The Board Directors' Programme

Discover what it takes to be a successful board member and expand your leadership skill set with The Board Directors’ Programme.

• Understand competitive advantage and how to leverage it for sustainable success
• Engage with diverse stakeholder perspectives
• Develop your capability to influence and manage board relations
• Recognise the value of corporate, social and community responsibility

Programme Overview

The Board Directors' Programme equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to become an effective board member. It will debunk the myths and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the role.

Informed by Henley's extensive global research, the programme empowers you to diagnose and respond to your board's specific challenges.

Small yet diverse learning groups give you a confidential forum in which you can share your experiences. You will also learn through stimulating practitioner-led sessions and high profile guest speakers.

Key Benefits

For Individuals

Understand how to add value and determine competitive advantage in your organisation

Gain the self-confidence to maximise your role on the board

Develop the skills and knowledge to facilitate others to fulfil both their individual and collective potential

For Businesses

Develop board members who fully understand their roles and obligations, and who appreciate the value of shared goals

Generate greater loyalty, retention and productivity throughout your organisation

Develop an approach that supports your organisation's reputation and is in line with your values and ethics

Course Structure

The programme is delivered both live-online and in person. Both formats allow an engaging and stimulating experience that will give you a unique insight into the boardroom.

Led by Professor Andrew Kakabadse, the programme is based around practitioner-led experiences and research. Over the sessions you will be introduced to a number of high-profile board experts who will share their knowledge and expertise in frank and open conversations. Through confidential group discussion, questioning and sharing your own challenges, you will get an in depth understanding of what really goes on in the boardroom and how you can make the best contribution.

Both learning styles offer a personal approach, with close interaction with the Programme Director. On the live-online version, this is delivered through a virtual one-to-one coaching session.

Participant groups are small, with a maximum of 15-20 people.

Live-online: Delivered over 6 weeks, including 1 x 90 min session per week and 1 x 45 min one-to-one coaching session

In-person: Delivered over 2 days

Programme content

Board structure and responsibilities

• The composition, role and dynamics of boards, including director relationships and their effect on the functioning of the board
• Board diversity
• The contribution of sub-committees and non-executive directors

Strategic performance (your own, your board's and your organisation's)

• How to engage fully with stakeholders*
• How to influence and effectively manage relations
• When boards become dysfunctional
• Your organisation’s competitive advantage and how to leverage it*
• Governance and its role in sustainable success
• The importance of corporate, social and community responsibility and reputation

The programme also covers:

• Role and contribution of investors
• How to get on to a Board
• Moral dilemmas

For the live-online version these topics are examined through the one-to-one coaching session.