Program Experience

Highlights and Key Outcomes

In High-Potential Leaders: Accelerating Your Impact, you will:

  • Gain deep, actionable insights into your personal leadership
  • Strengthen team leadership skills that accelerate both individual development and collaborative outcomes
  • Understand your unique communication style and how to leverage it for better leadership outcomes
  • Develop a senior leader’s holistic approach to organizational culture that recognizes and builds on the interrelatedness of teams across business functions

Experience and Impact

During this intensive five-day program, you will define your individual leadership style and develop the strengths needed to advance your career. You will put them to the test in a series of experiential learning sessions, including a simulation designed and led by one of the founders of Wharton Interactive. You will also have a unique opportunity to broaden your global perspective by learning with high-potential peers from various countries, vertical industries, business disciplines, and cultural backgrounds.

High-Potential Leaders is a highly personal experience that progresses from individual leadership to teams to your wider organization and network. Through assessments including the Wharton Personality Profile, Communications Style Questionnaire, and Network Mapping, you will develop a better understanding of your current strengths and challenges and create actionable plans that you can implement when you get back to work.

High-Potential Leaders will help you to:

  • Deliver sustainable results driven by strengthened leadership capabilities
  • Better navigate organizational politics and culture
  • Build more effective and productive relationships based on intelligent use of your emotions
  • Create an individual action plan that commits to immediate and long-term change and growth

Experiential Learning

High-Potential Leaders includes several sessions in which you will put new insights and tools into action. Research shows these experiential learning sessions help participants acquire and test new skills in a more compelling and immediate way than classroom-based learning alone. The first is a team-based exercise that requires high levels of collaboration and cooperation as you work to resolve a challenge. You will receive feedback on your individual and group leadership abilities from both faculty and the peers on your team.

Later in the week, you will participate in a simulation, designed by Wharton Interactive, which develops game-based learning solutions. The simulation puts you in a realistic environment that requires high levels of engagement and complex decision making while also providing continuous performance feedback. As with flight simulators used to train pilots, this experience tests and strengthens specific skills, focusing on crisis management, teamwork, and leadership.

Session topics include:

  • The Adaptable Leader
  • Building Your Network
  • Communication Styles and Emotional Intelligence
  • Leading Change
  • Leading Organizational Culture
  • Leader Identity
  • Leadership Navigation Challenge
  • Power and Persuasion

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

High-Potential Leaders: Accelerating Your Impact is designed for those with at least 10 years of experience and whose fast-track career has involved consistently increasing levels of responsibility. Participants have an ultimate goal of reaching senior management.

Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required for participation in Wharton Executive Education programs unless otherwise indicated.


Participant Profile

Participants by Industry

High-Potential Leaders participants by industry

Participants by Job Function

High-Potential Leaders participants by job function

Participants by Region

High-Potential Leaders participants by region


Plan your stay in Philadelphia

Plan Your Stay

This program is held at the Steinberg Conference Center located on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. Meals and accommodations are included in the program fees. Learn more about planning your stay at Wharton’s Philadelphia campus.

Faculty


Nancy Rothbard

Nancy Rothbard, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Academic Director

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


John Kanengieter

John KanengieterSee Faculty Bio

Senior Fellow, Center for Leadership and Change Management, The Wharton School; Director, Kanengieter Consulting Group


Jeff Klein

Jeff KleinSee Faculty Bio

Executive Director, Anne and John McNulty Leadership Program; Lecturer, The Wharton School and the School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania


Mary-Hunter McDonnell

Mary-Hunter McDonnell, JD, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Associate Professor of Management; Faculty Co-Director, Zicklin Center for Governance and Business Ethics

Research Interests: Organizational theory (political sociology, institutional theory); nonmarket strategy; corporate governance; corporate misconduct and punishment

Testimonials


This program has a superb blend of world-class faculty, an integrated curriculum, and a strongly interactive and diverse group of classmates from high-performing global companies. The material challenged our traditional views and learning, and stretched us immensely to expand our understanding on what leadership needs to be in the 21st century. I highly recommend this program to those interested in developing self-awareness and the skills needed to achieve business results in today's and tomorrow's business climate.”

Chuck Mollor Managing Partner, MCG Partners


The High-Potential Leaders program was excellent! The combination of diverse participants as well as first-rate faculty made for a great learning environment. The faculty delivered time and again on many practical tools and techniques that will help me accelerate my performance and better achieve my leadership potential. I would highly recommend this program to others.”

David Greenfield Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services Industry


The program provided me with a deep knowledge of techniques that will fast track my career. Additionally, having an internationally represented group with different experiences was fundamental to setting personal goals and to developing and managing my team.”

André Hirschheimer Financial Manager, Suzano Holding


This is a great leadership development program. Too often in today's business environment, many leaders are so focused on managing their business that they do not take the time to focus on their own career development. We are always making excuses regarding the lack of time we have to further our own development. This was the best use of my time at the perfect time in my career.”

Rich Murphy Senior National Director, US Specialty Care Sales, Schering-Plough Corporation


I must say, Wharton was truly an experience that punctuated my values...and overarching imperatives. The class was insightful, enjoyable, and profound. There were times that it struck an emotional chord, bringing tears to my eyes. Most importantly, it drove home the values of integrity, authenticity, empathy, and transparency.

I better appreciate the need to network externally, remain current, and position myself for change, while maintaining balanced physical, professional, and personal activities. Nearly half of the classmates were internationals…and their perspectives were so important to the success of the experience.

All in all, it made me aware that modern management is a psychological discipline and an art form requiring oneself to take the high road regardless of the pressures and stress…. I am so pleased about the opportunity to experience this program, as it has enabled me to truly be a better leader.”

John Crapo Program Director, IT Account Management Services, Lockheed Martin Company


This program exceeded my expectations! It was truly a transformational experience to help me become the leader I want to be. The instructors were fantastic and I made lasting friendships with some of my fellow classmates. I will definitely return for another Wharton Executive Education Program!”

Victoria Hughes Director of Performance Excellence, Health Care Industry


The Wharton High-Potential Leaders course is a must-attend course for business leaders. The curriculum was well thought out and provided an outstanding learning experience with world-class faculty and exercises. The diversity of attendees from multiple industries and countries created a truly diverse and engaging learning environment. The course really challenges you to truly assess where you are as a leader and how to become a stronger leader in the future. I look forward to applying the lessons learned from this course to assist me as I continue to grow in my career.”

Mark Miller Director, Strategic Initiatives, IS&GS CIO, Lockheed Martin


This was an excellently delivered set of courses that every leader and future leader should experience. The content was relevant and enabled me to critically review my own capabilities and develop a plan of action to drive myself to a higher level. This experience allowed me to make changes that have positively impacted the way I approach my professional career. The most amazing element for me was the transformation I saw on the personal front after I reprioritized my activities. Thanks to the excellent team that pulled off a remarkable enlightening experience for a truly remarkable, class of high-potential people.”

Prabdeep Bajwa Vice President, Seed Applied Technologies Portfolio of Corteva Agriscience

Date, Location, & Fees

If you are unable to access the application form, please email Client Relations at execed@wharton.upenn.edu.

April 29 – May 3, 2024Philadelphia, PA$13,850

November 18 – 22, 2024Philadelphia, PA$14,250


Download the program schedule, including session details and format.

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Hotel Information

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

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Contact Us

Schedule a personalized consultation to discuss your professional goals:

 +1.215.898.1776

 execed@wharton.upenn.edu

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