Many companies are struggling to build strong leadership pipelines that can meet these growing demands.
Studies show that nearly 80% of organizations face gaps in leadership development, while 88% of leaders believe they lack effectiveness in the skills most critical to organizational success. Additionally, 70% of business leaders recognize that strategic thinking will become even more important over the next three years.
To help address these challenges and strengthen leadership capabilities, Duke University introduced the General Management Program (Duke GMP). The program is designed to equip emerging and experienced leaders with cross-functional business knowledge, strategic thinking abilities, and an innovation-driven mindset needed to lead future-ready organizations.
About the program
To address these critical industry needs, the Duke General Management Program (Duke GMP) is an immersive, 7-month, multi-modular educational journey.
It is structured to help emerging leaders enhance their managerial skills, design data-driven solutions, and navigate a complex business environment.
- The program offers an unparalleled learning experience covering longstanding and emerging management needs, including strategy, operations, and digital transformation.
- It is designed to broaden your expertise and strategic leadership skills to build future-ready organizations.
- Under the guidance of esteemed Fuqua faculty, leaders learn to comprehend, design, and implement user-centric innovative solutions to transform their enterprises.
What makes it unique?
Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, founded in 1969, has built a prestigious reputation for attracting and nurturing a new kind of leader. The institution fosters a collaborative culture and a unique leadership style that inspires entire organizations to do better while simultaneously doing what is best for society.
- Blended Format: The program seamlessly combines immersive live-online modules with in-person classroom sessions located at the Duke University Campus in Durham, N.C.
- Elite Credentials & Network: Graduates receive a Certificate of Excellence from Duke Executive Education and gain entry into a private LinkedIn network boasting over 15,000 alumni members.
- World-Renowned Faculty: The curriculum is delivered by internationally renowned thought leaders and faculty, such as Prof. David Brown and Dr. Richard Freishtat, who bring extensive real-world experience and cutting-edge research to the classroom.
- Career Support: Participants get access to CareerBridge, Fuqua's exclusive job board, and can post targeted career opportunities for their own organizations.
Who should enroll
This executive program is carefully tailored for a diverse range of experienced professionals and innovators striving to drive long-term organizational success. The curriculum caters specifically to seasoned leaders ready to adapt to the dynamic corporate landscape.
- Professionals with significant experience and demonstrated career progression, including CXOs, Directors, Presidents, and VPs.
- Senior functional managers, business heads, and individuals with outstanding leadership roles across a variety of settings.
- Candidates must have a minimum of 10+ years of work experience in functional, technical, or business roles.
- Applicants should preferably hold a graduate degree with a strong academic track record and possess fluency in written and spoken English.
What will you learn?
The Duke GMP features a leading-edge, deeply engaging curriculum focused on the major areas of general management. It empowers leaders to cultivate essential strategic, managerial, and analytical competencies to tackle global business challenges.
- Strategy & Strategic Management: Master competitive strategy, digital business models, platform economics, and learn to lead strategically through ambiguity and uncertainty.
- Financial Management: Build robust financial acumen covering valuation, venture capital, and private equity, while learning to use finance strategically for investments and acquisitions.
- Digital Transformation & Technology: Understand the nuances of AI/ML, harness big data for business insights, and unlock the massive potential of Generative AI for enterprise impact.
- Global Business Leadership: Cultivate leadership EQ for interpersonal effectiveness, focusing on change management, negotiation, persuasion, and influence.
How will you learn?
The carefully designed learning approach combines engaging classroom discussions and live-online modules tailored for busy professionals. A central pillar of this practical application is the self-directed, real-world Capstone Project.
- Participants develop a strategic plan for an opportunity related to the curriculum and apply it directly within their own company, division, or product line.
- Identify & Plan: Leaders methodically analyze a chosen area to pinpoint an opportunity and design a concrete plan for operational or strategic improvement.
- Implementation & Communication: Executives create a detailed implementation roadmap with key milestones while developing strategies to convey this vision to internal and external stakeholders.
- Review & Presentation: The project unfolds with continuous monitoring and culminates in break-out sessions, where peer groups choose select projects to be presented to the full cohort on the final day.
Next Steps
To embark on this transformative journey, interested candidates must fulfill specific application requirements and follow a simple 3-step admission process.
- Submit Application: Candidates initiate the process by applying online, attaching a resume in Word or PDF format, and providing two professional references.
- Rolling Admission: The admissions team assesses applications as soon as they are received to ensure a timely review.
- Interview: Candidates may be required to complete an interview before being formally accepted into the cohort.
- Once all requirements are successfully completed, the Admissions team notifies the candidate with an official decision.
