Leadership theory

International Masters in Practising Management (IMPM)

The International Masters Program in Practicing Management is designed to be the "Next Generation" Masters Program, combining management development with management education. It is a degree program that focuses directly on the development of managers in their own contexts - their jobs and their organizations. The IMPM is therefore deeper than conventional programs of management development and more applied than traditional degree programs. It was launched in March of 1996 to acclaim from participants and their companies alike, as well as from the international business press.

The IMPM seeks to break the mold of the functional "silos" so common in management education - marketing, finance, organization behavior, and so on. Instead, the Program is structured around managerial "mindsets", one for each module. It opens in Lancaster with Managing in general and the reflective mindset in particular. Then it moves to McGill, where attention turns to Managing Organizations and the analytic mindset. Bangalore follows with Managing Context, the worldly mindset. In Japan, it takes up Managing Relationships, the collaborative mindset. The Program closes at INSEAD with Managing Change, the action mindset.

More detail is given about each of these mindsets by Mintzberg and Gosling (2003):

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  The reflective mindset refers to “managing self” – developing the ability to reflect and make meaning – a form of emotional intelligence.
  
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  The analytic mindset refers to “managing organisations” – developing the ability to analyse and synthesise not only the hard data, but also the soft – “to appreciate scores and crowds while never losing sight of the ball”.
  
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  The worldly mindset refers to “managing contexts” – to appreciate cultural and local differences and similarities and respond accordingly.
  
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  The collaborative mindset refers to “managing relationships” – developing partnerships and networks; working with people – managing “relationships” not “people”.
  
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  The action mindset refers to “managing movement” [or “change and continuity”, or “mobilization”] – managing change without losing track of continuity.
  

It is argued that the good manager/leader must master and integrate each of these mindsets and so offers a more cognitive and reflective approach to management development than more traditional behaviour and skills-based programmes.

Web link: http://www.impm.org

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