University of Virginia, includes face-to-face modules and online sessions on topics ranging from strategy to personal well-being, entrepreneurship and risk management. While all participants in this six-month program are senior executives, they come from financial services, government, education, healthcare, and even aerospace. "You open your mind to different ways of doing things and how people live and think," says Elton "Neil" Wright Jr., a Boeing program quality manager who participated in the program, adding that TEP gives you a better world economy. conveyed a feeling for it. They meet in person at two two-week sessions in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Executive Program costs $39,950 to enroll and graduates receive a discount on additional Executive Education courses at Darden.

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business Schoolone week personal course,Risk Management for Business Leaders: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage, teaches participants to anticipate and mitigate risks and to use risk management to develop strategies and competitive advantages. The program examines both internal (employee behavior and strategy execution) and external (uncontrollable events and reputation) risk management for executives ranging from the chief risk officer to the chief financial officer. Executives from Johnson & Johnson, Netflix and Accenture are alumni. Harvard recommends that several company representatives attend the course at the same time. Pricing for this year's lineup is yet to be determined.

Yale School of Business

Yale School of Businessit's 10 monthsGlobal Leadership Program (GELP)is delivered in three five-week modules that allow participants to apply course material during breaks in their respective organizations. As part of the GELP—which is aimed at executives with at least 20 years of professional experience—You'll participate in four bootcamps focused on personal insights, marketing, negotiation and entrepreneurship, and receive one-on-one executive coaching. You'll also be invited to the Yale CEO Summit, which brings together leaders from around the world. Upon completion of the program, you will be a Yale Alum. “They're ready for big thinking, big change, and exciting new initiatives,” says Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, program faculty director. The cost of the program is $60,000.

Colombian Business School

You have a strategic mindset, natural leadership skills and financial fundamentals, but numbers may not be your forte or career focus. A solution?Colombian Business Schoolit's five daysFinance and accounting for the non-financial managerCourse aimed at creative or technical executives, covering managerial and financial accounting, ratio calculation, forecasting and valuation, and shareholder value management. This course, which can be taken online or in person, can also serve as a good refresher course for people who previously worked in finance or accounting but have changed roles. Typically, about a third of participants perform general management roles. The online program costs US$7,950, while the in-person option costs US$10,750.

Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

DuringPepperdine University (Graziadio)is three days, six sessionsLeadership fundamentalsIn the certification program, participants will learn virtual and face-to-face methods for engaging stakeholders, recruiting, and strategically solving problems through the lens of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity). Participants are invited to complete a 360-degree leadership assessment that allows them to reflect on their personal leadership skills. Participants leave the program with a personalized leadership development plan created specifically for their organization during the final session. Membership in the Personal Program costs $2,999.

This article was last updated on April 19, 2022. Mike Malefakis he has since resigned from Wharton.