THE PROGRAM
The Executive Management Program for Leadership in Education (EMPLE) is designed for leaders who need to make better institutional decisions in a sector that is becoming more complex, more competitive and more exposed to change.
The program content is structured around the capabilities educational leaders need to turn that complexity into clear action. Participants work on their purpose, their why and their own leadership starting point, recognizing how their decisions and leadership style shape the institution they serve.
Across the program, participants move from management fundamentals to sector foresight, from stakeholder influence to global exchange, building a practical view of what it takes to lead educational institutions with clarity and purpose.
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PROGRAM CONTENT
MODULE 1: EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Excellence in educational management starts with the ability to translate institutional vision into decisions, resources, teams and learning experiences. Participants strengthen core management fundamentals and approach strategy implementation with a board-level perspective.
- Strategy: From Mission to Implementation
Translate institutional vision into actionable plans that drive organizational success. - Financial Management & Control
Master financial tools for strategic decision-making and institutional sustainability. - Leading & Managing People
Develop competencies to build high-performing teams and effectively manage talent. - Achieving Excellence in Educational Experience
Design and implement exceptional educational experiences that transform learning.
- Strategy: From Mission to Implementation
MODULE 2: UNDERSTAND THE FORCES SHAPING THE FUTURE
To lead education today, leaders need to understand the forces changing the sector around them. Participants examine the social, economic, geopolitical and technological dynamics reshaping education, and what they mean for schools, universities and education systems.
- The Intersection of Education, Global Economy and Geopolitics
Analyze how macroeconomic and geopolitical forces shape the opportunities and challenges of the education sector worldwide. - Understanding and Engaging Generations Alpha & Beta
Decipher the characteristics, expectations and needs of new generations of digital-native students. - Interculturality in Education
Develop competencies to lead diverse educational environments and foster authentic cultural inclusion. - AI & Emerging Technologies in Education
Explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies in teaching and learning processes.
- The Intersection of Education, Global Economy and Geopolitics
MODULE 3: LEAD PEOPLE AND STRENGTHEN INFLUENCE
Educational leadership depends on the ability to work with people across many relationships: students, staff, families, communities, authorities and partners. The focus is on influence, communication, negotiation and well-being as essential conditions for institutional progress.
- Management and Influence with Educational Stakeholders
Develop strategies to manage complex relationships with families, communities, authorities and strategic partners. - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Strengthen your ability to negotiate effectively and transform conflicts into opportunities for improvement. - Effective Communication in the Hybrid Era
Refine your communication skills to lead effectively across in-person, virtual and hybrid environments. - Well-being: Supporting and Caring for Students, Teachers and Staff
Explore comprehensive strategies to promote emotional well-being and create healthier educational communities.
- Management and Influence with Educational Stakeholders
MODULE 4: GLOBAL EDUCATION LEADERS FORUM
The Global Education Leaders Forum gives participants direct access to conversations with top-tier educational leaders worldwide. It broadens their understanding of global education trends while creating a lasting international network of high-level professional contacts.
Through this forum, participants exchange ideas and practices from different educational contexts, learn from leading voices in global education and develop a wider international perspective on the future of the sector.
The forum also creates space for shared vision and strategic collaboration, helping participants identify opportunities for partnerships, joint initiatives and new ways to work across institutions and systems.
Previous editions of the Global Education Leaders Forum have featured senior representatives from leading international education organizations and partner institutions, including:
- Jane Larsson, Executive Director, Council of International Schools (CIS)
- Ben Schmidt, Global Director, International Network, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
- Maripe Menendez, Head of Ibero-America, Development and Government Relations, International Baccalaureate
- Rushi Sheth, Vice President International, College Board
- Jenny Rickard, CEO, Common App
The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a non-profit membership organization that provides education services to schools and higher education institutions worldwide.
AI LEADERSHIP LAB
AI LEADERSHIP LAB
Learn to govern AI from your institution’s reality
AI is no longer only a technology topic for education leaders. It is a question of strategy, governance, ethics and institutional responsibility. The AI Leadership Lab brings this challenge into the program as an applied space where participants work on how AI should be understood, governed and implemented in their own educational context.
Running throughout the program, the AI Leadership Lab builds on the program’s exploration of the forces shaping education and connects that broader perspective with the leadership implications of AI and emerging technologies for your institution. It begins with personalized preparation using AI before the program and continues through applied practice, coaching and ongoing learning through a community, companion and observatory supported by AI.
The focus is not on adding more AI content. It is on helping leaders make better decisions about AI: how to define priorities, protect trust, address data and equity concerns, and connect technology with the educational experience.
Participants approach AI through three connected dimensions:
- AI as Strategy
Work on your institution’s AI direction and begin shaping a governance and ethics proposal connected to your own context. - AI as Leadership Practice
Use simulations, AI-assisted coaching and applied exercises to practice decision-making around real institutional challenges. - AI as Continuity
Extend the learning beyond the program through an AI-supported community, post-program companion and ongoing observatory designed to help leaders stay close to emerging developments.
By the end of the experience, each participant develops an initial AI leadership plan they can take back to their institution: a practical starting point to govern AI responsibly, align stakeholders and turn technological change into educational value.
By the end of the experience, each participant develops an initial AI leadership plan they can take back to their institution: a practical starting point to govern AI responsibly, align stakeholders and turn technological change into educational value.
The EMPLE Mentor Program
The EMPLE Mentor Program
The EMPLE Mentor Program: Beyond the classroom.
Strengthen your leadership. Shape your future. Learn alongside an experienced educational leader.
The EMPLE Mentor Program pairs each graduate fellow of the Executive Management Program for Leadership in Education (EMPLE) with a seasoned leader from our Heads & Principals Advisory Board. This personalized partnership helps fellows apply what they have learned, sharpen their leadership judgment, and gain the confidence to pursue their professional ambitions.
Through confidential, one-to-one conversations, fellows explore the challenges that define leadership in education: making high-stakes decisions, developing teams, strengthening teaching and learning, and nurturing a positive school culture. Mentors offer perspective, constructive challenge, and practical guidance, helping fellows recognize their distinctive strengths and communicate the value they bring to an educational organization.
Mentoring process structure
- Meet & Greet: Build a connection with your mentor, share your aspirations, and agree on personalized leadership goals.
- Up to three one-to-one check-ins: Explore career pathways, work through current leadership challenges, and reflect on decisions, team dynamics, and your development as a leader. Shared reflection: discuss experiences, projects, and insights with your mentor to broaden your perspective and refine your approach to leadership.
Outcome
By combining EMPLE learning, experienced guidance, and reflection on real challenges, the program helps fellows develop a clearer leadership identity and a compelling professional story, strengthening their impact today and their readiness for future opportunities.
