Is Executive Education worth it?

Is Executive Education worth it?

When you’re making an investment in anything, you need to be sure about the return. Executive Education is no exception.

Whether you are an individual looking to accelerate your career development or an organisation with strategic development goals for leaders and employees, investing in management training implies time, effort and money. And in moments of acute uncertainty and complexity, when the future feels anything but secure, it’s natural to wonder if that time, effort and money mightn’t be better spent addressing the immediate challenges of the here and now.

Why then do so many business leaders and organisations prioritise executive training precisely when times are toughest or most complex? What’s in it for them? What makes Executive Education worth it, especially when the chips are down?

We consulted our programme participants, programme directors and faculty here at Imperial to understand how they see the value of Executive Education.

Here’s what they told us.

1. Address actual, real-world dilemmas

Executive Education programmes look at the real problems that businesses and leaders face today. At Imperial, our programmes for executives are expertly calibrated to the most relevant issues, challenges and trends impacting leadership development, strategy, sustainability and innovation. They address the live issues that decision-makers need to grapple with, by integrating the very latest thinking and technological insights from Imperial faculty with action-based, focused learning experiences that build practical, applicable skills. From digital transformation to design thinking, from risk management to machine learning for decision-making, our Executive programmes equip you to tackle the things you face today, and tomorrow.

2. Address your specific challenges

Executive programmes are firmly rooted in the real-world and relevant – and that includes those specific areas of focus that you and your organisation need to address. Imperial Executive programmes look at topics as specific and diverse as strategic brand transformation or AI and machine learning in the financial services space. Organisations also have the option of a custom programme – a bespoke learning experience 100% tailored to the individual needs of the business.

3. Tap into world-class expertise

Executive Education programmes are designed and delivered by the foremost business thinkers and practitioners. At Imperial, our faculty are world-renowned, with academic expertise that spans innovation and entrepreneurship, quantitative finance and healthcare management. As advisors and researchers, Imperial faculty maintain the closest ties to industry, commerce and government – a rich and privileged network of excellence that fully informs your learning experience.

4. Rethink the big issues

Business never stops. Yet it’s important for decision-makers to take the time to pause, to reflect and to rethink their challenges, solutions and approaches. Executive Education affords leaders a safe, secure and honest space to look at the critical issues afresh; to experiment, to learn, to unlearn, and to try out new ideas. It provides a unique opportunity to innovate and to find different ways to drive growth.

5. Broaden perspectives

When you are navigating complexity, you’re going to want to see the biggest picture possible. You will want to see problems in all of their dimensions, and to leverage a diversity of views as you find solutions. The Executive Education classroom – whether it’s on-campus, online or virtual – exposes you a breadth of perspectives; peer insights and expertise that spans multiple sectors and geographies. You quite literally learn to see the same problem from a host of different angles.

6. Network, network, network

The Executive Education experience doesn’t end when the programme concludes. At Imperial, the ties and bonds you build in the classroom endure for years. Completing an Executive programme entitles you to membership of the prestigious Imperial College Business School Alumni network; a 19,450-strong cohort of business leaders from a diversity of sectors spanning more than 140 countries. And each year, we deliver a full range of dynamic events, services and resources to keep you connected to each other and to ongoing opportunities to learn and to build new skills.

7. Strengthen alignment

For organisations, investing in Executive programmes for individuals is an investment in strategic talent. It signals to your top people that you are invested in their professional development and their capabilities as trusted decision-makers. It is a means of securing engagement, commitment and loyalty where it matters most. Similarly, custom programmes empower business organisations to build critical awareness, buy-in and alignment around strategic goals – and drive better results through cohesion and collaboration between and across your teams.

8. Accelerate performance

Executive Education is about solving concrete problems and delivering concrete results. At Imperial, learning is actionable – that means that the individuals and organisations that come to our programmes leave with knowledge, insights and frameworks that can be applied for immediate and lasting impact. Whether it’s building leadership capabilities, developing new products, ventures or even markets or improving operations for sustainable growth, our Executive programmes accelerate performance exponentially – giving you and your organisation the resilience and the competitive edge to thrive under pressure, and to navigate the uncertainty ahead with certainty and confidence.