Organizations can no longer wait to adopt artificial intelligence. It’s transforming business and operating models at an exponential rate, impacting how work gets done across key business functions.
According to a Cisco survey, 98 percent of leaders report feeling urgency to deploy AI, while 85 percent believe they have less than 18 months to execute an AI strategy to remain competitive. Yet, a glaring gap remains between imperativeness and readiness. Only 13 percent of companies globally say they’re ready to leverage AI and AI-powered technologies to their full potential.
To help close the gap, Harvard Business School Online is launching a new on-demand certificate course, AI for Leaders, to equip you with the strategic insight and skills to lead AI transformation—ethically, effectively, and at scale.
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The four-module program is co-led by HBS professors Karim Lakhani, the Dorothy and Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration and Chair of Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute, and Iavor Bojinov, an Associate Professor of Business Administration. Together, they’ll teach you how to:
- Assess your organization’s AI readiness
- Develop an effective AI strategy to gain a competitive advantage
- Examine ethical AI-related challenges to implement it responsibly
- Rethink your system, processes, and roles to build an AI-powered organization
- Navigate cultural, structural, and strategic barriers to successful AI scaling
Throughout the course, you’ll be introduced to a breadth of researchers, thought leaders, and executives from organizations like Moderna, JPMorganChase, Procter & Gamble, and VideaHealth. They’ll share real challenges facing their organizations today and the innovative solutions they’ve developed. You’ll also immerse yourself in practical, interactive problem-solving exercises, including developing an AI-native snack food company using generative AI tools.
Announcing HBS Online’s New Digital Transformation and AI Learning Track
AI for Leaders marks HBS Online’s third digital transformation and AI course, creating a new Digital Transformation and AI Learning Track, which enables you to complete three courses within 18 months to earn an advanced Certificate of Specialization. The other eligible courses are:
- AI Essentials for Business: Also taught by Lakhani and HBS Professor Marco Iansiti, this course equips you with a foundational understanding of AI concepts and their business impact.
- Winning with Digital Platforms: Taught by HBS Professor Feng Zhu, this course explores digital platforms’ unique properties, opportunities, and risks, enabling you to develop scalable strategies that drive growth.
“Digital transformation is a topic everyone must be well-versed in, so we’re excited to offer learners the opportunity to dive deeper through this new Learning Track,” says HBS Online’s Senior Managing Director Simeen Mohsen. “AI for Leaders is the perfect complement to our portfolio, because it will empower managers, and thereby their teams, to leverage AI to drive meaningful organizational change.”
All those who’ve completed at least one HBS Online digital transformation and AI course are eligible for a 30 percent past participant discount off their second and third courses for a total savings of $1,110.

Enrollment is now open for AI for Leaders. The course is available on demand, allowing you to begin your learning at any time. For more information, visit our AI for Leaders page.