Program for Leadership Development (PLD) at Harvard Business School

The Program for Leadership Development (PLD) at Harvard Business School combines online and on-campus learning. With on- and off-campus modules, this executive education program offers an integrated set of individual and classroom components. This program is created for high-potential managers and functional specialists with approximately 10 years of work experience

PLD participants earn HBS alumni status by completing an additional 10 days (two credit weeks) of HBS Executive Education programs.

Program Cost

The program costs $40,000. The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals.

Module 1: Foundational Skill Building

Format: Off-Campus Learning
Duration: Ten Weeks

Distance-Learning Courses – Given their different educational and professional concentrations, participants tend to have varying degrees of experience and proficiency in fundamental areas such as accounting, finance, and quantitative methods. To establish a common level of understanding and to ensure that participants maximize their learning experience and keep up with this fast-paced program, they need to work individually to finish the required coursework—including proficiency exams—in these areas before arriving on campus for Module 2. Satisfactory completion of each module is required in order to advance to the next module of the program.

Module 2: Cross-Functional Business Approach

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS
Duration: Two Weeks

Through an in-depth, cross-functional examination, participants develop capabilities in key business functions as they gain valuable insights into the latest management techniques and technologies. In the areas of strategy, marketing, and operations, the focus is less on growth and more on operations. Participants will explore new ways to manage in down cycles as they face increasing budget reductions, shrinking markets, intensifying competition, more price-sensitive customers, and fewer resources.

The overarching framework for integrating critical business functions includes:

Strategy – Functional and business-unit strategy formulation and implementation; sustainability; value creation; competitive analysis; competitive positioning; and competitive advantage. Participants complete a customized strategy exercise focused on a defined initiative.

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.

Balanced Scorecard – Value definition and measurement; performance targets and assessments; people, processes, and information technology alignment; and value-creating strategies.

Finance and Accounting – Financial systems; budgeting; forecasting; cost of equity; performance measurement and evaluation; profitability analysis; valuation; financial accounting; journal entries; financial statements; financial reporting strategies; and accounting policies.

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 resource capacities.

Module 3: Strategy Formulation and Implementation

Format: Off-Campus Learning
Duration: Fourteen Weeks

Participants complete strategy projects and engage in synchronous and asynchronous online exercises, group work, and individual study. They should expect to commit an average of three to six hours per week to these program assignments and activities. Satisfactory completion of each module is required in order to advance to the next module of the program. Components include:

Strategy Project – Participants formulate a detailed strategy and implementation plan for a defined initiative. Drawing from the foundational skills and cross-functional business knowledge they acquired in the previous modules, they make organizational decisions and apply management techniques and technologies that will drive their desired results.

Business Simulation Exercise – Assigned to management teams in companies competing in the same industry, participants each assume the role of a senior executive in charge of a primary business function. Working together through a dedicated portal, virtual meeting rooms, and teleconferencing, they analyze the competitive landscape, and then formulate and implement the strategies for their respective companies. As they strive to achieve competitive advantage over the companies run by fellow participants, senior teams make decisions about raising capital, entering or exiting product categories, manufacturing and distribution, and marketing and sales strategy. Through online debriefings with program faculty during the simulation exercise, they evaluate company performance, assess teamwork effectiveness, and reinforce the results-oriented learning.

Introduction to Change Management – Participants complete online learning sessions, which include video case studies, multimedia faculty presentations, and hands-on exercises. Through these tools, they are introduced to the elements of leading change—interfunctional relationships; internal communication networks; incremental and discontinuous organizational change; organizational ambidexterity; and strategic experimentation and learning. Additionally, participants are presented with a framework for implementing the results of the company-specific strategy exercise completed earlier.

Customized Leadership Learning Path Assessment – Together with their company sponsors, participants complete an assessment of individual leadership and management competencies. The assessment results are evaluated at HBS, with particular focus on strengthening individual leadership capacity. A prioritized list of areas to be addressed during the program then is developed for every manager. The assessment results are the basis for personal coaching in Module 4, as well as for a curriculum of leadership resources and tools.

Module 4: Actionable Leadership

Format: On-Campus Learning at HBS
Duration: Two Weeks

Through an integrated organizational perspective, participants analyze the individual leadership challenges they face in making decisions and their roles in driving real results throughout the company. More time is spent analyzing the stresses surrounding job security, as well as the uncertainty among direct reports and colleagues. Working with personal coaches, they build confidence and individual capabilities that will enhance their leadership effectiveness in the workplace. The primary focus is on:

Risk Management – Importance of being entrepreneurial; strategies for exploiting opportunities as the global economy rebounds from the current downturn.

Effective Decision Making and Execution – Personal leadership; teamwork; group effectiveness; compensation and incentives; leadership development; management versus leadership; and conflict leadership.

Personal Coaching – The coaching program is designed to help participants transfer the learning and knowledge acquired from the course modules to their specific professional situation. During Modules 2 and 4, a personal coach is assigned to work with each participant. Through a combination of team-based action learning sessions and one-on-one coaching meetings, participants will gain greater insight into their personal leadership style and approach. The coaching component also provides a forum for participants to process personal feedback, seek advice on management and leadership skills, and develop an action plan for continued personal and professional development.

Participants also learn what is required of them in other vital areas of management:

Innovation Challenges – Common language for company-wide collaboration; experimentation and learning; opportunity identification; balance between core businesses and innovations; and new-growth businesses.

Change Management – Performance and opportunity gaps; organizational alignment and design skills; organizational culture; and links between innovation and organizational evolution.

Globalization – International expansion; global strategic postures; cross-border competitiveness and local responsiveness; management roles and relationships in transnational companies; and country economic priorities and development strategies.

Guest Speakers on the Global Financial Crisis

Top business leaders like HBS Professor Robert C. Pozen, chairman of Boston-based MFS Investment Management, will share insights on the redefined role of the financial sector and on new forms of investment such as sovereign wealth funds.