Participants refine their management and leadership skills while challenging their current thinking. Discover who you are as a leader. Improve your style and adapt your approach to different needs and cultures. Learn how self-awareness can impact your working relationships, and prepare to advance your career.
This certificate is ideal for:
Experienced managers and leaders who want to strengthen their leadership style to become more effective leaders and decision-makers.
Leaders with minimum 3-7 years of management experience.
Professional & Executive Development programs
You can earn the Certificate of Leadership Excellence in Management Development by taking any four of the following:
- Becoming a Leader: Developing Your Style and Making Sound Decisions*
- Business Strategy: Evaluating and Executing the Strategic Plan
- Communication Strategies: Presenting with Impact
- Effective Organizational Communication
- Emotional Intelligence in Leadership*
- Introverts as Leaders: Quiet Power as a Leadership Strength
- Managing Yourself and Leading Others
- Negotiation Skills: Strategies for Increased Effectiveness
- Strategic Project Management
*Due to significant content overlap, we recommend taking either Becoming a Leader: Developing Your Style and Making Sound Decisions or Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, but not both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
Q: Is there an application process?
A: There is no application process for this noncredit certificate. Our registration is open enrollment, and is based on a first-come, first-served basis.
Q: When do I need to indicate that I am interested in pursuing the Certificate of Leadership Excellence?
A: We ask participants to indicate their interest for the Certificate of Leadership Excellence when completing their profile within our registration portal. Checking off this indicator will allow us to provide appropriate program updates. Please note, participants may edit their profile to indicate interest at any time.
Program Formats and Requirements
Q: Is there a residential requirement for this certificate?
A: No. Participants may complete the required programs online, on campus, or a combination of both.
Q: Do I need to follow a particular order of programs in order to achieve the Certificate of Leadership Excellence?
A: No, participants are encouraged to register for programs in the order that best fits their schedule and learning needs.
Q: Is there a recommended first program to take for the certificate?
A: No, participants are encouraged to choose the first program they feel best fits their current professional needs.
Q: Are there any prerequisites required for this certificate?
A: There are no prerequisites required for the noncredit Certificate of Leadership Excellence. However, prospective participants interested in taking a program that lists itself as “advanced” should consider their experience in this topic area or gain knowledge through the introductory version of this program.
Program and Certificate Duration
Q: How long do I have to complete the Certificate of Leadership Excellence?
A: Participants have 4 years from the start date of their first qualifying leadership program to complete the certificate.
Q: What is the shortest length of time it could take to complete the Certificate of Leadership Excellence?
A: There is no minimum time requirement for the Certificate of Leadership Excellence. There is a potential for participants to complete these in as little as two weeks, however, it is not guaranteed that Certificate applicable programs will always occur within weeks of each other. Participants are encouraged to review our Program Finder for program dates.
Q: At what point does the completion timeline for the Certificate of Leadership Excellence begin?
A: As of 1/24/2024, participants have 4 years from the start date of their first qualifying program to complete the Certificate of Leadership Excellence.
Applicable Programs
Q: I have taken programs with the Harvard Professional & Executive Development before, could those count towards the certificate?
A: Any programs taken January 2021 or later can be applied toward the Certificate of Leadership Excellence.
Q: Are there any exceptions to the programs required within each track?
A: Participants are only able to use the programs listed underneath each track. Participants are not able to substitute other programs within our program portfolio.
Q: Can I transfer programs that I’ve taken with other Harvard institutions?
A: No. Only programs taken after January 2021 at Harvard Professional & Executive Development within the Harvard Division of Continuing Education can be counted toward the Certificate of Leadership Excellence
Receiving a Certificate
Q: How do I request my Certificate of Leadership Excellence?
A: We ask that participants reach out to ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu to request your Certificate of Leadership Excellence. Our team will verify that a participant has successfully participated in four of the necessary programs within the 4 year timeframe and issue the certificate, accordingly.
Q: Can I receive academic credits for this certificate?
A: No, the Certificate of Leadership Excellence and all its applicable programs are noncredit.
Q: How long until I receive my certificate?
A: Participants will receive a digital certificate 7-10 business days after the date of completion of their final program.
Q: What am I certified in?
A: The Certificate of Leadership Excellence does not certify or license participants, this is a noncredit certificate which shows successful participation in professional development programs taken for no credit.
Q: What is the difference between a Certificate of Leadership Excellence and the Certificate of Participation?
A: Certificate of Participation is the participation in a single program. A Certificate of Leadership Excellence indicates a participant attended four distinct programs that went in-depth in the certificate’s topic. These Certificates of Leadership Excellence have been carefully curated.
Discounts and Pricing
Q: Are there any discounts?
A: Participants pay full price for the first program registration and receive a 10% discount on the additional three programs.
To take advantage of this discount, please email ExecDev@DCE.Harvard.edu for further instructions.
Q: How much do the Certificates of Leadership Excellence cost?
A: The pricing of each certificate depends on the programs selected. The cost of each program can be found on the respective program pages. Our programs range in cost depending on the length and format (online or on campus).
