INSEAD launches LEAP Program for senior business leaders

• Leadership Excellence through Awareness and Practice Program to address leadership gap and behavioural change management
• To launch June 2012 at Asia Campus in Singapore as part of expansion

INSEAD, the international business school has announced a new program in its Executive Development portfolio aimed at helping senior executives face more effectively their challenges of today and tomorrow.

Entitled LEAP: Leadership Excellence through Awareness and Practice<http://executive.education.insead.edu/leadership_excellence_awareness_practice>, the program launches at the business school’s Asia campus in Singapore in June.

The program, which will be marketed worldwide but only taught at the Asia campus, represents another milestone in marking INSEAD’s expansion here as well as its commitment to the region.

LEAP’s Program Director, Professor Jean-François Manzoni, the Shell Chaired Professor of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Director of the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre and Professor of Management Practice commented: “In today’s complex and global corporate world, where diverse cultures and norms come into play every day, the need for self-awareness and understanding within the executive team becomes an important factor in creating success or failure. There is no ‘by the book’ way of doing things in today’s business world. LEAP aims to engage and develop a rich and diverse group of leaders who are willing and able to make significant investment in their own development.”

The program is unique in that while it provides new information to supplement participants’ understanding of leadership, it also allows for a risk-free and supportive space in which to practice new behaviour - before applying the new knowledge and techniques in a real-life work environment.

“The LEAP Program incorporates the latest thinking on leadership but also relies heavily on state-of-the-art executive coaching techniques to ensure rapid and lasting impact on participants,” said INSEAD Deputy Dean for Executive Development Miklos Sarvary. “INSEAD being one of the world’s largest providers of top-level executive education programs, we understand how important it is to be ahead of the curve in providing relevant and immediately-applicable training for our clients.”

LEAP is offered in three residential modules over the course of a year, and combines plenary and group work, supported by world-class business professors, outstanding guest speakers and top professional coaches. Participants will have the chance to learn and interact with their peers from all over the world.

Between modules, short weekly follow-ups with the same faculty and coaches offer support and opportunities to practise further – and perfect the material. Participants can therefore face their professional – and personal – challenges by learning to analyse their habitual responses, identify new behavioural knowledge and internalise the appropriate responses to effect positive and long-lasting change.

Ideal candidates for LEAP are senior executives who already occupy significant leadership positions, including: top managers (e.g., CEO, Managing Director, Executive Vice-President) in large and medium-sized corporations; senior partners in professional firms; senior executives in not-for-profit organisations; entrepreneurs; owners of large family businesses; and Board members of any such organisations.

As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and to transform organisations. A global perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of its research and teaching.