By Pamela Martinez
Many business leaders spend most of their days in meetings with other people–all without even noticing, how isolating it can be.
Change is the one constant thing afoot in the corporate world. There are always going to be new technologies, social complexities, thought leadership insights that will emerge. Senior leaders are not only expected–but forced–to adapt to strategic challenges.
This is where executive education training can help. Executive education training can help. Many of the nation’s top business schools offer courses and programs tailored for executives that align with leaders’ demanding schedules. These programs provide an opportunity for connecting, learning, and growing with others holding C-suite positions. The programs freshen up your leadership approaches, and some even offer a sabbatical from typical work life.
The main purpose of executive development is for leaders to learn from their (and their executive peers’) experiences to improve professional behaviour and specific competencies. Whether taken as a certificate or non-certificate course, training is often presented by reputable business schools.
Continuous professional learning keeps you up-to-date to future-proof your company. Not to mention, it gives your own career a competitive advantage.
Here are some of the courses coming out this year.
1) Digital Transformation Online, UC Berkeley Executive Education
For senior-level managers or business decision-makers involved with planning strategies for massive disruption, this comprehensive program from UC Berkeley might just be right up your alley. In this progression, you will learn how to classify opportunities to address complicated problems within the organization and frame them in an optimal digital solution. Moreover, you will cover essential topics throughout the classes, such as the role of data, digital business models, technology and policy, and more. The curriculum is prepared by UC Berkeley experienced instructors, who are well-versed in their respective fields.
2) Artificial Intelligence: Business Strategies and Applications, Berkeley Exec Education
Another program coming out this year from Berkeley, their Artificial Intelligence: Business Strategies and Applications course is ideal for senior leaders, c-suite executives, data scientists, and senior managers. This program will help you explore AI opportunities across business functions. In this curriculum, you’ll learn how to grasp the technical aspects of AI to communicate effectively with technical teams and colleagues. The program consists of various learning modules, including a capstone project that you’ll have to complete at the end of the curriculum to obtain your certification. Upon completing the program, you’ll have a solid understanding of machine learning basics, neural networks, deep learning, robotics, and AI strategy development. Moreover, you’ll get to learn from guest speakers and industry leaders who will be a part of the program throughout your learning journey.
3) Business Analytics: From Data to Insights, University of Pennsylvania – Wharton Executive Education
This comprehensive course on business analytics is specially designed for managers and leaders involved in collecting data and business insights for their companies. Joining this prospectus will help you learn how analytics can improve decision-making processes while gaining a solid understanding of how to look at data and identify insights. The curriculum is prepared and reviewed by expert professionals of the University of Pennsylvania, who have years of experience in their respective fields. The instructors will assist via live video sessions and lectures to offer additional assistance on course topics throughout the classes.
4) Chief Marketing Officer Program, Columbia Business School
Columbia Business School’s Chief Marketing Officer course is geared towards business managers, marketing professionals, and skilled marketers. It’s a multi-modular program that will enable you to get familiar with the changing dynamics of the industry. Taking this particular program will allow you to determine the essential business concepts that revolve around disruption, innovation, and data analytics applications. You’ll learn from practical learning modules to know about multiple aspects of marketing, like building successful brands, customer centricity, positioning your brand in the digital era, and more. During the sessions, you’ll get the chance to interact with industry experts, guest speakers, and other participants to gain actionable insights. The program can be completed within your comfort zone while accessing the content on any platform.
5) Management Development Program – Online, Wharton University of Pennsylvania
If you want to gain advanced management skills to take your organization ahead of others, this applicable prospectus can help you. Joining Wharton’s Management Development Program will help you advance your ability to manage people, products, and processes with agility and confidence. You’ll learn how to analyze customer behavior to boost your marketing impact by learning about positioning, strategy, and analytics. The program is offered by the Wharton University of Pennsylvania, which means you’ll learn directly from industry experts and professional tutors. Upon completing the program, you’ll also get the opportunity to become a part of the Wharton on-campus event, where you can grow your professional network.
6) Digital Transformation: From AI and IoT to Cloud, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity, MIT Professional Education
Knowing how to bring digital transformation to your organization through the five big technologies is no easy task. MIT’s program will take you through a hands-on, interactive journey and discover the blockchain applications beyond cryptocurrency while learning about the history and evolution of blockchain. It is divided into various learning modules, including artificial intelligence, blockchain applications, IoT, and cybersecurity. The classes are organized by skilled tutors of MIT Professional Education who will assist you throughout the classes to provide additional knowledge on digital transformation.
7) Mastering Design Thinking, MIT Executive Education
This special program is designed for teams and individuals that want to learn a proven, systematic approach to new product development. Learning this syllabus will help you understand how design thinking approaches are applied to business to improve the success rate for innovation. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge of the concepts that drive design thinking, how to translate needs into product specifications, and more. The curriculum consists of multiple learning modules, each consisting of valuable insights into design thinking. Moreover, the program consists of high-quality video lectures, live teaching sessions, real-world applications, and much more.
8) Future of Technology: Trends, Strategies, and Innovation Opportunities, Berkeley Executive Education
Prepared in association with UC Berkeley Executive Education, this practical curriculum helps students learn and understand the tech-driven prospects of technology to develop a competitive advantage. In this subjective program, they will explore multiple technological trends, insights, and implications of key disruptive technologies while building resilience in your organization. It will take you through a deeper dive into the specific areas of emerging technologies, such as AI, IoT, Robotics, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, and Blockchain. After completing the syllabus, you’ll be able to leverage disorderly tech insights to steer innovative strategies while gaining competitive advantages and secure your business.
9) Fintech Revolution: Transformative Financial Services and Strategies, Wharton University of Pennsylvania
Wharton University’s Fintech Revolution course has an applicable prospectus that will help you learn how to leverage new technologies to make informed financial decisions. Joining this subjective curriculum will have you learn about the history of payment methods and current global trends for remittances, such as the complexities of the payment process, credit card payment system, etc. It comprises six learning modules covering various aspects of the fintech revolution, such as digital transformation and financial services, digital payments and marketplace lending, personal banking and AI, and more. Moreover, you’ll get access to bite-sized learning, crypto demos, expert guest speakers, on-demand video lectures, and a capstone project to improve your understandings.
10) B2B Marketing Strategy, Columbia Business School
If you want to master specialized skills of B2B marketing strategy to grow your business globally, this comprehensive program can help you. Prepared by skilled professionals of Columbia Business School, this B2B program will help you acquire a basic understanding of how to gain a competitive advantage with compelling pricing, salesforce, and social media tools. You’ll learn how to determine decision-makers, target them, and use the decision-making tunnel to build customer loyalty. Moreover, you’ll get the opportunity to analyze advanced pricing strategies, explore price pressures, and discern and avoid the pitfalls of contracts. Upon finishing the course, you’ll be able to deliver a sustainable competitive advantage and make marketing relevant to your CEO.
Conclusion
Executive education programs broaden perspectives in several ways. These are not classrooms where you sit back and listen passively. The classroom of your high-performing, executive peers is typically engaging and diverse (i.e., function, industry, education). Classmates challenge each other as much as, or even more than, the professors. Holding your own against varied viewpoints in a “safe space” creates new opportunities for leaders to think more critically.
About the Author
Pamela Martinez is a writer for The European Business Review. She is dedicated to crafting timely blog pieces about business acumen, changing leadership dynamics, emerging finance and technology trends, global breakthroughs and how these spaces intersect from a millennial’s perspective. She also works as an editor and content strategist and the sister publications of The European Business Review.