Leadership for the 21st Century

On Campus

Faculty Chair

Timothy O'Brien

Program Director
Caitlin Marquedant

Program Fee

$10,900

Session Date

September 10, 2023 - September 15, 2023

Application Deadline

July 17, 2023

Program Fee

$10,900

Faculty Chair

Timothy O'Brien

Program Director

Caitlin Marquedant

Request Brochure

Apply

This session currently has a waitlist. Please contact the program director for additional information.

Session Date

January 21, 2024 - January 26, 2024

Application Deadline

November 27, 2023

Program Fee

$10,900

Faculty Chair

Timothy O'Brien

Program Director

Caitlin Marquedant

Request Brochure

Apply

For information about requirements to participate in an executive program on the Harvard Kennedy School campus, please visit this page.

Program Fee: The program fee includes tuition, housing, curricular materials and most meals.
Executive Certificate: This program is a core program in the Public Leadership concentration. This program can also be used as a third program for any concentration in the Executive Certificate series.
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): This program aligns with one or more Executive Core Qualifications.

Program Overview

In today’s chaotic, partisan world, leaders often feel so much pressure to choose what to do that they don’t give enough thought to why they’re doing it. As a result, they make critical decisions based on little more than gut instinct.

Effective leadership begins with identifying and managing the assumptions and values that drive decisions. It requires not only examining personal beliefs, but also determining how to reconcile competing commitments and loyalties in your organization or community.

Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage, a one-week on-campus program from Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, provides a foundation for this innovative approach. Through sessions in the classroom and in small groups, and through individual reflection, you will get critical insights into understanding the relationship between leadership and authority. You will learn better ways to exercise influence and manage the individual and institutional dynamics of change. And you will be equipped to re-enter your environment refreshed, with new tools and practices to guide your approach to leadership.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage is an on-campus executive program developed by Harvard Kennedy School faculty and led by Faculty Chair Tim O’Brien. In this unique program, you will face some of the same challenges that make leadership—and being a leader—so demanding in the public sphere. These challenges form the basis of peer-group consultations throughout the week.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage, you will explore how to:

Exercise leadership without authority
Analyze and manage the dynamics that impede progress
Unlock individual and group creativity
Translate purpose and commitment into effectiveness
Find your voice
Thrive in a leadership role

Application Information

Recommended Applicants

Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage is intended for senior executives in government, corporate, and nonprofit organizations from professionally and geographically diverse backgrounds.

Applicants who will benefit from this program include:

Senior public officials at the national, state, and local levels
Corporate executives, including vice presidents, directors, and C-level officers
Nonprofit and NGO leaders

Sample Schedule

Immerse yourself with a cohort of fellow leaders on Harvard’s historic campus. View the draft program schedule. Note that module titles, speakers, and sequence may change.