Executive Education

In this week's Economist, I once again stumbled over an ad that seems to be there every week: The Wharton School advertises its "Advanced Management Program" for "Senior Leaders":

A middle-aged greying gentlemen sits on a chair and gazes out over a pristine lake. The caption reads: "Now I invent instead of predict. I am a visionary."

And further down, we are told that "true visionaries" are "the most sought after executives in the world. And after five weeks at Wharton, you will be too."

I dare say that any senior executive who seriously believes that a five week Wharton program will turn him into a "true visionary" is way too naive to be a "senior leader".

And in any case, most of the "I have a vision, don't bother me with facts!"-style CEOs seem to do more harm than good...