Strategic Thinking for Future Leaders


Strategic Thinking WT2324


Disclaimer: The course will not be offered in the summer semester 2024!


Join our novel Master seminar on strategic thinking

Climate change, demographic aging, or international conflicts—current challenges converge and necessitate inter- and transdisciplinary solutions. At the same time, our established economic model comes under pressure. It’s time to look at basic abilities and capabilities that will form an important basis of future leadership: strategic thinking in its diverse facets. In our new seminar, you’ll assume the exciting yet demanding role of a strategic consultant, jointly working on a strategic challenge in a student team.

Help an incumbent insurer define its way of collaboration with InsureTechs

Large corporations tend to be slow, bureaucratic, and complacent, leaving room for customer-centric innovation that attracts young and dynamic startups ready to seize business opportunities. However, corporates and startups do not necessarily have to compete. Especially in commercial insurance, where market entry barriers are high (e.g., due to capital requirements by local regulators, clients’ needs for global coverage and sophisticated risk assessment capabilities, or lack of historical claims data), it seems promising to partner up with startups (esp. InsureTechs) to benefit from their fresh ideas and increased development speed .

HDI Global is a commercial insurer offering risk transfer for property and casualty damage for large corporate clients. You will help HDI to define a strategic approach to identify relevant InsureTechs, link them to the core insurance business, and lead them through the innovation process as swiftly as possible. You will put your approach into practice with examples of startup partnerships while receiving first-hand feedback from HDI experts and management . In our seminar, we will equip you with a strategic meta-framework and the skillset for your teamwork, including pyramid communication, storytelling, and advanced presentation skills. You will also receive the chance to present your results to the HDI Global management in Hannover.

Registration period closed
In our seminar students will:

  • work on complex challenges in inter- and multidisciplinary teams,
  • train their abilities to manage team dynamics including feedback techniques and conflict resolution and prevention,
  • get hands on, practical training in strategic thinking by working with strategic challenges companies are facing
  • learn to use frameworks to solve complex strategic problems,
  • acquire competencies to be able to work on real life problems in a realistic setting,
  • improve their soft skills (e.g., Imagination and Visual Thinking, SocialCompetencies, Leadership Competencies) but also skills related to managerial cognition and decision making (e.g., Systems Thinking, Numeracy, ForwardThinking),
  • get an insight into real-life working and evaluation environments,
  • understand the difference between problem-oriented and solution-oriented thinking and know how to apply it,
  • learn about the difference between ‘playing to win’ and ‘playing to lead’ within businesses,
  • have acquired and be able to utilize tools to solve strategic problems both in their own life and in a business context.

General Information

  • Module: Strategic Thinking for Future Leaders
  • Module number: Module M.WIWI-WIN.0039
  • Ecampus: 801823
  • Cycle: Winter term
  • Crediting: 6 ECTS eligible for Master students at the Faculty of Business and Economics as well as Applied Informatics (esp. Business Information Systems / Medical Informatics). Master students from other disciplines are welcome to apply, but need to clarify crediting possibilities with their examination office or program coordinator.
  • Examination: Group presentation (approx. 30 minutes incl. discussion) and written group executive summary (max. 4.000 words)
  • Examination prerequisites: 1. Mandatory and active participation in the seminar and tutorials. 2. Reading of the materials. 3. Successful interim presentation (approx. 20 minutes presentation incl. discussion).
  • Application and registration: Please apply for this seminar with your CV and a brief motivation statement in the provided application form. The application deadline is 23.10.2023.

Registration period closed


SCHEDULE UPCOMING TERM
Please note that participation in all seminar and tutorial sessions is mandatory. Some sessions may change until the start of the lecture. All times are sine tempore (sharp beginning).

Seminar
26.10.2023 (Thurs.)Kickoff meetingLive in presence: VG 4.103 10:15-12:00 s.t.
Weekly on ThursdaysSeminarLive in presence: VG 4.103 10:15-12:00
Tutorials
Weekly on FridaysTutorialLive in presence: VG 4.102 10:15-12:00
Examination
07.12.2023 (Thurs.)Interim PresentationLive in presence: VG 4.103 10:00-12:00 s.t.
09.02.2023 (Fr.)Final PresentationLive in presence @HDI in Hannover
09:00-17:45