Capability Program
Action Learning with Impact: Develop as a Leader while Creating Social Impact
About the Program
Our world is changing at lightning speed. And so are the challenges you and your organization are facing. At the same time, we strive to integrate purpose, values and meaning into our and others' professional lives. The ability to open up, embrace change and co-create tangible, impactful solutions are critical success factors today and even more so tomorrow.
The Capability Program transforms you with purpose so that you can transform your environment. The action learning program challenges you to step up and take real responsibility as a social entrepreneur in the field. As part of a diverse team, you co-create a tangible social enterprise to improve job and life chances of a deprived community in the project country. In this process, you will find unique opportunities to find and lead by purpose, think and act as an entrepreneur and collaborate as a diverse self-organized team. At the same time, you will be granted 9 ECTS points.
Program Content
Imagine a transformative learning experience which turns you into a purpose-driven leader. This is what we deliver.
The Capability Program transform you with purpose so that you can transform your environment. We challenge you to leave your comfort zone and enter your learning zone. Within a given framework, you set out to achieve something tangible and worthwhile which you never would have believed you could do. On your learning journey with us, you will find unique opportunities and lead with purpose, think and act as an entrepreneur and collaborate as a diverse self-organized team.
We challenge you to step up and take real responsibility as a social entrepreneur in the field. As part of a diverse team, you co-create a tangible social enterprise to improve job and life chances of a deprived community in your project country (Uganda). In this process, you experience the power of purpose and self-organized teams in a truly entrepreneurial setting.
With support from professional business and leadership coaches, you transfer the learnings to your personal and professional life. After the program, we invite you to join our global family. We offer you regular updates from your social enterprise, bi-yearly meet-ups and amazing lifelong learning opportunities to continue your journey.
The structure of the Capability Program at a glance:
Module 1
Over the first three days, you will get to know your team and start your learning journey as an entrepreneur. A business coach and a leadership coach will support you.
Module 2
After six weeks, you will travel to the country in which you and your team will establish your social enterprise. Over the course of a complete design sprint – understanding the situation, defining the problem, brainstorming, prototyping and testing – you will develop an initial business model.
Module 3
Six weeks later, you will pitch your vision and your business model to a real investor. If you are successful, you will then start planning the implementation. You will reflect on your learning success together with the leadership coach.
Module 4
In the final module, you work with your coaches to evaluate the social, economic and environmental impacts of your business model. At the same time, you will transfer your learnings to your professional and personal environment.
Program Format and Module Dates
This part-time program runs over a period of six months (spread over two calendar years, depending on program start) and consists of 16 presence days plus virtual teamwork (3 hours per week). You can register either as an individual participant or as a group of no more than five participants per company.
The early bird fee of €11,500 is available until 6 months before the program starts.
Program Benefits
- Think and act as a real entrepreneur by setting up a tangible business
- Transform ideas into viable business ideas and plan for entering a new market
- Conduct market research in an intercultural context
- Develop new perspectives for your everyday professional life
- Reflect on your own leadership style and role
- Develop and leverage personal networks and engage in trust-based dialog
- Develop into a purpose-driven leader
Become a responsible leader who recognizes new business opportunities and quickly transforms ideas into practicable business models. As a true “entrepreneurial thinker”, you represent the next generation of leaders with a good sense of responsible leadership.
This Social Entrepreneurship course will make you aware of the skills that are required in mid-sized and large companies, as well as the challenges that these companies face.
Moreover, the program gives you the tools you need to become a true intrapreneur (i.e. applied entrepreneurship within an existing organization) in your own company!
Certificate
Upon completion, you will be awarded a WHU Executive Education Certificate, a recognized mark of your commitment to growth, leadership, and lifelong learning, issued by one of Europe’s top business schools.
You will receive 9 ECTS credits after successfully completing the program and the exams. For ECTS credits to be granted, a proof of a Bachelor or equivalent first degree is necessary. Please find the Certificate Regulations here.
Participant Profile
This part-time program is specially designed to combine a professional schedule with a learning opportunity, and is therefore very suitable for middle-management talents. Participants should have a global orientation, be willing to engage in an entrepreneurial project.
Which participants will benefit most from the program?
- Participants who are in transition into a leadership position
- Participants who wish to hone their intercultural competences and leadership skills
- Participants who are interested in entrepreneurial thinking and acting as well as working in intercultural and challenging environments
- Participants seeking to broaden their international network
- Participants who aim at excelling as intrapreneurs within their companies
Admissions requirements
- For ECTS credits to be granted, a proof of a Bachelor or equivalent first degree is necessary.
- Participants are expected to have at least three years of post-graduate professional experience.
- Participants should have adequate written and spoken English-language skills at C1 level (or equivalent).
- The exact admission requirements can be found in the Certificate Regulations.
By combining the Capability Program with the Management Essentials Program, we offer you the opportunity to obtain a WHU Mini MBA certificate with 15 ECTS. The Management Essentials Program is a package of three programs focusing on general management skills in the fields of leadership, strategy and finance.
Our Admissions Team is happy to assist you.
We look forward to connecting with you!