Program Experience

Highlights and Key Outcomes

In Leading Organizational Change, you will:

  • Learn a proven, repeatable method for increasing your success in leading change initiatives
  • Discover and begin applying actionable steps for driving behavioral change throughout your organization
  • Move beyond a survival mindset to envisioning and establishing positive change
  • See how to develop greater resilience in yourself and others
  • Acquire strategies and tactics for overcoming resistance

Experience & Impact


Academic Director Gregory P. Shea on some of the program’s key takeaways


Leading Organizational Change Change uses an active-learning approach that blends lectures, small group work, and simulations to show you how to identify and develop essential felt need and determine a course to drive behavioral change.

The curriculum is based on a proven, comprehensive change model detailed in the newly revised Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work. The authors work with participants to develop a deep understanding of the factors and conditions needed to drive successful change initiatives, including tactics for building and leveraging stakeholder coalitions, inspiring others, and dealing with resistance.

You will return to your organization with:

  • Useful guidance on how to approach any change initiative
  • Enhanced clarity about your role in achieving successful change
  • Strategies for recognizing and overcoming the common barriers to change
  • New insights on when — and when not — to pursue a given change
  • Follow-up access to the course faculty lead

Session topics for Leading Organizational Change include:

  • Targeting Change
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Change Processes
  • Stakeholder Analysis
  • Designing Successful Change
  • Leading Change Simulation
  • Sharing Participant Best Practices in Leading Change

Leading Change Simulation

Although the ability to lead and manage change is critical to organizational success and survival, most changes fall short of achieving their intended results. It is not surprising, then, that change continues to frustrate leaders. This exercise is organized around an experiential change-management simulation that has been used with Fortune 500 executives, U.S. military generals, and Wharton MBA students. The simulation provides the opportunity to test your intuitions, identify strengths, discover vulnerabilities, and master a framework for leading change more effectively. The session concludes with action planning about how to apply the lessons learned to a change that you will be leading or managing in the near future.


Convince Your Supervisor

Here’s a justification letter you can edit and send to your supervisor to help you make the case for attending this Wharton program.


Due to our application review period, applications submitted after 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday for programs beginning the following Monday may not be processed in time to grant admission. Applicants will be contacted by a member of our Client Relations Team to discuss options for future programs and dates.

Who Should Attend

Leading Organizational Change is targeted to upper-middle to senior managers who are preparing for — or already engaged in — change initiatives.

Participants must be fluent in English. Specifically, they should be comfortable with metaphoric speech.


Participant Profile

Participants by Industry

Leading Organizational Change participants by industry

Participants by Job Function

Leading Organizational Change participants by job function

Participants by Region

Leading Organizational Change participants by region


Group Enrollment

To further leverage the value and impact of this program, we encourage companies to send cross-functional teams of executives to Wharton. We offer group-enrollment benefits to companies sending four or more participants.

Faculty


Gregory Shea

Gregory Shea, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Academic Director

Adjunct Professor of Management; Senior Fellow, Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Leadership, leadership of change, organizational innovation


Nancy Rothbard

Nancy Rothbard, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Deputy Dean; David Pottruck Professor; Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Emotion and identity, work motivation and engagement, work-life and career development

Date, Location, & Fees

February 10 – 13, 2025Philadelphia, PA$10,250


Download the program schedule, including session details and format.

Download ScheduleApply Now

Hotel Information

Fees for on-campus programs include accommodations and meals. Prices are subject to change.

Read COVID-19 Safety Policy »

International Travel Information »


Contact Us

Schedule a personalized consultation to discuss your professional goals:

 +1.215.898.1776

 execed@wharton.upenn.edu


Leading Successful ChangeLeading Successful Change,A Wharton School Press book by Greg Shea & Cassie Solomon.Purchase the book »

Still considering your options? View programs within Leadership and Management or:


 Find a new program

and/or
and/or