senior executive fellows

senior executive fellows

Even knowing the strong reputation of the Senior Executive Fellows program, I was genuinely and very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the faculty, the materials, the participants, the classroom discussions, and the support staff. The number of participants and their diverse backgrounds fostered a remarkably fertile environment to build new relationships and expand professional networks across agency and international boundaries. I highly recommend this program for the senior manager or executive who seeks improved insights into leadership, communication, and management skills. Jonathan Hall, Engineering Directorate, NASA JSC, october 2009

Peter B. Zimmerman The Program In today s world, senior executives need to be leaders as well as managers. This means that a leader s skills need to stretch beyond the basics of building coalitions and managing change in an organization. They also need to be more adept at working with different individuals and groups, unifying people to work toward a common goal, often in tumultuous and ever-changing circumstances. The Senior Executive Fellows (SEF) Executive Education program at Harvard University s John F. Kennedy School of Government helps promising senior level officials learn the skills needed for practical, effective leadership. Created more than thirty years ago, SEF is still the preeminent choice in executive development for professionals in the public sector to hone their leadership and managerial skills. SEF has the distinct advantage of time and history on its side. As times and the needs of leaders have changed, so has SEF s curriculum. The program focuses on issues that are relevant and important today, while being informed by lessons learned in the past. The program is not focused solely on solving specific problems. Rather, it provides a strategic approach and framework to problem solving for a variety of issues. From the start of the program, participants take on a leadership role in the classroom, gaining ways to look at issues from new perspectives. Participants learn different methods of observing common organizational problems and challenges, and by doing so, are exposed to a wide range of possible solutions. Through class work, group work, and individual study, participants practice strategic analysis daily until it becomes a more natural, ingrained response. SEF offers participants a rare opportunity to learn from the nation s top educators, researchers, and practitioners; to share experiences and network with peers from the U.S. and international governments; and to become part of the Harvard Kennedy School community all in a short amount of time. For more than three decades, participants from all over the world have shared in this fine learning experience.

The Curriculum The program curriculum centers around the case method pioneered at Harvard. Cases are based on actual problems, including those submitted by current and previous SEF program participants. Through the case method, participants receive valuable training and practice in making decisions about real situations. In addition, participants have the opportunity to improve leadership skills through problem-solving simulations, role-playing activities, and group and teambuilding exercises. This interactive learning style leaves participants feeling engaged and stimulated. The program curriculum addresses ways for leaders to become more effective in problemsolving, strategic analysis, persuasion, and negotiation. SEF s competency-based instruction also incorporates the executive core qualifications (ECQs) defined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for promotion to Senior Executive Service (SES) and it is the program of choice for participants in SES Candidate Development Programs (SES-CDP). Who Should Apply SEF is designed for managers and professionals in the federal government (GS-14/GS-15) and their international counterparts, senior military officers, and private sector managers working with the public sector. Additionally, all participants in SES-CDP activities should attend since the curriculum focuses on OPM s Executive Core Qualifications. Because students learn by hearing others share different experiences and perspectives, participants are selected to represent a broad spectrum of federal agencies with a variety of functional and operational responsibilities.

Senior Executive Fellows was one of the best programs I have ever attended. The professors provided an intellectually stimulating environment while my senior executive peers added practical experiences to classroom discussions that broadened my knowledge base and perspective. Samuel J. Claybon, Branch Chief, Public Building Services, General Services Administration, april 2010 www.hks.harvard.edu/ee/fellows Admissions Requirements Senior Executive Fellows is a four-week program conducted three times per year in the winter, spring, and fall at Harvard Kennedy School. To apply for Senior Executive Fellows or for details on program dates, application deadlines, or tuition please visit www.hks.harvard.edu/ee/fellows. Early application is encouraged as the programs often fill to capacity. Because of the interactive nature of this program, the number of participants is limited. Applications received after the deadline will be considered only if space remains in the class. Admission to the program is competitive and is based on past experience and responsibilities, as well as your organization s level of commitment to your future advancement. There is no formal educational requirement, but fluency in reading and speaking English is a necessity for the program. Faculty Chair Peter B. Zimmerman is Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Program Development and Lecturer in Public Policy. He also serves as co-chair of the Advanced Leadership Initiative, an interfaculty initiative with participation from five of Harvard s professional schools. He has particular interest in organizational strategy for public and nonprofit organizations, and how executives in these sectors adapt ideas from domains such as business and military affairs to improve performance. Zimmerman is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School s public policy program. Before coming to Harvard, Zimmerman worked for the Navy s Strategic Systems Project Office, on the National Security Council staff, and on the staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He has consulted for a wide range of public and nonprofit organizations. More recently, he has been working with several major nongovernmental organizations as they craft new strategies to meet conditions of rapid change.

www.hks.harvard.edu/ee/smln www.hks.harvard.edu/ee/fellows Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. John F. Kennedy Executive Education Admissions John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University 79 JFK Street Cambridge, MA 02138 USA Phone: 617-496-0484 Fax: 617-495-3090 Email: hks_execed@harvard.edu