Organizational Leadership
Organizational Leadership equips experienced team leaders and aspiring executives with the skills, strategies, and tools to rise to expanded leadership responsibilities and guide their organizations effectively. Learn how to set and communicate direction, influence through other managers, generate organizational alignment, drive innovation, and engineer change.
Apply NowWhat You'll Learn
- Identify any misalignments between the dynamics of your organization and external market conditions
- Communicate purpose and vision, and inspire your organization to execute on that vision
- Extend the reach of your influence by leading through other managers
- Elevate your leadership style to meet the distinct challenges of leading larger, more dispersed teams
- Shape your organizational culture and architecture to maximize talent, leverage diversity, and drive performance
- Develop strategies for planning and engineering organizational change and innovation initiatives
About the Professors
Joshua Margolis is the James Dinan and Elizabeth Miller Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Unit Head of the School’s Organizational Behavior Unit, and Faculty Chair of the Program for Leadership Development and the Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning. He is co-author of the book People and Profits: The Search for a Link between a Company’s Social and Financial Performance, and has won numerous awards, including the Robert F. Greenhill Award and the Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching.
Anthony Mayo is the Thomas S. Murphy Senior Lecturer of Business Administration and C. Roland Christensen Distinguished Management Educator in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. He served as director of the School’s Leadership Initiative for 16 years and was previously the course head for FIELD, a required experiential, field-based course in the first year of the MBA program. He is co-editor of the volume Race, Work, and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience.
Who Will Benefit
Experienced Team Leaders
Prepare for the next phase of your leadership journey, whether you’re expanding your overall scope of responsibilities or taking over a larger department or organization.
Entrepreneurs
Learn to lead at scale and mobilize your employees as you transition your business from a startup into a growth-stage company.
Leadership Principles Past Participants
If you’ve completed Leadership Principles, this course will help you expand your leadership toolkit and prepare you to run a division, department, or organization.
Program Structure
Organizational Leadership consists of approximately 40 to 45 hours of material delivered over seven weeks. You can complete the coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines.
At the beginning of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a self-assessment and solicit feedback from colleagues, such as direct reports, clients, or managers, for the Learning Path Tool (LPT) assessment. The LPT is a 360-degree assessment developed at Harvard Business School to provide leaders with insights into key areas of competence essential for effective leadership. Upon successful completion of the LPT—which requires obtaining ratings from at least two colleagues (and ideally at least six)—you will receive a detailed report that provides insight into your leadership and how others experience you.
Midway through the course, you’ll participate in a project week. You’ll be asked to collaborate with colleagues or individuals in your network on a challenge or opportunity facing your organization. You’ll then connect with a peer in Organizational Leadership to share what you’ve learned and receive feedback.
The course also features a video upload exercise in which you’ll practice communication techniques taught in the course and provide feedback to fellow learners. You can record yourself on a phone, computer, or other video recording device and will be asked to upload the video to the course.
- Length: 7 Weeks
- Program Dates: 10/27/21–12/15/21
- Cost: $1,750
- Application Deadline: October 21
- Detailed Calendar
- Length: 7 Weeks
- Program Dates: 1/12/22–3/2/22
- Cost: $1,750
- Application Deadline: January 3
- Detailed Calendar
- Length: 7 Weeks
- Program Dates: 4/6/22–5/25/22
- Cost: $1,750
- Application Deadline: March 28
- Detailed Calendar
Organizational Leadership is part of the Leadership and Management Learning Track. If you’re interested in developing deeper insights and expertise, you can choose to complete three leadership and management courses within 18 months to earn a Certificate of Specialization.
Syllabus
Organizational Leadership explores the roles leaders must embrace to run a division, department, or organization: as a beacon who sets direction; an architect who aligns talent, systems and structure, and culture; and a catalyst who drives innovation and change. Through self-assessments, peer feedback, and projects applied to your own work, you'll gain a clearer understanding of your leadership style and how to prepare for the next phase of your leadership journey.
Learning requirements: In order to earn a Certificate of Completion, participants must thoughtfully complete Modules 1-7 and exercises therein (including the Learning Path Tool assessment) by stated deadlines. The Bonus Module 8: Leading Self at Scale and Scope is not required for course completion, but will be available for participants as optional content at the end of the course.
Leaders interviewed:
- Erasmo Nuzzi, Managing Director of European Emerging Markets, General Mills
- Chris Young, CEO, McAfee (2017-2020)
- Kweli Thompson, VP and GM, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapies, Medtronic
- Rakefet Russak-Aminoach, CEO, Bank Leumi (2012-2019)
- Chip Bergh, CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
- Mia Mends, CAO, Sodexo North America & SodexoMAGIC
- Johan Lundgren, CEO, easyjet
- Bethany Quam, Group President, Blue Buffalo, General Mills
| Modules | Takeaways | Key Exercises |
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| Module 1: Leading at Scale and Scope |
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| Module 2: Leader as Beacon: Understanding the Context and Setting Direction |
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| Module 3: Leader as Beacon: Communicating Direction |
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| Module 4: Leader as Architect: Designing to Deliver Value |
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| Module 5: Project Week |
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| Module 6: Leader as Catalyst of Change |
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| Module 7: Leader as Catalyst of Innovation |
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| Bonus Module 8: Leading Self at Scale and Scope |
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The HBS Online Advantage
- World-class faculty
- Edge-of-your-seat online learning
- Global peer collaboration and networking
- Real-world, case-based learning
Harvard Business School Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by a diverse group of business leaders whose experience spans various industries, organizational sizes, geographies, and professional backgrounds. You’ll step into the shoes of experts from General Mills, Medtronic, Bank Leumi, Levi Strauss & Co., EasyJet, and other organizations, and wrestle with the issues they faced, all while engaging with fellow learners from around the world.
Stories from Our Learners
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The platform was engaging, innovative, and allowed me to interact with the material in a way I never expected from an online course.
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I had never experienced such an immersive platform online, and could argue that it was more effective at building and solidifying knowledge than some of the in-class courses I took in college.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to log in at a set time? How does the grading process work? At this point, you probably have a few questions, and we’ve got answers.
Enrollment Eligibility
Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.
