PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Developing self-awareness, therefore, is essential. Executive coaching, reflection sessions and purpose- focused discussions help people understand their own biases and motivations and MBA programmes must provide opportunities for this type of training. From the classroom to global experiences Modern leadership also requires global fluency. To develop this, MBA programmes should expose students to different international contexts through projects and exchange opportunities. These experiences challenge participants to operate outside their comfort zones and develop the agility to lead in diverse environments. Hands-on corporate challenges, designed and driven by real companies facing real constraints, also prepare students to translate academic learning into immediate organisational impact. By working on live business problems, participants learn to balance theory with practical execution, sharpening their decision-making skills under realistic conditions. Social impact initiatives further expand students’ world views. They reinforce the idea that effective leaders must understand societal systems. Engaging with communities, public institutions and mission- driven organisations deepens students’ awareness of the broader consequences of managerial decisions. Finally, internships and company-based project work provide a crucial testing ground for leadership philosophy in practice. These experiences allow participants to refine their strengths, confront real-world complexity and build confidence as they shape their post-MBA trajectories. The MBA of the future is not static The future MBA requires thoughtful redesign built around integration. Artificial intelligence, experiential learning, purpose and human capabilities must not be taught in isolation but fused into a coherent learning model. The value of the programme lies in how these elements reinforce one another. Leadership education should be intentionally transformational. Students should graduate not only more skilled, but also more self-aware, globally conscious and impact-oriented. Business schools must deepen their partnerships with industry, not merely to serve employers’ short-term needs, but to co-create dynamic learning ecosystems that reflect the pace and complexity of modern work. Ultimately, the MBA of the future is not a static programme; it is an evolving platform that supports learners before, during and long after graduation. By encouraging continuous development and lifelong reinvention, business schools can remain meaningful partners in their graduates’ professional journeys.
Purpose-driven leadership is also embedded throughout the programme, something that is an increasingly important differentiator in leadership development. Leaders who align their personal values with organisational identity and strategy are better equipped to inspire teams and drive long-term, sustainable change. When students develop their own leadership philosophy through action inquiry, reflection and experience, they move beyond career ambition towards more intentional and responsible leadership. Ultimately, the MBA must become a space for this kind of integration. It should support not only career advancement, but also the development of empathy, consciousness and the ability to elevate the quality of the purpose of our work. Working with AI, not against it Of course, no discussion about the future of business education can ignore artificial intelligence. At POLIMI, we believe AI should become a normal part of daily strategic thinking. This means embedding AI-based tasks across subjects such as financial modelling, marketing analysis and operations improvement, so students can experience both the benefits and limits of AI in practice. It also means helping students understand how to work with AI from a managerial perspective. Many business decisions will come from collaboration between humans and machines – a phenomenon known as the ‘human- in-the-loop’ paradigm of AI adoption. Leaders must learn to ask better questions of AI systems, evaluate outputs critically and use judgement when data insights conflict with organisational values or real-world context. AI should also support learning and development outside the classroom. When used well, it can help with career growth by supporting self-reflection, professional positioning and job search preparation. In fact, we have been using a platform called Flexa for several years now. This uses AI to support students’ career development through personalised feedback, self-assessment tools, CV guidance and interview preparation. Human skills as competitive advantage As AI takes over more analytical and operational work, human skills are becoming increasingly important – and this shift should be reflected in modern MBA programmes. Skills such as emotional intelligence, storytelling, action inquiry, working with purpose and empathy are no longer considered merely ‘soft’ skills; they are now viewed as a strategic advantage. In complex organisations, building human relationships is often more challenging than collecting and analysing data. Good leadership today requires understanding different cultures, generations and belief systems.
BIOGRAPHY Federico Frattini is dean of POLIMI Graduate School of Management and a professor of strategic management and innovation at the Politecnico di Milano. An internationally recognised expert in innovation and technology management, he has authored more than 200 publications and contributed to numerous leading journals. Frattini co-founded research initiatives in energy and innovation and has held multiple academic leadership roles. Named among the world’s top innovation scholars, he is also actively engaged in advancing digital learning and executive education on a global scale
24 Ambition • ISSUE 2 • 2026
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