“The idea of participating in the Executive Development Programme at USB-ED was prompted by my desire to refresh my management skills, concerning our operations in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment,” shared Khehla Ndlovu, Vice-Principle: Strategy, Risk and Advisor Services, of the University of South Africa.

In a position that involves mainly strategy, risk and advisory services, he shares, “I was of the view that I could benefit from the programme’s perspectives, business and ethical knowledge – which inform unique business strategies – to accomplish our objectives and to overcome change management imperatives. I will say though that this opportunity came at the right time, as we were – as a University – working on a strategy review and developing the second phase of our strategy plan for 2021 to 2025. But, more importantly, the whole idea was to enhance strategy thinking in the context of the changing world.”

As the timing of the course came at an opportune moment for Khehla, being able to immediately implement parts of the curriculum was among the highlights of the experience for him. “The major take-away for me was the module on strategy. It reminded me of all of the elements that I needed to be considering within strategy development. Furthermore, the reflective exercises that we engaged in were very useful – especially combined with self-assessment.”

Also among Khehla’s course highlights were the facilitators. “They provided valuable knowledge that could be utilized in our day-to-day environment.” What added to this was the ability to connect with the others taking the course too. “More importantly, the participation in groups provided a wider view of the different industries as our participants were from different sectors of our economy. I enjoyed the guest visits – especially the one from the CEO of Nandos – wherein I learnt even more about caring for people and how they demonstrated that during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

As an alumnus, Khehla encourages prospective participants to dive into the programme, and to learn as much as you can, and take advantage of working with others. “I do want to say that when attending the sessions, you do need to pay full attention – and participate in all group activities and sessions,” he says. “I do think that as a member of the syndicate you will benefit immensely from other participants. This is also necessary for you to do the pre-assignments as they’ll give you a better understanding of the issues that will be discussed in class.” 

USB-ED’s  Executive Development Programme (EDP) is an empowering executive leadership programme. It aims to prepare individuals with the necessary management skills to make difficult business decisions in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) domain. The focus of this programme is to equip each executive with global perspectives, business and ethical framework knowledge, all of which will inform unique business strategies to accomplish objectives and successfully overcome change management. The EDP is designed for executives who are responsible for decision-making across organizations.

In the ever-complex business realm, global priorities and challenges often fall on executives’ shoulders. Leaders, therefore, need to adapt their executive roles with new ways of thinking to make room for such changes. This leadership programme equips you with the tools needed to expand your ability to lead, motivate and achieve business objectives, enhance your global perspectives and empower you to formulate strategic goals. Over the course of 7 months, delegates learn new techniques and management skills and will be equipped to:

• Appreciate a global perspective and understanding of global markets
• Employ cognitive strategies to appraise systems and consider emergent futures
• Employ adaptive thinking to support strategic leadership decisions
• Deploy creative workforce strategies to enhance diversity and organizational performance
• Collaborate and integrate business knowledge, skills, and professional networks to enhance your career
• Develop ethical reasoning in determining the role of business in society

Find out if the Executive Development Programme should be your next step here.