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Key details

Mode of delivery: Classroom-based

Course code: SM19

Duration: 10 days

Fee: £8,445.00 + VAT

CPD Hours: 60

Course Overview

This two-week programme is designed for leaders and senior managers responsible for defining, guiding, or delivering strategy within their organisations. It offers a structured and intellectually grounded approach to strategic management, combining foundational analysis with advanced leadership thinking. The programme equips participants to lead with clarity, discipline, and adaptability in complex and fast-moving environments. The course follows the full arc of the strategic process — from understanding context and framing priorities to enabling execution and sustaining impact. Each module focuses on a core capability area and is built around real-world leadership challenges. Participants are supported in applying their learning directly to their organisational context. The first half of the programme focuses on strategic thinking and design. Participants begin by analysing their current environment, identifying structural and cultural factors, and surfacing the issues that most impact long-term positioning. They will explore the use of mental models and systems thinking to better frame strategic choices, define priorities, and translate direction into a coherent plan of action. Stakeholder dynamics and ESG integration are embedded throughout, along with tools for building alignment and strategic framing.

The second half of the programme focuses on strategic leadership and execution. The emphasis shifts to what it takes to deliver — identifying organisational barriers, aligning leadership behaviour, and creating the conditions for execution. Participants will assess their own leadership effectiveness, develop routines that support strategic learning, and explore how to build resilience into their teams and culture. The course addresses common failure points in implementation, offering practical approaches for reinforcing change, maintaining momentum, and keeping strategy active under pressure. Throughout, participants will have access to frameworks, peer challenge, and expert facilitation. They will leave with a personalised 90-day action plan, designed to help them focus their leadership efforts and apply new thinking to immediate strategic priorities. Optional post-programme support is available to guide implementation and maintain traction.

This is not a conceptual course. It is a leader-focused programme grounded in the real work of strategy. It challenges participants to think clearly, act with intent, and lead strategically across complexity and change.

Agenda

Day — 1 Strategic Environment and Organisational Context Analysis

Map internal capabilities, constraints, and cultural factors affecting strategy.
Analyse external risks, and long-term trends.
Prioritise strategic issues.

Day — 2 Mental Models and Systems Thinking Application

Apply mental models and systems thinking to frame complex problems.
Identify strategic assumptions, blind spots, and interdependencies.
Use scenario logic and structured challenge to stress-test early direction.

Day — 3 Strategic Priorities and Plan Definition Development

Break down strategic direction into actionable priorities and initiatives.
Sequence decisions and resource flows to manage interdependencies.
Integrate ESG and sustainability into long-term value creation.

Day — 4 Stakeholder Influence and Strategic Framing Design

Map key stakeholders, internal influencers, and decision-makers.
Frame strategy in ways that resonate across roles and interests.
Design engagement approaches that build alignment and ownership.

Day — 5 Weekly Review

Summary and recap of key learning objectives
Action Planning

Day — 6 Organisational Readiness and Execution Barriers

Identify barriers to execution and the common causes of strategy failure.
Diagnose leadership, cultural, and operational misalignments that hinder delivery.
Pinpoint the practical shifts required to enable successful strategy execution.

Day — 7 Leadership Capabilities for Strategic Impact

Identify leadership behaviours that support or hinder strategy execution.
Recognise gaps in leadership capabilities that affect strategy delivery.
Align leadership focus and energy with the most critical strategic priorities.

Day — 8 Learning Culture and Strategic Resilience

Define the key elements of a learning culture that supports adaptability.
Understand the role of resilience in maintaining strategic focus during disruption.
Establish practical approaches to building resilience within teams and the organisation.

Day — 9 Sustaining Change and Strategic Delivery

Identify key barriers to successful change and how to manage them.
Develop a plan to navigate the complexities of change management.
Create mechanisms to embed change and ensure long-term alignment with strategy.

Day — 10 Course Review

Summary and recap of key learning objectives
Action Planning

Post-Course

Six (6) x hour-long Executive Coaching sessions at monthly intervals following Course Completion

Target Audience

This course is suitable for a wide range of leaders and managers but will be of real value to:

Senior Executives and CEOs
Strategic Planners and Analysts
Department Heads and Managers
Project Managers and Team Leaders
Change Management Professionals
Organisational Development Specialists
Human Resources Leaders
Business Consultants and Advisors
Risk Management Professionals
Innovation and Sustainability Officers
Operational Excellence Managers
Corporate Trainers and Coaches
Policy Makers and Government Officials
Academics and Researchers in Business Strategy
Entrepreneurs and Start-up Founders
Non-profit Executives and Leaders
Finance and Accounting Professionals
Supply Chain and Logistics Managers
IT and Technology Leaders
Marketing and Communications Managers

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to implement a successful strategy that enables you to:

Assess internal organisational dynamics—including capabilities, constraints, and culture—to inform and shape viable strategic options.
Identify and interpret external risks and emerging trends to anticipate future challenges and opportunities for strategic positioning.
Evaluate and prioritize strategic issues based on their impact, urgency, and alignment with long-term objectives.
Use systems thinking and mental models to understand complexity, reveal interdependencies, and avoid linear problem-solving traps.
Uncover and critically challenge hidden assumptions and blind spots, and map interdependencies that influence strategic outcomes.
Apply scenario planning and structured challenge techniques to test the robustness of strategic direction under uncertainty.
Translate high-level strategic goals into clear, actionable initiatives with defined priorities and success criteria.
Plan and sequence key decisions and resource allocations to effectively manage interdependencies across initiatives.
Embed ESG and sustainability considerations into strategic planning to drive long-term, responsible value creation.
Identify and map key stakeholders and internal influencers to navigate decision-making dynamics and build strategic support.
Communicate strategy in tailored, compelling ways that align with the values and interests of diverse audiences.
Design inclusive engagement approaches that foster alignment, commitment, and shared ownership of strategic direction.
Identify and map key stakeholders and internal influencers to navigate decision-making dynamics and build strategic support.
Communicate strategy in tailored, compelling ways that align with the values and interests of diverse audiences.
Design inclusive engagement approaches that foster alignment, commitment, and shared ownership of strategic direction.
Identify common organisational, behavioural, and systemic barriers that lead to execution breakdowns and strategy failure.
Diagnose misalignments across leadership, culture, and operations that disrupt the flow from strategy to delivery.
Pinpoint practical organisational, behavioural, or process shifts required to close the gap between strategy and execution.
Recognise how specific leadership behaviours can either reinforce or undermine strategic momentum and follow-through.
Recognise critical gaps in leadership capability—such as decision-making, communication, or influence—that weaken strategy execution.
Align leadership time, attention, and decision-making with the strategic priorities that drive the greatest value.
Define the core characteristics of a learning culture, including feedback, reflection, and experimentation, that enable strategic adaptability.
Understand how emotional, organisational, and strategic resilience help maintain momentum during periods of volatility or disruption.
Establish practical strategies to build resilience at individual, team, and organisational levels to sustain performance and engagement.
Identify psychological, structural, and process-related barriers that impede change and learn how to mitigate them effectively.
Develop a structured, context-sensitive plan to navigate the human and operational complexities of strategic change initiatives.
Create embedded systems, rituals, and accountability mechanisms to sustain behavioural change and maintain strategic alignment over time.