Leading Business Transformation
Sharpen your strategic thinking, lead sustainable change, and harness digital innovation with immediate impact.
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What is the Leading Business Transformation Programme?
This is a hands-on executive development programme designed for experienced leaders who need to influence organisational priorities, lead sustainable change, and harness digital innovation for immediate business impact.
Over the course of 4 consecutive days, this programme bridges theory and practice — helping participants turn strategic insight into measurable organisational transformation.
- Learn how to diagnose and prioritise business challenges, ensuring your focus is on the few initiatives that matter most.
- Gain practical tools to engage stakeholders and align teams, turning strategy into reality.
- Explore how to embed sustainability into leadership practice, framing ESG goals as competitive advantage.
- Build the skills to lead resilient, inclusive teams that thrive through change.
- Discover where AI and digital innovation add real value and support your role.
- Apply your learning in an action – planning workshop, leaving with a one-page transformation plan and a SMART 90-day roadmap for your business.
Programme Format
The programme includes:
- Welcome Dinner and multiple networking opportunities throughout the programme
- Duration: 4 days (Tuesday to Friday) + 90-day follow-up online seminar
- Face-to-face workshops with leading academic & industry experts, peer collaboration, and digital tools
- Opportunity to develop strategic diagnosis & prioritisation by completing a pre-programme survey
Unlike entry-level management programmes, Leading Business Transformation focuses on organisation-wide change, not just team management. It blends academic frameworks, real-world casework, and applied learning.
By the end of the programme participants will create a one-page transformation plan and a SMART 90-day roadmap tailored to their business context.
Who can take part?
This is for experienced managers and leaders who are leading change programmes and driving digital innovation in their organisations. The programme is created for departmental leaders working in medium to large, complex organisations across West Yorkshire aspiring toward C-suite progression.
What are the benefits?
- Develop a powerful peer network
- Learn how to influence business change and how to inspire and influence others
- Add a triple accredited, globally recognised business school to your CV
- Learn the theory, tools and techniques to turn strategy into action
- Learn to evidence the value and demonstrate ROI of transformation and change projects
- Gain confidence as a leader
Why should I do the Leading Business Transformation Programme
- The programme will lead to immediate and lasting impact on your organisation and develop you personally as a leader.
- Immersive face-to-face workshops + online follow-up.
- Experiential learning, AI tool use, peer coaching, end of programme project.
- Strong emphasis on applied impact and strategic planning.
- Delivered by Leeds University Business School, one of the UK’s leading triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) institutions.
- Expert faculty and facilitators with deep real-world and academic expertise.
- Outstanding facilities at Leeds University Business School, Nexus, and Devonshire Hall.
- Digital and academic resources including AI tools, digital workbooks, and interactive workshops.
- Network and community via LinkedIn/Peer groups and alumni connections.
What is the cost?
£3,800 per participant for a 4 day in-person programme
Course Overview
Module 1 - People & Stakeholders for Strategic planning
In this module you will learn how to map stakeholders, understand resistance, and spot the skills and cultural shifts needed to execute your plans. You will design small, low-risk pilots to test your ideas and identify strategies to win support.
Aim: To turn your strategy from a paper exercise into something your team and stakeholders will deliver.
Module 2 - Leading Sustainable Change
This session helps you translate sustainability goals into clear business cases, measurable outcomes, and practical change plans. You will discover how to frame sustainability as a competitive advantage, not a cost.
Aim: To equip you to lead change initiatives that meet today’s sustainability demands while strengthening your business.
Module 3 - People, Culture & Resilience
This module focuses on building resilience, psychological safety, and inclusive practices that unlock discretionary effort. You will practice coaching techniques and explore how Generative AI can give you early signals of team morale and cultural health.
Aim: To help you lead people through change with empathy while still delivering results.
Module 4 - Digital and AI Innovation for Managers
AI and digital tools are everywhere, but where do they add value? In this module you will learn how to spot the opportunities that will save time, improve performance, cut costs, or delight customers.
Aim: To give you confidence to use digital innovation as a practical driver for business performance.
Module 5 – Using AI Tools for Prototyping
This practical session shows you how to use simple, manager-friendly AI tools to generate a strategic Action Plan prototype.
Aim: To make you confident in using AI and data as everyday management tools.
Module 6 - Strategic Action Planning Workshop
Knowledge only matters if you can apply it. In this final workshop you will pull everything together into a one-page transformation plan for your business. You will stress-test your ideas using AI scenarios, pitch your plan to peers, and walk away with a 90-day roadmap ready to implement.
Aim: To turn insight into action with a plan that is clear, realistic, and immediately usable.
Upcoming Start Dates
June 2026 – Dates for your diary
Day 1 – Monday 8th June
Welcome and Networking Dinner
Day 2 – Tuesday 9th June
Induction and Review of Strategic Diagnosis & Prioritisation (Pre-Work)
Module 1: People and Stakeholders for Execution
Day 3 – Wednesday 10th June
Module 2: Leading Change for Sustainability
Module 3: People, Culture and Resilience
Day 4 – Thursday 11th June
Module 4: Digital Innovation Frameworks
Module 5: AI Tools for Prototyping Strategic Action Plan
Day 5 – Friday 12th June
Module 6: Strategic Action Planning Workshop
Certificate of Attendance Ceremony & Close
Post-Programme (90 days later) – Follow-Up Webinar (Online, 90 mins)
Meet Our Academic Experts
Andrew Lewis, Programme Director, Leeds University Business School
Andrew Lewis is the apprenticeship programme director for the Leeds Executive Leadership Level 7 Apprenticeship. He is an associate professor and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Andrew Lewis is passionate about executive education and has over ten years of experience in leading and developing executive education and apprenticeship programmes for businesses in the UK, and twelve years of industry experience both in the UK with Tesco and Internationally with Hilton Hotels.
Turn insight into business transformation today – Apply Now
Contact the team
If you would like more information, please contact our dedicated team by emailing ExecEd@leeds.ac.uk