General Management - 20 days of accelerated learning

When you arrive at Foundations for Business Leadership (FBL), you step away from the distractions of your daily work environment for 20 consecutive days to intensely focus on the cross-functional skills that leaders must possess to be a general manager.

You will progress through a cross-disciplinary exploration of the critical challenges faced by organizations and business leaders today. This will provide the context in which you develop your general management skills and integrate the business fundamentals. Specifically, you will learn how to:

Respond to shifts in customer needs
Drive business model innovation
Manage complex organizations
Leverage globalization
Identify industry and business trends
Manage uncertainty
Integrate technological evolutions and their impact on business

These themes will be addressed as you study the core business functions and processes of a global organization.

Core business functions and processes of a global organization

Practice while you learn - Integrative exercises

2-day business simulation

Two weeks through the program, you take part in a 2-day business simulation which integrates your learning and gives you greater insight into your business performance.

During this dynamic, integrative exercise, you bring together all the new general management skills you have learned on FBL and put them into practice by simulating the running and growing of a company. You improve your decision-making skills and overall performance as you see how your decisions impact company results over two years.

Final 2-day integration & assessment

For the last 2 days of the program, you prepare an integrative team exercise to bring all the threads of the program together. You present your learning to a panel of judges of FBL alumni and receive your final evaluation.

Chart your progress

Throughout the program, you receive feedback as you develop as an effective individual and team member. You will be challenged by the work, by the faculty, and by your peers to ensure that you reach the high standards set by IMD.

What's next after FBL?

Diploma - Program for Executive Development (PED)

FBL is the first stage of IMD’s Program for Executive Development (PED). To complete PED, your second step is to take IMD’s Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) program. Successful completion of both programs and exams leads to the Program for Executive Development (PED) diploma.

Degree – Executive MBA

FBL is also the first step towards IMD’s Executive MBA. Participants wishing to complete the EMBA then follow a 5-week distance learning module and a 12-month mastery stage leading to the EMBA degree. More details on the Executive MBA can be found here.

Join IMD’s professional alumni network

Once you complete an IMD program, you join IMD’s alumni network, an outstanding global community of global business leaders who will support you long-term.

Discover benefits

Disclaimer

IMD complies with applicable laws and regulations, including with respect to international sanctions that may be imposed on individuals and countries. This policy applies to all applications for IMD programs from individuals or organizations, and any commercial or non-commercial partnerships.