Harvard Senior Executive Program Africa: Harvard Business School Leadership for Senior Executives

By Lisa Last updated Feb 17, 2022

Harvard Senior Executive Program Africa; is a program that prepares young Africans to expand their leadership skills as well as knowledge of local, regional, and global markets. Also, they improve your ability to design and execute winning strategies, deliver innovative offerings, link-up with high-performance teams, and change that will make you ready to help your company drive growth in Africa’s dynamic markets. Leadership for Senior Executives program, opens your eyes to view leadership in five different roles: leader as beacon, leader as coach, leader as innovator, leader as change agent, and leader as architect.

What is a Senior Executive Program?

The Senior Executive programme is a high-powered programme designed to strengthen your leadership skills to lead upwardly for the future. Mostly Developed for high level managers with progress potential. The Senior Executive programme is for senior managers ready to step up and lead at the next level.

What is the Harvard Executive Program?

The executive programs are short professional development classes, mostly one week or less than that for senior-level professionals. They have over 35 programs, each focused on a specific topic or developing a particular skill-set. Participants earn a certificate of completion upon finishing the program.

Does Harvard Business School have an Executive MBA?

Harvard Business School does not offer a part-time MBA or an Executive MBA (eMBA program). However, HBS does offer a unique alternative to the typical eMBA program which is Program for Leadership Development (PLD).

An Overview of the Senior Executive Program

Yes, knowing fully well that this program makes you a leader in your organization, however the questions is can leaders make the right strategic decisions and leadership choices?

African countries face a distinct set of social, economic, and political conditions that create unique business challenges with opportunities.

Furthermore, the program helps applicants to gain a competitive advantage, businesses across the continent need exceptional, confident leaders.

Also, prepares you to expand your leadership skills as well as your knowledge of local, regional, and global markets.

HBS offers this program in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) of the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Raw Benefits from the Program (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

This program enables rapidly growing organizations to drive business momentum through more effective leadership.

Therefore, gaining deeper insight into the best practices of successful business leaders, you will be better equipped to lead effectively and help your organization achieve goals in all business movements.

However, below are the key points of what the program offers…

Implement changes that align your organization for optimal execution.
Improve your organization’s ability to innovate.
Design an effective strategy for business growth in an African context within your country or across borders.
Differentiate your offerings and deliver more value to customers.
Build a sustainable, accountable organization with greater transparency and stronger governance.
Develop enduring bonds with accomplished peers from across the African continent.

Attendees for the Program

Participants typically represent growth-oriented organizations, they can be as an:

Established private or state-owned companies
Local, multinational, or pan-African businesses
Growing family businesses
Nonprofit organizations
Government agencies, especially those working closely with the private sector

NOTE: Participants might include CEOs, CFOs, business line heads, or other senior members of a company’s executive team, as well as directors general of government agencies.

A limited amount of partial scholarship funding may be available for qualified applicants from not-for-profit organizations. Please include a request for funding in your application.

Quality Skills You learn from the Senior Executive Program (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

1. Strengthen your organizational leadership

Understand the five roles of leaders (beacon, coach, innovator, change agent, and architect)
Evaluate your leadership style and how you give and receive feedback
Understand and leverage your leadership strengths

2. Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

3. Build your contextual intelligence (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

Analyze how the environmental context influences how your organization operates and competes
Sharpen your contextual intelligence on a micro level (e.g., adapt your style to motivate and inspire your team) and macro level (e.g., leverage your awareness of the competitive landscape to make strategic decisions)
Build your personal versatility and enhance the adaptability of your organization

4. Improve how your organization responds to change

Discover new ways to lead organizational change
Identify the factors that are standing in the way of innovation
Learn from stories about organizations that have successfully or unsuccessfully adapted to change

5. Maximize talent in your organization (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

Apply strategies for leveraging and retaining talent
Create an environment that brings out the best in your team

6. Take innovation to the next level

Create a context that encourages the development of both bottom-up and top-down ideas for improvement
Integrate design-thinking principles into your innovation practices
Evaluate whether your culture is conducive to innovation and the “collective genius”

Procedure & Admissions Criteria and Process

Candidates are accepted on specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage to apply as early as possible.

However, this program needs a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Application Process (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

Applicants who embrace challenge, seek genuine personal and professional growth, and are ready to innovate in themselves are selected.

Applicants who commits wholeheartedly to the program will find the Senior Executive Program Africa to be a highly rewarding even life-changing experience.

To apply, you will submit:

The application, telling us about your experience, your organization, and your current responsibilities, goals, and challenges
A letter of reference from someone familiar with your work

To review both the application and letter of reference, download the Application PDF. You can submit your application via our online Application Form or by returning a completed PDF.

When submitting the online application form, you will be asked for the email address of the individual serving as your reference.

Then the individual will receive an email with a link to an online letter of reference form.

Letter of Reference

To gain a deeper understanding of your background and your potential as a leader, you will need a letter of reference from a senior executive within your organization, a board member, or an HBS graduate familiar with your role and responsibilities.

Application Submission (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

We recommend that you apply as soon as you can, and at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use the official platform by going directly to their site website and download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. You can submit receipt of applications via email.

English Proficiency

Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential for active participation in fast-moving classes and small group discussions. If English is your second language, or if you have less than one year of experience working in an English-speaking environment, please provide a brief statement documenting your proficiency.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant’s experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. They review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee’s decision.

Note: please visit the official website to get more information and updates on application status.

Modules: (Harvard Senior Executive Program)

Module 1: 27 March – 01 April 2022 (GIBS Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa)
The Module 2: 02 April – 02 July 2022 (Virtual, Self-Paced Learning)
Module 3: 03 – 08 July 2022 (HBS Campus, Boston, United States)