Preparing execs for new world of work
• Courses need to keep pace with technology, writes Pedro van Gaalen
The world of work is changing rapidly. Factors such as technological advancements, macroeconomic and societal forces, evolving attitudes around the nature of work and hybrid working models are reshaping how, where, when and why employees work.
Business leaders require new skills and tools to confront and address these challenges, but traditional executive education courses focusing on discipline-based skill sets such as strategy development and financial analysis fall short in imparting the technical and soft skills required in the modern business landscape.
“Executive education has always been regarded as a costeffective and relatively timeefficient way to keep pace with the latest developments in a particular sector or industry. However, the speed of technology development fundamentally challenges these ideas,” says Dr Shahiem Patel, Dean of Regent Business School.
“But amid regional and sector-specific differences in digital adoption maturity levels and technological literacy, and the inconsistent nature of hybrid versus office-bound working arrangements, the challenge facing executive education providers entails curating allencompassing content that caters to the lowest common denominator while still keeping digitally-savvy learners engaged and interested.”
Morné van den Bergh, Manager of Executive Education at the NWU Business School, believes that business schools must take the lead in crafting programmes that endow executives with the technical acumen needed to inform strategic decisions around the application of technology in their operation. “In our increasingly technology-driven world, corporate leaders must transcend theoretical knowledge and cultivate practical technological expertise.”
Van den Bergh believes that executive education should focus on arming leaders with a holistic understanding of the role technology plays in leadership, and the skills and hands-on experience needed to harness advanced technologies in their businesses, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, automation, data analytics and industry 4.0 technologies.
Imparting these skills and providing the necessary experience requires executive education programmes that incorporate immersive simulations through augmented and virtual reality or AI-driven scenarios, says Van den Bergh.
Supporting technology adoption in this way is crucial to address global challenges such as sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
“Programmes that integrate case studies, discussions and simulations focused on sustainability practices and ethical decision-making empower leaders to address these challenges effectively,” says Van den Bergh.
Rayner Canning, Business Development Director at the UCT Graduate School of Business, adds that executive education providers must focus on delivering quality learning and development that sustainably enhances individual, team and organisational performance.
“While technology plays a significant role in this evolution, keeping things human-centric remains critical.”
According to Canning, executive education courses need to develop critical thinkers, curious mindsets, a sense of purpose and impact and a good degree of humility and empathy for others. “These attributes should form the bedrock on which we develop technological expertise.”
Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Business School, Africa, echo these sentiments. “In the current climate, it is clear that only the finest education with a human touch can enable individuals and organisations to successfully navigate the intricate and rapidly changing business landscape,” he says.
“It is vital to develop leaders who are curious, emotionally and intellectually agile, and have a passion to make a difference.”
Linda Buckley, Henley Africa’s Head of Learning Experience and Executive Education Director, expands on the importance of agile leadership. “Agile leaders are generally capable of seeing more options, engaging stakeholders more collaboratively and making more informed decisions.”