An executive leading a group of business people on a project around a circular table.

Whether you are challenged to deliver sustained outcomes or disrupt the status quo, to be competitive in today’s market you must be able to boldly lead high-performing, future-prepared organizations. The best C-suite leaders know this requires sound strategic vision, courage to drive innovation and the savvy to motivate teams to deliver on their goals.

The Cox Executive Leadership Program (CELP) is designed to help growth-minded leaders like you develop and enhance your executive skill set through learning experiences that will deliver measurable results and help you leapfrog levels of expertise.

Interested in our next info session?

Want more general info about the program from the program director?

Proven Success for our Partners

The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Cox Executive Education team has over forty years of experience delivering transformative leadership programs that have a lasting impact.

Recent Partners include:

AT&T Baylor Scott & White Health
BP EY
Kimberly-Clark Lockheed Martin
PepsiCo State Farm
Toyota Walmart

Course feature Course detail
Dates: April 08, 2026 – September 17, 2026
Topic: Leadership
Format: On Campus
Location: James M. Collins Executive Education Center
Credentialing:

 digital certificate also awarded upon course completion
Price:

$19,500

$18,000 if you register by August 29th, 2025

Registration and payment deadline of February 6, 2026. Rolling admissions after Feb. 6th as space allows in the cohort. Please contact Sally Siegel at 214-768-6444 or sallys@smu.edu for more information.

Group discount available for teams of five or more from the same organization.
Questions?

If you’d like to speak with an Executive Education team member about the CELP, contact Sally Siegel at 214.768.6444 or sallys@smu.edu.

Topics

A Career-Changing Curriculum

In this program, you will:

  • Complete a 360° assessment to identify personal strengths and areas for growth.
  • Learn through discussions and interactive learning experiences led by world-renowned faculty and instructors from the esteemed ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Cox School of Business.
  • Gain thought-provoking new perspectives from guest speakers.
  • Put your newfound skills to the test in an immersive executive capstone challenge.
  • Benefit from individual and group executive coaching sessions throughout the six-month program, with the option to continue after program completion.
  • Collaborate with a highly select group of executive peers from diverse industries to expand your professional network and build your personal board of directors.

Schedule Overview

Discover the latest trends and create immediate impact through our highly focused curriculum and innovative program format.

February - March

  • 360 Pre-assessment

April - Leading Into the Future

  • Personal leadership insights
  • The future of leadership 
  • Leading in the digital age
  • Transformative forces that will define the future
  • Building high-performing executive teams

May - Executing Strategy and Innovation

  • Future-proofing strategy
  • AI strategy
  • Human-centered design and creative disruption
  • Making decisive decisions

June - Leading the Future of Work

  • Leading a culture of accountability
  • Corporate ethics
  • Leading change with neuroscience
  • Leading in times of crisis
  • [Optional] Service project

August - Communicating to Lead

  • Communicating with power and poise

  • Negotiate with confidence

September - Making Smart, Calculated Decisions

  • Financial intelligence

  • Strategic risk management and personal and organization resilience

  • Executive capstone challenge

Who Should Attend?

  • Growth-minded seasoned senior leaders (VP+) with at least 10 years of experience at the executive level
  • Senior executive teams leading organizational change

Detailed Schedule

February - March

  • Pre-work: 360 Feedback
    (About six weeks prior to program start)

April: Leading into the Future

 

 

 Day 1 Schedule Day 2 Schedule

Module 1

Leading into the Future

Leading into the Future
7:30 AM
 Breakfast
Breakfast

8:00 AM

Welcome & Setting the stage for the program

  
8:30 AM The Future of Leadership  Transformative Forces that Will Define the Future

12:00 PM

Lunch and 360 Overview

 Lunch

1:00 PM

Leading in the Digital Age

Building Your High Performing Executive Team

5:00 PM

Opening Reception

May: Executing Strategy & Innovation

  Day 1 Schedule
Day 2 Schedule

Module 2

Executing Strategy & Innovation

Executing Strategy & Innovation
7:30 AM Breakfast Breakfast

8:00 AM

Future-Proofing Strategy

Human-Centered Design & Creative Disruption

12:00 PM

Lunch

 Lunch

1:00 PM

AI Strategy

Decisive Decisions; Dealing with Problems, Polarities and Priorities

June: Leading the Future of Work

  Day 1 Schedule
Day 2 Schedule
 Day 3 Schedule 

Module 3

Leading the Future of Work

Leading the Future of Work

 Leading the Future of Work

7:30 AM

Breakfast*

Breakfast*

  

8:00 AM

Leading a Culture of Accountability

Leading Change with Neuroscience

 8:45 AM Start - Feed My Starving Children -- meeting time

12:00 PM

Lunch*

Lunch at the Bush Library

 9:00-10:45 AM Feed my Starving Children volunteer session

1:00 PM

Corporate Ethics & Board Governance

Leading in a Time of Crisis

  

*We will be located in the Hughes-Trigg Center for June meeting days.

August: Communicating to Lead

  Day 1 Schedule
Day 2 Schedule

Module 4

Communicating to Lead

Communicating to Lead

7:30 AM

Breakfast

Breakfast

8:00 AM

Communication with Power & Poise

Negotiate with Confidence

12:00 PM

Lunch

Lunch

1:00 PM

Communication with Power & Poise

Negotiate with Confidence

September: Making Smart, Calculated Decisions

  Day 1 Schedule
Day 2 Schedule

Module 5

Making Smart, Calculated Decisions

Making Smart, Calculated Decisions

7:30 AM

Breakfast

Breakfast

8:00 AM

Financial Intelligence

Executive Challenge Simulation

12:00 PM

Lunch

Lunch

1:00 PM

Strategic Risk Management; Personal and Organizational Resilience

Executive Challenge Simulation
4:30 PM    Program Wrap Up
5:00 PM   Closing Reception
brent h bio photo

Healthy and hitting metrics

The biggest impact is the change I’ve seen in my team. As I’ve changed how I communicate, the health of our team has improved and we’re still hitting our metrics.

Brent H.
SVP, Acquisition & Development

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three men at a table

Hettie Tabor, Academic Director, ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Cox School of Business

"Data-driven companies are harnessing the power of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to make smarter decisions, optimize service and streamline operations. Where does your organization stand in its evolution?"

This course will help you embrace the imperatives of digital transformation, envision where your teams and organization need to be in 10 years—and how to get them there.

three students at a table working

Carolina Roa, Sr. Land & Facilities Development Manager, DFW International Airport

"CEDP was an eye-opener: deeper self-awareness creates the space for intentional, authentic leadership. It was a rich experience that has shaped my professional life."

Delivered in three phases over seven months, this will offer training and networking opportunities to high-potential Hispanic managers and directors preparing for executive levels of responsibilities.

someone standing

Sally Siegel, Program Director

"This course will introduce new ideas and techniques and challenge you to question conventional thinking. These shared challenges, together with the push to excel that each participant experiences here, create bonds that can last a lifetime."

The Cox Executive Leadership Program is a 6-month program that helps grow the skills and business acumen needed to successfully fulfill the role of a senior leadership team member or enterprise level leader.

Examine Our Other Offerings

Photo of accounting sheets

Finance

To compete and succeed, companies need leaders in every department who can speak the dollars-and-cents language of business. Managers who can interpret financial reports, assess the impact of decisions and communicate operating strategies have a definite career advantage.

Learn more
Multidimensional Diversity

Multidimensional Diversity

Diverse perspectives open doors to enhanced business success. A recent Boston Consulting Group study suggests that greater leadership diversity spurs innovation and boosts financial performance. On average, diverse companies enjoy a 19% increase in revenue compared to their less diverse counterparts, and ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Cox Executive Education offers award-winning programs to raise up the diverse perspectives within your own organization.


Learn more
Strategy

Strategy

You are challenged everyday to uncover ways to create value for ever more demanding customers and their rapidly changing needs. A sound strategy can guide what you choose to do and how you choose to do it to survive, grow, and prosper.

Learn more

Want To Keep Exploring?

See the Course Calendar

collins center

Next Steps

Questions? Not sure which program fits your needs? Reach out to our team.