Executive Learning is critical to the success of any talent-driven organization. As industries and organizations evolve—now more rapidly than ever—the need for middle and senior management to refresh their skills and stay in step with times by using executive education forums is becoming even more important. The learner mindset is something that is getting more and more critical to nurture and develop in a customized / tailormade fashion. Given this context, executive education programs have also evolved, and while open enrolments continue, executive education is also driven by the demand for customized and bespoke courses designed to meet the needs of specific organizations.

As the demand for managerial skills continues to rise, executive education itself is being disrupted. Progressive organizations are now embracing a more innovative approach to executive education, integrating MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) and online platforms that leverage the digitization of content, connectivity, and communication.

The future of executive education will reflect six key trends:  

Learning by doing - Executive education in the future will be holistic and more experience driven. Simulations will grow and it will be all about ‘learning by doing’.

Relatability to Reality - From studying case studies of another organization with a business challenge that one might relate to or not, the future of executive education will equally weigh on being more about one’s own organization, its true business challenges, and its opportunities. Specialized and contextual. 

Relational- Organizations will be more focused on knowing how its employee-participants acquire the right combination of skills, knowledge, and ingenuity to lead the organization in ambiguous times while still being strategic. The world will belong to those who can sense, create, relate, engage, inspire, motivate, and challenge.

Capsule courses and professional certificates- While professionals have advanced degrees, the need for enhancing their knowledge and skills in spheres like artificial intelligence, business innovation, industry specialization, adaptive leadership, etc. will become more dominant. 

 Continuous learning- The VUCA nature of the digital economy will require continuous learning and skilling. Executive education programs will reflect this trend, with more micro or byte-sized learning programs becoming the norm. 

 Multi-disciplinary- Executive education will use an integrated approach where the learner and their needs are at the core. The lines between business schools, consulting organizations, as well as the company’s own learning functions, will blur further. 

Executive learning programs of the future need to be able to empower people to disrupt existing business models in their respective industries and inculcate core competencies to shape the future. The multigenerational workforce of today including the millennials and Gen Z seek to tackle the toughest, most exciting challenges faced by leading companies, organizations, and governments around the globe. Thus, the programs designed for them must equip them to do exactly that – improving the way the world works and lives.