Lead with confidence in a world transformed by AI, innovation, and constant change with Stanford LEAD. Unlock your leadership potential in this immersive, year-long online program that has empowered ambitious professionals for more than a decade.
: $19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)
Format
Online
Commitment
1 year | 5-10 hours/week
Course Load
8 Courses
Price
$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)$19,200 | (4 quarterly installments of $4,800)
Transformative, experiential learning designed for real-world impact
Stanford LEAD is the flagship online business program from Stanford GSB designed for mid- to senior-level professionals seeking to expand their leadership capabilities, strengthen strategic thinking, and increase their impact in a rapidly changing business environment. For many participants, LEAD becomes a meaningful career inflection point — helping them move beyond functional expertise into broader, more confident leadership — and can help you do the same.
Flexible, Year-Long Online Experience
LEAD allows participants to develop new leadership and business capabilities while continuing to grow in their current roles and careers.
Stanford GSB Faculty-Led Learning
Courses are taught by faculty who also teach in Stanford’s MBA program, bringing world-class teaching directly into the online classroom.
Practical, Applied Learning
Participants engage with frameworks, tools, and concepts that can be immediately applied to real-world challenges.
Personalized Feedback and Coaching
Ongoing feedback, guidance, and support throughout the program help participants deepen learning and accelerate individual growth.
Highly Interactive Online Learning Environment
Live sessions, discussions, collaboration, and peer engagement create a dynamic and connected learning environment.
Lifelong Global Peer Network
Participants join a lifelong community of accomplished professionals from diverse industries, functions, and geographies around the world.
Continued Engagement with Stanford
Throughout the program and after completion, participants are invited to attend select Stanford and Stanford GSB speaker events that provide ongoing opportunities to engage with new ideas, leading thinkers, and timely business topics.
Key Benefits
Build Strategic Business Acumen
Strengthen your ability to make informed decisions through a deeper understanding of finance, critical thinking, and the forces shaping organizations and markets.
Enhance Leadership Effectiveness
Develop the self-awareness, communication skills, and leadership capabilities needed to inspire teams, influence stakeholders, and drive results.
Drive Innovation and Change
Navigate AI, innovation, and disruption more effectively using frameworks that help you evaluate opportunities, adapt to change, and lead in uncertain environments.
Create Organizational Impact
Apply practical tools, concepts, and insights directly to business and leadership challenges while strengthening your ability to lead transformation and change.
Build Global Perspective and Connection
Expand your perspective through collaboration with a diverse cohort of accomplished professionals and cultivate relationships that extend far beyond the program.
LEAD is designed for mid- to senior-career professionals preparing for broader leadership responsibility and looking to strengthen their ability to lead across teams, functions, and evolving business environments. Participants often include:
Managers leading teams through transformation and organizational change
Functional experts transitioning into broader business leadership roles
Professionals navigating AI and technological change in today’s business landscape
Entrepreneurs and operators strengthening strategic and leadership capabilities
Global professionals seeking to learn from Stanford GSB faculty and connect with a diverse global network while continuing to work full time
Experience a flexible blend of independent and collaborative work, live sessions with faculty and peers, and personalized 1:1 feedback that empowers you to apply what you learn throughout the year.
A Journey of Discovery
Discover who you are as a leader by building a customized curriculum that begins with two foundation courses and one leadership core course, followed by five electives mapped to your personal and professional goals.
A Lifetime of Community
Join a global network of thousands of LEADers who get together for exclusive speaker sessions and special events long after the program ends, keeping you connected to a diverse group of changemakers.
I have improved my communication skills and I am able to drive more energy and engagement towards my stakeholders. The different frameworks taught in the course gave me a broader understanding, and they have a powerful effect and fast results. The program has boosted my self-confidence.
Carlos Rodriguez Iriarte
Procurement Director
EV Box
“
LEAD has provided me with tools to be more effective and structured in problem solving, driving change in complex organizations, innovation, and leadership.
Teresa Clarke
Chief People Officer
McDermott Will & Emery
“
I’ve expanded my capacity within my organization to contribute and ask more compelling questions beyond the primary responsibilities of my role to support other divisions of the business in terms of strategic recommendations, opportunities for support, and a greater focus on evidence based decision making.
Our goal is to provide you with the flexibility you need to fund your enrollment in LEAD by offering two payment options.
1. Quarterly Installment Plan: Take advantage of our flexible payment plan and pay the tuition fee in four quarterly installments of $4,800. The first installment will be due before the start of the program, and the three remaining installments will be due before the start of each quarter of enrollment.
2. Pay in Full: Pay the entire tuition fee of $19,200 upfront with a convenient one-time payment option.
While LEAD is designed to be completed in four quarters, spanning one year, the program duration can be extended up to 24 months. This provides you with the flexibility to pay your tuition fees across a span of 2-3 calendar years, which may be helpful in maximizing your employer’s tuition benefits or assisting with personal finance planning.
Meet the Faculty
This program is developed by Peter DeMarzo, and taught by a team of tenured, strategically focused, cross-disciplinary faculty who are experts in their fields. You will learn from a subset of the faculty represented here, based on the electives you choose as part of your curriculum. They will bring cutting-edge research, thought leadership, and experiential learning to your program experience.
Peter DeMarzo
The John G. McDonald Professor of Finance
Director, Stanford LEAD Online Business Program
Jennifer Aaker
The General Atlantic Professor
William Barnett
The Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations
Steven Callander
The Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management and Professor of Political Economy
Francis Flynn
The Paul E. Holden Professor of Organizational Behavior
Brian Lowery
The Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior
Haim Mendelson
The Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Professor of Electronic Business and Commerce, and Management
Margaret Neale
The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emerita
Jeffrey Pfeffer
The Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior
Paul Pfleiderer
The C.O.G. Miller Distinguished Professor of Finance
Hayagreeva Rao
The Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Baba Shiv
The Sanwa Bank, Limited, Professor of Marketing
Jesper Sørensen
The Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Professor, and Professor of Organizational Behavior
Zakary Tormala
The Laurence W. Lane Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing
S. Christian Wheeler
The StrataCom Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing
Stefanos Zenios
The Investment Group of Santa Barbara Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Operations, Information & Technology
Take Your Next Step: Start Your Application Today
Become a more effective leader and grow in your career with a Professional Certificate from Stanford GSB and 24 Continuing Education Units. There is no application fee and no GMAT/GRE requirements.
In addition to a general online application form, the process requires the completion of two components:
Essay
Write a statement describing an area where you’d like to make an impact.
Online Video Interview
Record one-minute responses to two questions related to your motivations for pursuing the program.
