Stanford LEAD Online Business Program

Transform knowledge into impact and drive innovation and change in your organization with Stanford LEAD, our yearlong flagship online business program. Join a growing community of thousands of global participants that has been cultivated over the course of nearly 10 years.

Apply By August 7, 2024

Start Date September 11, 2024

Woman in black shirt smiling while typing on red Macbook in cafeteria working on LEAD program work at Stanford Graduate School of Business

: $19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)

Format
Online
Commitment
1 year | 5-10 hours/week
8
Course Load
8 Courses
Price
$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)

More than a program, join a lifelong professional community

Stanford LEAD helps you discover your purpose and maximize your potential to meet the demands of today’s dynamic world. Taught by the same world-renowned Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty who teach in our MBA program, this year-long experiential learning journey is highly flexible, customizable, and actionable. Emerge with the fundamental business skills and innovation mindset needed to successfully navigate and implement real change.

Collaborate with a diverse, global, and energized cohort of peers. Join clubs to connect with other LEADers with shared goals and interests and participate in extended learning opportunities beyond your coursework to get even more out of the program. After the program ends, stay connected with the entire LEAD community — thousands of past participants who are ready to Learn, Engage, Accelerate, and Disrupt their organizations, industries, and the world.

Key Benefits

Acquire new tools to accelerate change, gain the confidence to take bold risks, and advance yourself, your team, and your organization.

  • Experience Stanford GSB’s innovative and academically-rigorous curriculum, designed for a flexible and high-touch online learning experience.
  • Apply proven frameworks and effective leadership strategies to drive innovation and enhance your personal and professional impact.
  • Tackle your own real-world obstacles and opportunities by integrating course concepts with daily business and leadership challenges.
  • Expand your perspectives, broaden your understanding of course concepts, and exchange ideas with an incredibly diverse and global cohort of peers.
  • Get personalized, actionable feedback from Stanford GSB faculty, course facilitators, and peers to achieve your learning objectives.
  • Gain access to the Stanford GSB community with exclusive invitations to guest speakers and special events.
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Who Should Attend?

  • Mid- to senior-level professionals who are committed to implementing creative strategies and practices to position their organizations at the forefront of innovation
  • Engaged leaders who are committed to developing their management skills and approaches to optimize team performance
  • Enterprising professionals who wish to collaborate with other self-motivated individuals and value an exchange of diverse perspectives, to drive change
  • Emerging leaders who want to up-level their career trajectory and master the foundations of impactful leadership
Self-Assessment

What sets Stanford LEAD apart?

High-Touch Learning Model

A flexible blend of independent and group-based work, dynamic engagement with faculty and peers in live sessions, and personalized 1:1 feedback from experienced course facilitators will keep you engaged and empowered to apply what you learn!

Design Your Learning Journey

Start with two foundation courses, add one leadership core course, and then customize your experience by choosing five electives (from 20 options) to build the skill set you need to reach your personal and professional goals.

Lifelong Community

Join a community of thousands of participants who have completed LEAD with exclusive invitations to speaker sessions and special events around the globe that bring LEADers together even after the program ends.

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Learning in Action

I have improved my communication skills and I am able to drive more energy and engagement towards my stakeholders. The different frameworks taught in the course gave me a broader understanding, and they have a powerful effect and fast results. The program has boosted my self-confidence.

Carlos Rodriguez Iriarte

Procurement Director

EV Box

LEAD has provided me with tools to be more effective and structured in problem solving, driving change in complex organizations, innovation, and leadership.

Teresa Clarke

Chief People Officer

McDermott Will & Emery

I’ve expanded my capacity within my organization to contribute and ask more compelling questions beyond the primary responsibilities of my role to support other divisions of the business in terms of strategic recommendations, opportunities for support, and a greater focus on evidence based decision making.

Ronnie Contractor

Principal Software Engineering Manager

Microsoft

How Participants Rank Stanford LEAD

95%

The LEAD program is worth the investment.

95%

As a result of LEAD, I am more effective at work.

93%

LEAD has contributed to my professional success.

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We Offer Payment Options

Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility you need to fund your enrollment in LEAD by offering two payment options.

1. Quarterly Installment Plan: Take advantage of our flexible payment plan and pay the tuition fee in four quarterly installments of $4,800. The first installment will be due before the start of the program, and the three remaining installments will be due before the start of each quarter of enrollment.

2. Pay in Full: Pay the entire tuition fee of $19,200 upfront with a convenient one-time payment option.

While LEAD is designed to be completed in four quarters, spanning one year, the program duration can be extended up to 24 months. This provides you with the flexibility to pay your tuition fees across a span of 2-3 calendar years, which may be helpful in maximizing your employer’s tuition benefits or assisting with personal finance planning.

Meet the Faculty Leadership

This program is developed by Peter DeMarzo and Sarah Soule, and taught by a team of tenured, strategically focused, cross-disciplinary faculty who are experts in their fields. Together, they bring cutting-edge research, thought leadership, and experiential learning to your program experience.

Peter DeMarzo

The John G. McDonald Professor of Finance

Co-Director, Stanford LEAD Online Business Program

Sarah Soule

The Morgridge Professor of Organizational Behavior and the Sara Miller McCune Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences

Co-Director, Stanford LEAD Online Business Program

Take Your Next Step: Start Your Application Today

Become a more effective leader and grow in your career with a Professional Certificate from Stanford GSB and 24 Continuing Education Units. There is no application fee and no GMAT/GRE requirements.

In addition to a general online application form, the process requires the completion of three components:

Essay

Write a statement describing an area where you’d like to make an impact.

Professional Recommendation

Submit a recommendation from a supervisor or another stakeholder in your professional success.

Online Video Interview

Record one-minute responses to two questions related to your motivations for pursuing the program.

Applications due August 7, 2024

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Still Not Sure?

Get in touch with our learning advisors today or continue exploring available programs.