Chief of Staff Executive Education in Oxford
Available to members of the Chief of Staff Association, this in-person residential programme in Oxford explores the systems, structures, and dynamics shaping a chief of staff’s environment.
Harvard Business School Programme
Programme Overview
You will work with world-class Oxford academics and come face to face with distinguished political, diplomatic and business leaders who will share firsthand insights on the chief of staff role and its evolving challenges. You will engage in discussions and debates, in the classroom and informal gatherings, exchanging best practices and real world experiences. By weeks end you will have built a trusted network of chiefs of staff who will continue to support you long after the programme ends.Learning Objectives
Key Learning Outcomes
Beyond the Horizon
Reading the external environment with discipline and precision is a core leadership skill, covering shifts in market conditions, competitor behaviour, regulatory change and technological development to surface emerging risks and opportunities, and translating those insights into sharper strategic decisions and smarter resource allocation.
Strategy and Execution
The programme develops participants' ability to connect strategy, culture and execution into a coherent whole. Learn to identify gaps between stated vision and actual behaviours, design targeted interventions to bring teams back into step, and build continuous feedback loops that keep every function moving in the same direction.
Decision-Making with Uncertainty
Participants can expect to learn methods for facilitating high-quality decisions amid volatility and complexity. The programme will guide you in slowing down knee-jerk reactions, holding multiple scenarios in mind, and asking the right questions to challenge assumptions, so you can help leaders shift from “fight-or-flight” to balanced, long-term strategic thinking even in crisis scenarios.
Creating the Conditions for Better Decisions
Good decisions rarely happen by accident. The programme examines how chiefs of staff can shape the environment in which decisions are made, from improving the quality and flow of information reaching senior leaders, to designing forums and processes that reduce noise, surface the right questions and create space for genuine deliberation.
"The greatest gathering of the world's chief of staff & they weren't wrong! I'm a little lost for words, but feeling so incredibly humbled, energised and lucky to have been part of the movement and magic this week."
– Ellie Bateman, Chief of Staff, Centrica
Continue your Education with the CSA
Exclusive to members
Membership