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From Founder to Enterprise Leader
The Leading High-Growth Firms programme offers a 6-month learning journey designed to strengthen the leadership, strategic, and governance capabilities that drive sustainable venture expansion.

Each module integrates cutting-edge research with the realities of entrepreneurial growth. You’ll explore how to scale leadership, teams, and organisational systems. You will develop both the mindset and practical tools needed to lead effectively in high-growth contexts.

The curriculum unfolds across interconnected themes. Early modules focus on adaptive leadership and cultural evolution within expanding teams. As you progress, the emphasis shifts to organisational design, governance, and performance systems that sustain momentum. The final modules build advanced capabilities in investor relations, enterprise sales, and strategic positioning across the value chain. 


What you will gain from this programme

  • Lead with clarity and confidence – Strengthen your ability to guide a growing organisation through rapid change.
  • Build scalable structures for sustainable growth – Translate your vision into effective governance and operational frameworks.
  • Inspire and retain top talent – Create a culture where people thrive and performance accelerates.
  • Negotiate with impact – Develop the skills to secure funding and partnerships that align with your venture’s long-term goals.
  • Expand your leadership reach – Apply advanced leadership insights to elevate both your venture and your personal growth as a founder or executive.


Assessment

No formal exams. Participants are assessed through peer feedback, reflection assignments, and facilitator input ensuring continuous learning and personal growth throughout the programme.

Discover all Leadership Modules
Incompany

Tailor-made leadership modules 

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova is Associate Dean of Business and Public Engagement and Full Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is a Programme Director of the (Executive) PhD programme in management and business studies at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Between 2009-2017, she served as Director of Doctoral Education and a founding Director of Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI) of the School of Business and Economics (SBE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

View the profile of Svetlana Khapova

Emmanuel Agha

Emmanuel Agha is an entrepreneur, investor, and PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is General Partner at Bloom Capital, a seed fund for female founders in AI and deep tech. He also serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at Bloom Venture Studio, where he helps build startups alongside women founders.

He is Founder & CEO of Innovectives, a fintech company that pioneered Nigeria’s digital finance and agency banking sector. Innovectives now processes $10M in monthly transactions. Emmanuel’s work has advanced financial inclusion and earned him FinTech Man of the Year (2020).

Curriculum Leadership for Start-up Growth

  • Module 1: Leadership Strategies for High-Growth Environments

    1. Adaptive Leadership: Develop the ability to adapt your leadership style to meet the evolving needs of your organization.
    2. Strategic Vision: Craft a compelling vision that aligns with your organization's strategic goals and inspires your team.
    3. Resilience and Adaptability: Build personal resilience to manage stress and navigate challenges effectively.
    4. Innovation and Creativity: Foster a culture of innovation and creativity to stay ahead in dynamic markets.
  • Module 2: Managing Team Expansion and Cultural Shifts

    1. Cultural Integration: Develop plans for integrating new team members and aligning diverse perspectives.
    2.  Effective Onboarding: Create onboarding processes that ensure new hires quickly become productive and aligned with your culture.
    3. Communication Strategies: Enhance communication channels to maintain transparency and alignment across a growing team.
    4. Employee Engagement: Foster a high-performance culture that engages employees and drives productivity.
  • Module 3: Addressing High Turnover and Workforce Intensity

    1. Talent Retention Strategies: Identify and implement effective strategies to retain top talent.
    2. Workload Management: Develop techniques to manage workload effectively and prevent burnout.
    3. Employee Well-being: Implement initiatives to support employee well-being and work-life balance.
    4. Performance Management: Implement performance management systems that support continuous improvement and career development.
  • Module 4: Balancing Transformational and Servant Leadership Approaches

    1. Transformational Leadership: Inspire and motivate your team to achieve ambitious goals and drive innovation.
    2. Servant Leadership: Develop a servant leadership mindset to support and empower your team.
    3.  Hybrid Leadership Styles: Learn to balance visionary leadership with empathy and support to create a cohesive and high-performing team.
    4. Leading by Example: Model the behaviours and values you want to see in your organization.
  • Module 5: Setting Up Scalable Corporate Governance, Control, and Compliance Frameworks

    1. Scalable Governance Structures: Design governance frameworks that support growth and adapt to changing needs.
    2. Control Mechanisms: Implement control mechanisms to ensure operational efficiency and risk management.
    3. Compliance Frameworks: Develop compliance frameworks to meet regulatory requirements and maintain ethical standards.
    4. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Use data analytics to inform strategic decisions and drive continuous improvement.
  • Module 6: Investor Negotiations and Cap Table Management

    1. Effective Negotiation Techniques: Learn proven strategies for securing funding without compromising your vision.
    2. Cap Table Management: Understand the intricacies of cap table management and its impact on shareholder value.
    3. Strategic Decision-Making: Develop the skills to make strategic decisions about control versus growth.
    4. Investor Relations: Build strong relationships with investors to support long-term success.
  • Module 7: Enterprise Sales Masterclass

    1.  Enterprise sales fundamentals
    2. Crafting an enterprise sales playbook
    3. Managing complex stakeholder dynamics
    4. Negotiation & scaling strategies
  • Module 8: Value Chain Positioning Masterclass

    1. Introduction to value chain positioning
    2. Mapping & assessing your value chain
    3. Identifying opportunities for strategic positioning
    4. Crafting your positioning strategy
  • Assessment

    No formal exams. Evaluation through peer feedback, reflection assignments, and facilitator input.

How can we help you?

Would you like more information about our parttime leadership programmes? Or would you like to discuss incompany possibilities? Please contact us.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
School of Business and Economics for Professionals
1081 HV AMSTERDAM

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