10 reasons why you should enroll in the Stanford LEAD Online Business Program

Executive education should not be ignored. In its full glory it differs from previous scholarly activity aimed at achieving an academic diploma. Executive programmes should be approached as a way to transform your professional career and potentially even changing how your whole organization works. Saying that, you enroll with a specific goal in mind, rather than because it is appropriate to do so, or you feel a social pressure to have a higher education. 

For many, including myself, participation in executive education gives the chance to spend some time immersed in the academic atmosphere of a campus and meet inspiring class-mates. Often the most enjoyable times, with lots of nostalgic memories, are from university life. And yes, the university period was one of the best phases of my life too. However, coronavirus has robbed business schools from giving this opportunity to those working professionals who seek to be happy but hard working students again. 

Long before the pandemic, most progressive business schools developed online teaching techniques to serve students’ needs in a way similar to in a physical classroom. Digital delivery of courses opened the doors for people who would never previously have been able to attend campus. This is valid mostly for programmes offered by best-in-class American schools, where travel and living expenses are often as much as the course fees, for students from outside the U.S. 

Whatever your background, if you want to learn leadership skills and advance your career, you should consider executive education, as online programmes offer this opportunity for all of us equally. Whether you want to start your own business, progress within the current company, switch function, industry, location - or all at the same time - think about enrolment in executive education. 

Reasons to choose online education at Stanford

If you’ve made your decision to embark on executive education, it’s time to choose the right programme. I strongly believe that your choice should be the Stanford LEAD Online Business Program. Here’s why:

1. Professional as well as personal growth within one year

Upskilling yourself is always a good idea in an ever changing world. Stanford LEAD allows you to not only further your knowledge base, but also allow you to grow personally through assignments based on real-life business cases. I finished the programme with 91 assignments submitted and evaluated not only by course facilitators but experienced peers too.

2. Be mentored and lead by the best 

All courses in the Stanford LEAD curriculum are taught by leading professors and industry experts. Their rich experience allows them to present real-world examples and case studies in classes. The Faculty consists of renowned and award-winning leaders in their fields who also teach in the MBA program. You’ll interact with Stanford professors during online live sessions and in forums. And speaking of interaction, my emails addressed directly to them were always swiftly answered.

3. Study with thousands of students worldwide 

There were 534 participants in my cohort who represented 65 countries, from 379 organizations across 33 industries. I rubbed virtual shoulders with senior professionals from different backgrounds and industries across cohorts - more than 3,000 professionals in total. They all are possible partners, investors, advisors, or even just friends. This helps tremendously to expand my network in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

4. Step into a leadership role - whether you want it or not

Getting outside your comfort zone and taking a leadership role in an online environment can be more challenging than in face-to-face interactions. Team assignments in Stanford LEAD which are all online require team leaders to quickly develop strong organizational skills, strategic planning, team building skills, and more. One of my teams was spread from Poland through Dubai, India to Singapore, which put all our organizational skills to the test because of the time-zones and packed schedules. 

5. Freedom to learn whatever you want 

Professionals tend to be more satisfied, innovative, and productive when given flexibility and choice. Stanford LEAD curriculum offers a wide range of courses with four obligatory foundation courses (Financing Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Critical Analytical Thinking and Leadership Immersion) and five elective courses. This approach gives freedom to progress your career in the way you choose. Each of us ends a one-year journey with different lessons learned, as we can enroll in different subjects. 

6. Suits a variety of learning styles

Because each of us has a different learning journey, Stanford LEAD offers an amazing variety in course materials. Pre-recorded video content, written business cases, online gamified assignments, live sessions with professors, and many more. The learning system, with its range of options and resources, can be personalized in many ways, and Stanford has found the best way to create a perfect learning environment suited to the needs of each student.

7. Learn at your own pace but stay motivated

One of the main advantages of all online programmes, applicable also to Stanford LEAD, is that you can set your own pace, giving a better chance of absorbing the coursework. The Stanford 8-week courses are designed in week-long modules, with deliverables every Wednesday. There is flexibility, but weekly deadlines keep you motivated each time you may feel like giving up. 

8. Build discipline and accountability

Most of the time you learn together with others. Stanford LEAD courses help with personal development in terms of effectively completing tasks on time, not giving up on your goals, and never letting down a colleague because of your poor discipline. As you work through the curriculum, you learn to hold yourself accountable. You’re completing assignments because you want to gain benefits. You are responsible for your own success, and for your team.

9. Virtual collaboration opportunities

Many professionals continue to work remotely, so virtual collaboration skills are more important than ever. Completing Stanford LEAD teaches these valuable skills, as you’ll collaborate on group work, engage in live and offline discussions, and analyze viewpoints from classmates based worldwide. Internet platforms provided by Stanford facilitate discussions and take what is best from online communication. 

10. Get real world skills that have immediate impact

Stanford LEAD courses are known for their focus on providing specialized, but industry agnostic skills. No matter the nature of your organization, you will need to analyze complex problems, formulate well-reasoned arguments, understand key financial metrics, know how to manage teams, persuade others about your ideas, stand firmly behind your decisions, and much more. All of this you can find in the curriculum. 

Stanford LEAD is totally worth your effort

This all sounds great, doesn’t it? And it’s a wonderful experience after all additional hours spent in front of my laptop screen. With Stanford LEAD Online Business Program, you get to control your learning environment, which ultimately helps you develop a deeper understanding of course material. Stanford LEAD provides students with varied opportunities to fashion their education into something that fits them, not the other way round.

You need passion for learning, and you will become in control of your own education at Stanford. But you don’t need to believe me, I hope that comments below from my fellow class-mates will contribute to my opinion, and your decision to enroll at Stanford LEAD in the upcoming new cohort.

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Feel free to comment or reach out to me directly with any questions. Please note that this article expresses my personal opinion and is not sponsored by anyone. It does not necessarily represent the view of my employer.