„The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”. Joseph Campbell. During years of my practice as a trainer and coach I have noticed, 
that knowing oneself is the real freedom of a men, both in private and professional life. In the frame of 2019-2021 Edition of WSB’s Leadership MBA Program we offer the work based on the FRIS® methodology- based on cognitive psychology theories and models, it is a diagnostic tool to foster the development of managers, teams and organizations. Personally, for me it is a key that opens the door to deeper self-awareness about own Thinking 
Styles, understanding natural predispositions of coworkers and their role in the project process. “What are you waiting for? The adventure waits”.
Daria Lewandowska
President & CEO s e l f m a k e r s, FRIS certified trainer, MBA Leadership Program instructor

Curriculum and class scheduling
The MBA Leadership Program spans 4 semesters. It comprises 19 mandatory core modules, totaling 450 hours of instruction in a variety of areas. Sessions are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays, two sessions in a month.

Instructional methods
We teach practical, applicable skills. Hence, what matters the most is that students actively engage in both in-class and out-of-class activities. The use of interactive methods of instruction is key to achieving satisfactory learning outcomes. Lectures are followed up by practical exercises, workshops, case studies, skills training sessions, and business simulations that allow students to capture their progress in managerial skills development.

Course materials
Prior to each session, the participants are provided with a complete package of instructor-designed course materials, including the prescribed readings. Most of the recommended readings are available in our Library. Learning content, as well as class schedules and payment information, can be also accessed online via the Web-based student portal called Extranet, enabling students to stay in touch 24/7.

Program completion
The students are expected to develop a final project using FRIS® Thinking and Action Styles. Based on cognitive psychology theories and models, FRIS® is a diagnostic tool adapted to Polish business settings and supporting the development of managers, teams, and organizations. Its application in management education has been growing fast across the country. As an outcome of the coach-led project, each student will author a final paper describing his/her personal “before and after” story of the 12-months transformative experience.

Your degree
Our MBA Program graduates are awarded a prestigious degree coming with a diploma issued by the WSB University in Gdańsk and a certificate from the Peregrine Leadership Institute. In addition, MBA degree holders automatically qualify as eligible candidates for supervisory boards of Polish companies with government shareholdings and are therefore exempt from the relevant examination.

The MBA Leadership Program comprises 19 mandatory core modules. You can choose between two study paths:

  • the Polish-English language path – with 30% of classes taught in English
  • the English path language – with 100% of teaching delivered in English.

Modules:

  • Integration and Leadership Project Introduction PL/ENG
    The module is intended to integrate the participants, to teach them working together, to show them how a manger works and communicates with the environment. Its program is targeted at the integration through play. It includes elements of vocal work, body language, elements of rhetoric and recognition of personality types executed through games, simulations and tests. During classes the course participants get familiar with the principles of the 18-month coursework.
  • International Economics and Business ENG
    In this module, the participants acquire knowledge and soft skills, useful in the efficient operation of a Polish company on the international market. The course is an answer to the needs of those company employees who increasingly deal with international cooperation. This concerns foreign trade, direct investments as well as the work in companies where foreign capital is involved. The course is divided into two parts covering soft aspects of international business (etiquette of the international contacts) and hard facts about the business environment of Polish economy as a whole and with reference to particular enterprises.
  • Business Law PL/ENG
    The cycle of education within this module is intended to enable the managers to skilfully move through social aspects both inside a company, within employee-employer relations (labour law), and in business environment relations with the group of owners, shareholders and partners in an enterprise (trade law, commercial law). The last component of the module, connected with the financial law and with the tax law in particular, will provide a manager with the skill of moving through the sphere of right and obligations resulting from such public law relations as tax procedures, fiscal audit and tax inspection. Getting familiar with a huge range of rights and obligations in the public law sphere will make it possible to avoid unnecessary disputes with public law bodies.
  • Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility ENG
    A manager is not only a market player but also an active participant of culture. Choices and economic activity are determined by intangible assets: values, moral standards, tradition, custom, principles and rules. The objective of the classes is to demonstrate values and ethical principles that affect the development of work relationships and management methods. The discussed subjects, among other things, concern ethical problems of company activity, the notion of corporate social responsibility or professional codes of ethics. The course participants develop the ability to diagnose conflicts of values and to analyse the symptoms, causes and the course of particular tensions in the working environment. The classes are conducted in the form of lectures and tutorials.
  • Interpersonal Leadership ENG
    Your leadership journey begins by laying the foundation of leadership with a thorough understanding of the values, skills, and actions required by leaders. In this course, we will define what it means to be a values-based leader, a leader who leads with integrity with an unimpeachable character. Next, we will explore several key leadership skills including communications, leadership styles, the power of positive expectations, change management through leadership, and teambuilding. Finally, we will discuss how to demonstrate your values and leverage your skills through your leadership actions in the workplace. We will also develop your personal leadership action plan to help you grow as a leader throughout the MBA program.
  • Project and Process Management PL/ENG
    The future of each business enterprise depends on the effective achievement of the strategic goals of its organisation and its business projects. Efficient management of projects requires the project managers to posses certain skills, the support of highest-level managers and proper culture within an organisation. The module provides methods of managing processes and projects. Among other skills, the course participants acquire the ability to recognise needs of an organisation focused on projects, programs and portfolios, to define the project objectives and to determine their assessment criteria. The classes take place in the form lectures, tutorials and workshops. A discussion follows each subject section and the course participants share their experiences.  
  • Customer Focus and Marketing ENG
    The objective of the module is to present the notion of marketing from the strategic point of view. The course participants acquire skills in building a marketing strategy based on distinguishing features and competitive edge. They become familiar with the concept of strategic management according to M. Porter, with the assumptions of “marketing warfare” by J. Trout and the idea of 5-sense marketing. The module provides knowledge about the principles of global competition, the essence of brand management, planning the marketing communication and the assessment of the plan and its particular components. It develops the competences of the participants regarding, among other things, the setting of prices and the effective application of price promotions or planning marketing communication. Discussions, workshops, tutorials and case studies allow the participants for the practical utilisation of the knowledge acquired during the course.
  • HR Management and Team Building - ENG/PL
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting PL/ENG
    Accounting is a "business language", and financial information is a base for assessing company’s performance, and it is the main source for management to make decision on operational, investment and financial level. In addition, financial reporting is a valuable source of financial information for stakeholders i.e. owners, current and potential investors, financial institutions, contractors and affects the fact how the company is perceived by the environment. An effective leader must acquire competencies to accurately assess the condition of a company and on the basis of the assessment, the leader will be able to correct the direction of the company's development, the company's strategy and take the right strategic decisions. This module will help to develop this key leadership competency. The participants of this module will gain the necessary knowledge in the area of ​​particular elements of the financial statements, principles of its preparation and will acquire the ability to interpret financial data included in the financial statements, and thus acquire the ability to assess the financial position and financial performance of the company. The knowledge acquired during this module will also allow participants to properly use financial information, for example in effective communication with the company's stakeholders and in PR activities. The classes are conducted in the form of workshops and analysis of case studies.
  • Managerial Coaching PL/ENG
    The objective of this very intensive and interactive module is professional performance of a diagnosis of manager’s natural style of thinking and acting. This diagnosis provides insight into one’s natural predispositions, indicates strategies to deal with new situations, solving problems and taking decisions, and shows the areas where one’s potential may be optimally utilised. Additionally, with the application of FRIS®, an analytical system of Thinking and Acting Styles adjusted to Polish business reality, we prepare the course participants to conscious creation of synergies in teams. Good communication among the members of a team and high efficiency of common actions are a challenge for many managers. Based on an original concept that considers both efficiency of actions and satisfaction drawn from the work performed by the team, FRIS® assists in a simple and fast assessment of the team’s potential. Awareness of what thinking styles particular members of the team represent, helps in their better communication, in the creation of healthy relationships and prevents potential conflicts.
  • Corporate Finance Management PL/ENG
    The module exposes learners to the key tools and methods used in finance management, at the same time allowing them to understand the complex links between the financial processes taking place in a business. The course provides insights into how the financial environment affects an organization and its decision making. The students will also look into the relationships between corporate finance, financial accounting and management accounting, as well as into the interactions among the specific types of financial operations performed in a business. As a result, they will learn to identify corporate finance management issues and to apply the right methods in resolving them, both in terms of making optimal decisions and in terms of minimizing risks in a given area. The course is composed of lectures and workshop practice. 
  • Strategic Management PL/ENG
    The process of defining and redefining the strategy of an enterprise in the dynamically transforming environment and the growing competitiveness is increasingly challenging for managers. In this module, the course participants analyse and compare business models as well as develop the skills connected with the identification and analysis of problems and the proposition of adequate system and operational solutions in managing an enterprise targeted at its long-term and stable market success. The classes have the form of discussions during the lecture session where the stress is put on the course participants using theory, their own experience and additional information to solve strategic problems presented in the studied case.
  • Business Negotiations and Conflict Resolution PL/ENG
    Communication skills are the basic area of competences of a leader. The contemporary manager uses them not only in negotiations but also in the whole managerial process, i.e. in planning, organising, supervising the performance of the tasks and in managing the team’s work. A separate area of managerial communication includes convincing and persuasion – indispensably connected with motivating the subordinates. The course participants develop such skills as working with communicatively challenging partners, defence against manipulation, aggression and negative impact during interpersonal communication and planning the development of one’s own communication competences in accordance with one’s individual needs and the expectations of the company. The classes have a character of an interactive training and developmental workshop during which negotiation games, moderated discussions and situational simulations are applied.
  • Organisational Leadership ENG 
    Your leadership journey continues in this course on organizational leadership. We will discuss the skills and actions required to successfully lead teams, departments, and entire organizations. Key topics in this course include envisioning, leading the leaders, strategic communications, influence, inspiring others, and organizational knowledge management. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities that are inherent with senior level leadership. We will also help ensure that you have a sustainable leadership plan for your continued leadership success within your organization.
  • Communicating with Impact / Presentation Skills PL/ENG
    In this module, the course participants shall learn how to prepare a professional business presentation, how to develop one’s charisma and how to capture and maintain the audience’s attention. The classes are conducted in the form of workshops.
  • Designing Organizations for Creativity and Innovation PL/ENG
    In this module, the course participants familiarise themselves with the role of innovation in the global business and with the conditions necessary in shaping a systematized approach to the process of innovation in an organisation. They learn about various methodologies of creating innovative business models and solutions serving the stimulation of the culture of creativity within an organisation. They achieve the ability to use Design Thinking methodology and the selected aspects of Business Model Canvas – Value Proposition Map in correlation with the analysed needs of a client/user in the creation of new products/services.
  • Start-ups - Development Strategies - ENG
    In the course, the students will find out how to start up a business, raise seed funding, and prepare a start-up for international market entry. Insights are provided, too, into the business start-up market trends and evolution trajectories. 
  • Change Management PL/ENG
    Successful implementation of changes in an organisation depends on the change in people’s behaviour. Leading staff through this process is therefore one of the fundamental competences of a contemporary manager. During that module, the course participants learn about the best practices in managing various categories of changes. The classes shall have the form of workshops where individual work and teamwork shall be involved and cases studies shall be analysed.
  • Managerial Decision Game - PL/ENG
    The course aims to advance the students’ skill in using relevant tools and indicators to develop, implement and control business strategies. Most emphasis is placed on illustrating the linkage between a company’s marketing decisions and its financial performance. 
  • Applied Leadership / 12-Month Project PL/ENG
    The development of soft skills is no longer a “soft option” in business. We awaken our awareness and begin to understand that the areas we have always considered soft, particularly the intrapersonal and interpersonal competences, are indispensable in the healthy and harmonised operation of business. The module constitutes a 20-hour project whose base is to provide managers with the conditions so that they will know themselves better and they will increase their self-awareness. In order to do the above, we have been applying Thinking and Acting Styles FRIS® method, the fastest growing tool for diagnostics and development on the Polish market. Individual coaching sessions, 360 degrees assessment method, individual and team tasks or research forms are but a few methods of the project that improve individual styles of self-management and of managing others. A few months of work impact the change of one’s habits in the sphere of building business relations, and the effect of the final original (author’s) project is a written final course work consisting of an essay and a presentation describing personal history of metamorphosis at the cognitive, emotional and behavioural level.
  • Optional Trainings Plus One-Time-Workshops / Seminars PL/ENG

FRIS Project
Soft skills development is no longer a soft option. Business leaders are now waking up to that fact that soft skills – interpersonal skills, communication skills, leadership skills, problem-solving skills, and cultural intelligence – have become key to organizational success and sustainable business operations. More and more studies show how soft skills training impacts on productivity, employee retention, and financial results. The good news is that soft skills can be built in each and every employee.

The project explores managers’ behaviors in an attempt to identify their individual thinking styles and gain an insight into their natural aptitudes and inclinations. Based on these insights, it delineates optimum strategies for them to cope with new situations, solve problems, and make decisions. Further, the FRIS® Style analysis will indicate areas where managers can make the most of their way of thinking.
 
We believe that the most effective teams are made up of individuals with diverse cognitive styles. Many organizations, however, find it difficult and challenging to maintain a high standard of teamwork, with good communication between team members and with the team consistently delivering top performance. The FRIS® Process makes it quick and easy to determine team members’ potentials and helps optimize their assignments to specific tasks and projects based on their individual talents. Further, it recommends the most relevant professional development activities, and provides tips on how to communicate better as a team, reduce delays, and get work done faster. 
 
MBA Leadership Program completion 
The students are expected to develop a final project using FRIS® Thinking and Action Styles. Based on cognitive psychology theories and models, FRIS® is a diagnostic tool adapted to Polish business settings and supporting the development of managers, teams, and organizations. Its application in management education has been growing fast across the country. As an outcome of the coach-led project, each student will author a final paper describing his/her personal “before and after” story of the 12-months transformative experience. 

Off-campus session – for a kick-start
The first session in semester one is held off-site. Two days spent together in Tri-City’s splendid neighborhood provide students with an excellent opportunity for socializing and networking across the cohort.

Optional training opportunities
MBA Program students may attend selected full-time training courses with no extra charges on top of their MBA Program tuition fee. At the same time, they may, at an additional payment, take out any of the courses offered by the University’s Center for Postgraduate Education and Training, including those provided by the PRINCE2® Foundation.

VIP lectures
We get celebrities to lecture for our MBA students several times a year. The WSB University has already hosted e.g. Prof. Simon Burtonshaw-Gunn, Ms Magdalena Gacyk, Dr Izabela Robinson, Mr Liam Fassam, Dr Eghosa Igudia, Dr Olin O. Oedekoven, Mr Tomasz Deker, Mr Maciej Grabski, Mr Paweł Gąsiorowski, and Dr Chahid Fourali. The most recent events featured Ewa Jochheim – co-founder of Institute Durkalskiego RMP Polska, a recognized expert on motivating; Waldemar Dzienisz and Małgorzata Zaremba – trainers who engaged students in a business strategy game called “Poznań Fortress”, Dr Mateusz Bonca - the President of the Board of Grupa LOTOS SA, and Mr Krzysztof Wielicki - alpine and high-altitude climber, regarded as one of the greatest Polish climbers in history. 

MBA Study Tour
A three-day UK study tour, with a tailor-made and curriculum-aligned itinerary, is organized every year for the benefit of MBA Program participants. The students are hosted by our partner University in Northampton and pay visits to assorted British companies, attending meetings and on-site workshops. Former tour participants could observe the operations of an international DHL distribution center, visit the Alconbury Weald Enterprise Zone, or see around the BMW’s Mini factory. As from 2015, Gdańsk MBA students can also join cohorts from other WSB MBA programs for a grand tour of the US-based Franklin University. An additional payment is charged for the tours. Detailed information is available from the MBA Program Office.

Graduation ceremony
A graduation ceremony is held to celebrate the award of degrees to each MBA Program cohort. Attended by the University authorities, instructors and honorable guests, the ceremony climaxes toward the presentation of MBA diplomas to all successful graduates.

Interested in our studies?

Take another step

Informator MBA Gdańsk 2023