This module covers the traditional business content of Operations, Strategy, Accounting, Finance, Marketing and HR, over 2 intensive weekends.

Foundations of General Management is an intensive, hands-on and practical module that covers the breadth of management topics general managers must deal with every day. The module includes core theoretical concepts, business frameworks, models, and other emerging ideas at the heart of successful organisations.

The Executive Behavioural Competencies module recognises that the needs and demands of leadership are shifting dramatically. While certain competencies and skills favoured in traditional leadership roles are being replaced with new ones, expertise in terms of communication and virtual team-building are more important than ever, requiring new approaches. This module will prepare students to become agile and adaptive global business professionals with a heightened awareness of ethics, empathy and self-awareness in themselves and their employees. These fundamental skills determine the leaders who can grab opportunities in an increasingly disruptive business landscape, while at the same time developing a thriving workforce who will succeed over the long-term. Excellent communication, productive and resilient teams and an allegiance to high ethical standards will help companies withstand the porosity that makes others susceptible to quick rises and equally quick falls. 

Based on the double concepts of Growth Mindset and Emotional Agility, the module is designed around three main competencies and 18 behavioural skills.

This module is distinct from the other modules, in that direct coaching interaction with the professor and peer coaching observation by the professor continues throughout the program.

This module will draw from the fields of psychology, philosophy, and cultural criticism, as well as closely examining business case studies of toxic work environments. We will consider various types of power and the part they plays in shaping both psychological mind sets and predictable pressure points for leaders and followers. We will look at how to manage power and ways to successfully navigate situations in which you either have power or are subordinate to it. Two related components of this are Influence and Authenticity. A significant portion of the module will be spent discussing different types of influence, how to become more skilled at influencing persuasively, and how to effectively influence when you do not have power. We will also consider authenticity, in particular, in relation to the concept of Dark Emotional Intelligence. All too often, the concept of emotional intelligence is presented as an absolute good. Indeed, in its ideal form, emotional intelligence is an essential skill without which individuals have an extremely difficult time being successful in their interpersonal interactions. In the power politics that can take place in working environments, however, individuals with highly developed dark EI are extremely skilled at discerning the emotions of others and skilfully manipulating them for their own ends. We will examine how to manage such situations and how to develop one’s own emotional intelligence, so as to successfully navigate whatever environment one finds oneself in.

The content is designed with a structure to reflect the method of a practitioner in practice.

Machine learning, Internet of Everything (IOE), AI, Blockchain, Robotics, and Edge Computing are simply more than just emerging technologies. It is universally acknowledged that they have disruptive power across all sectors and communities by making existing business models and processes redundant. This module explores strategies that business and professional service firm leaders could adopt to make the leap to the Digital Economy, through practical models and frameworks.

When combined with the other modules in this MBA in Leadership, students will be equipped to become agents of change.

The Leaders in Literature and History Module will examine examples of leadership in both literature, history, business and politics in order to explore psychological and social profiles of leaders. It will also consider how leadership has been imagined and how this informs our concepts and expectations of leadership and leaders. Well-known historical examples of both “good” and “bad” leadership will be examined in context, exploring how environments help determine what is considered great leadership and providing a history of the concept of from the ancient Greeks to the present day. What can we learn from this and how can it inform our contemporary concepts of great leadership? The module will challenge students to deconstruct their assumed notions and reconstruct a portrait of themselves as leaders based on an in-depth self-assessment and analysis of their potential. The module will include individual and group exercises and will require reading in historical and literary sources.

It has always been the case that people in the knowledge economy require highly skilled leaders to manage them. With emerging technologies turbocharging the careers of certain types of knowledge workers, significant leadership focus is being placed on how to keep these high value employees engaged. This module explores types of leadership strategies, such as authentic leadership, and servant leadership, offering practical skills in the management of professional services firms.

By the end of the programme, executive participants are equipped to take on functional, general management and leadership roles within the professional services sector.

Further education options include:

The course is delivered through an executive format via interactive and facilitative workshops. Theory is supplemented with case discussions and practice providing ample opportunity to acquire knowledge from other delegates and build vital connections. Sessions are held once a month from 09:00 to 17:30 over a three day weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Face to face sessions are supported by online resources powered by the latest Learning Management System along with collaborative tools to share insight. Over a period of 18 months, 12 weekends cover the course modules with a further 2 weekends focusing on the final dissertation or project.

Delegates are also encouraged to participate in face to face and virtual individual sessions with the course professors during the working week when real life work contexts arise relating to the theory being learnt on the course. This enables delegates to consolidate the theoretical aspects of the course and understand their practical application. This style of mentoring and coaching leads to the rapid development of executive behavioural competencies.

Students will be assessed in a number of ways throughout the duration of the programme. Assessment methods include assignments, presentations and examinations.

Students will receive their core textbooks free of charge. All programmes are supported by our Virtual Learning Environment, Elite. Elite will be your first point of call for academic information. In addition, you will gain access to our online library facilities, and learning resources from the Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Financial Times. These resources provide a range of professional and business-focused materials that represent up to date market trends, sector-based articles and analysis reports.