How modular executive programmes are helping managers transition to leadership positions

Time of India

23-06-2025

You've put in the hours. You've delivered results. And now, you're increasingly being pulled into decisions that span multiple functions, including budgets, team strategy, cross-departmental collaboration, and innovation. This marks a new phase of your career, one that demands more than technical depth. It requires breadth.
In today's dynamic business landscape, the ability to think beyond one's function has become the hallmark of leadership. Yet many professionals find themselves underprepared when asked to step into enterprise-level roles. Not because they lack capability, but because their growth so far has been vertical, not lateral.
Leadership is not a linear reward for years of service. It's a mindset shift. Leaders are expected to see how various parts of the business fit together, understand interdependencies, and lead with both strategic clarity and empathy. This is where knowledge of cross-functional roles and the intricacies within can significantly enhance decision-making and team engagement. Hence, formal management education is no longer optional, but a prerequisite for professionals aiming to lead at an enterprise level.
The learning gap few talk about
Structured, cross-functional learning helps close this readiness gap. However, traditional full-time programmes are often not a feasible option for professionals managing both work and personal responsibilities. What's required is an approach that's flexible, immersive, and designed for on-the-job learning.
This is where modular, application-driven formats come in. These formats provide working professionals with a way to develop general management capabilities without interrupting their careers. Instead of theory-heavy learning, they prioritise real-world application and integrate learning with current job roles.
They typically feature a blend of on-campus sessions, exposure to core management areas, and assignments rooted in real-time challenges. More importantly, they bring together experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds, offering learning that goes beyond textbooks and faculty, and offers peer perspectives and applied problem-solving.
A format that fits the lives of professionals
One such programme is the
Postgraduate Executive Management Programme (PGEMP) by SPJIMR
, a Mumbai-based business school renowned for its practice-oriented learning. It follows a modular format, with nine-day contact sessions every quarter, allowing middle and senior managers to balance high-responsibility roles while upskilling.
Among India's only four 'Triple Crown' accredited Business Schools (AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS), SPJIMR is globally recognised for its academic excellence and real-world relevance. The Mumbai campus, strategically located in Andheri West, offers excellent accessibility for quarterly contact sessions.
The curriculum, curated specifically for professionals in middle management roles, spans key business domains, including finance, strategy, operations, and marketing. The structure supports application-based learning through assignments, internal projects, and mentorship, ensuring that learning is not just retained but implemented.
This balance of academic structure and on-the-job integration has made it a popular choice among professionals across sectors. Designed for participants with over five years' experience,
PGEMP
is the only programme of its kind in the country to have successfully onboarded over 100 batches.
Turning experience into enterprise thinking
Making the leap from functional expert to enterprise leader means more than taking on bigger tasks. It requires a broader lens, understanding how departments interact, how strategy informs execution, and how leadership is rooted in empathy as much as efficiency.
Modular executive programmes
like PGEMP offer a pathway for professionals to build this enterprise-level thinking without disrupting their current career trajectory.
They serve not only as skill accelerators but also as mindset shifters, transforming professionals into leaders who think holistically and act strategically.
Learning that integrates with work
Designed for working professionals who can't afford a career break, the programme bridges the gap between functional expertise and enterprise-level thinking. It enables professionals to develop general management capabilities in a flexible and immersive way, without stepping away from their current roles.
At the heart of PGEMP's appeal is its modular structure: nine-day campus contact sessions every quarter over 21 months. It's a format that fits seamlessly into the lives of middle and senior managers who are already juggling high-responsibility roles. The format also works well for companies supporting their high-performing employees with formal education.
Participants not only gain exposure to all core areas of business, including finance, operations, marketing, and strategy, but also have the opportunity to delve deeper into a concentration of their choice. Besides building technical depth, PGEMP also focuses on developing softer skills related to leadership mindset, communication, negotiation, design thinking and critical thinking. Elements of technological advancements and sustainable practices are embedded throughout the programme. The programme has the rigour of an Executive MBA, delivered in a structure that prioritises real-world application.
Unlike theory-heavy degrees that delay real-world application, PGEMP is designed to have an immediate impact. Application-based assignments, internal consultancy projects, and mentorship from company-nominated leaders ensure that learning flows back into the organisation in real-time. Participants have reported receiving implementation approval for 80% of the Capstone projects undertaken as part of PGEMP.
This contextual customisation is why PGEMP is a preferred leadership development partner for top Indian and global companies, including BPCL, Mahindra & Mahindra, L&T, Medtronic India, Schneider Electric, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Thermax, and Tata Consulting Engineers.
A leadership pipeline that's already shaping industry
Since 2002, over 3000 professionals from 300+ companies have graduated from PGEMP, with alumni now in CXO roles in listed companies across 25+ countries. Success stories like that of Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles; Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh, MD, State Bank of India; Deepak Shetty, CEO & MD, JCB India; Anshu Sarin, CEO, 91Springboard; Sukhmal Jain, Director (Marketing), BPCL and Ankur Saxena, CFO, Landmark Leisure, stand as testament to the transformation PGEMP offers.
The bottom line
Mid-career is not the time to pause. It's the time to pivot. If you're looking to transition from a domain expert to an enterprise-level leader, now is the time to act.
SPJIMR's PGEMP
offers the structure, mentorship, peer network, and credibility to make that leap, without hitting pause on your career.