National Occupation Standards
Level 7
Diploma intergrated
Integrated with a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Leadership and Management recognized by the UK government and globally
National Occupation
Standards for MBA Swiss program
Occupation summary
Senior Leaders are integral to organizations of all sizes—small, medium, and large—across various sectors, including public, private, and third sectors. They operate within diverse industries such as health, finance, engineering, manufacturing, business services, education, retail, leisure, technology, and construction. Wherever there is a workforce to lead, manage, and support, Senior Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the direction and success of the organization.
The primary purpose of this role is to provide clear, inclusive, and strategic leadership within their area of responsibility. Senior Leaders set, manage, and monitor the achievement of core objectives that align with the overall strategic goals of their organization’s Board or equivalent governing body. In smaller organizations, they may also be directly involved in executing and achieving these strategic objectives.
Senior Leaders exert influence at higher levels within the organization, often interacting with the Board or equivalent, and are responsible for setting the culture and tone across their departments. They work in a variety of environments, including offices, onsite locations, or remotely, and demonstrate high levels of flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of the organization.
On a daily basis, Senior Leaders engage with internal stakeholders such as team members, other senior leaders or managers, support services (e.g., finance, marketing, HR), and project groups. In larger organizations, they may also be part of a specialized team. Depending on the organization’s size, a Senior Leader may report on their area of responsibility to a Board, trustees, shareholders, executive team, or senior management. Externally, they act as ambassadors for their organization, interacting with a wide range of networks, including customers or clients, supply chains, and statutory or regulatory bodies.
Responsibilities include
A Senior Leader’s responsibilities include:
- Setting Direction and Vision: Establishing governance and providing a clear sense of purpose within their area of responsibility.
- Providing Leadership: Offering clear and inclusive leadership that motivates and guides their teams.
- Strategic Planning: Identifying long-term opportunities and risks using data from both internal and external sources.
- Cultivating Culture: Developing sustainable, ethical, and innovative cultures that maximize people’s potential and drive results.
- Resource Management: Overseeing budgets, people, assets, and facilities to ensure efficient operation.
- Innovation and Adaptability: Staying up to date with innovations and leading their adoption within the organization.
- Agile Transformation: Responding to change by leading agile transformation efforts.
- Sustainability: Promoting and leading sustainable business practices.
- Crisis Management: Effectively managing and responding to crisis situations.
Typical job titles could do
Typical job titles include:
- Associate Director
- Business Unit Head
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Divisional Head
- Executive Director
- HE Registrar
- Head of Department/Faculty
- Warrant Officer
Duties you can perform
after finishing the MBA Swiss
Duty 1
"Set the overall strategic direction of their area of responsibility in partnership with the Board (or equivalent), encouraging employees to buy into the organisation’s vision."
Knowledge must have for Duty 1:
- K1: How to shape the organisational mission, culture, and values.
- K2: Organisation structures; business modeling; diversity; global and horizon scanning perspectives; governance and accountability; technological and policy implications.
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K13: The external social and political environment and use of diplomacy with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders.
- K14: Working with the board and other company leadership structures.
Skills must have for Duty 1:
- S1: Use horizon scanning and conceptualisation to deliver high-performance strategies focusing on growth/sustainable outcomes.
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S10: Oversee development and monitoring of financial strategies and setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies.
- S11: Uses financial data to allocate resources.
Behavior must have for Duty 1:
- B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values.
Duty 2
"Lead On The Development And Critical Review Of Operational Policies And Practices Within Their Area Of Responsibility, To Ensure They Are Aligned To The Needs Of The Organisation And Remain Fit For Purpose And Sustainable."
Knowledge must have for Duty 2:
- K2: Organisation structures; business modeling; diversity; global and horizon scanning perspectives; governance and accountability; technological and policy implications.
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K16: Working with corporate leadership structures, for example, the markets it operates in, roles and responsibilities, who its stakeholders are and what they require from the organisation, and the sustainability agenda.
- K19: Approaches to developing a Corporate Social Responsibility program.
Skills must have for Duty 2:
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S7: Challenge strategies and operations in terms of ethics, responsibility, sustainability, resource allocation, and business continuity/risk management.
- S10: Oversee development and monitoring of financial strategies and setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies.
- S11: Uses financial data to allocate resources.
Behavior must have for Duty 2:
- B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values.
Duty 3
"Lead And Influence Agreed Projects To Deliver Organisational Strategy Such As Change And Agile Transformation Programmes, Diversification, New Product Implementation, And Customer Experience Improvement."
Knowledge must have for Duty 3:
- K3: New market strategies, changing customer demands, and trend analysis.
- K5: Systems thinking, knowledge/data management, research methodologies, and program management.
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K7: Competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision-making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change.
- K14: Working with the board and other company leadership structures.
- K15: Brand and reputation management.
Skills must have for Duty 3:
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S3: Undertake research, and critically analyse and integrate complex information.
- S4: Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establish the value of ideas and change initiatives, and drive continuous improvement.
Behavior must have for Duty 3:
- B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values.
- B3: Curious and innovative – exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions.
Duty 4
"Make Decisions About Organisational Resource Requirements (Budgets, People, Technology) Based On Strategic Insight And Reliable Evidence."
Knowledge must have for Duty 4:
- K4: Innovation; the impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices); drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people, and culture and sustainability.
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K7: Competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision-making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change.
- K8: Financial strategies, for example, scenarios, modeling and identifying trends, application of economic theory to decision-making, and how to evaluate financial and non-financial information such as the implications of sustainable approaches.
- K9: Financial governance and legal requirements, and procurement strategies.
Skills must have for Duty 4:
- S5: Lead and respond in a crisis situation using risk management techniques.
- S7: Challenge strategies and operations in terms of ethics, responsibility, sustainability, resource allocation, and business continuity/risk management.
- S10: Oversee development and monitoring of financial strategies and setting of organisational budgets based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and challenge financial assumptions underpinning strategies.
- S11: Uses financial data to allocate resources.
- S12: Oversee procurement, supply chain management, and contracts.
Behavior must have for Duty 4:
- B2: Take personal accountability aligned to clear values.
Duty 5
"Lead And Respond To Crisis Management, Assessing The Risks And Opportunities Which Could Affect Business/Department Performance, And Finding Solutions That Meet The Needs Of Both The Organisation And Its Customers/Stakeholders In A Responsible And Ethical Way."
Knowledge must have for Duty 5:
- K5: Systems thinking, knowledge/data management, research methodologies, and program management.
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K17: Crisis and risk management strategies.
- K19: Approaches to developing a Corporate Social Responsibility program.
Skills must have for Duty 5:
- S4: Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establish the value of ideas and change initiatives, and drive continuous improvement.
- S5: Lead and respond in a crisis situation using risk management techniques.
- S8: Apply principles relating to Corporate Social Responsibility, Governance, and Regulatory compliance.
Behavior must have for Duty 5:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
Duty 6
"Lead People Development Including Talent Management, Succession Planning, Workforce Design, Coaching, And Mentoring Arrangements For People Within Their Area Of Responsibility."
Knowledge must have for Duty 6:
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K10: Organisational/team dynamics and how to build engagement and develop high-performance, agile and collaborative cultures.
- K11: Approaches to strategic workforce planning, for example, talent management, learning organisations, group work, workforce design, succession planning, diversity, and inclusion.
- K18: Coaching and mentoring techniques.
Skills must have for Duty 6:
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S9: Drive a culture of resilience and support the development of new enterprises and opportunities.
- S13: Use personal presence and “storytelling” to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies, demonstrating clarity in thinking such as consideration of sustainable approaches.
- S14: Create an inclusive culture, encouraging diversity and difference and promoting well-being.
- S15: Give and receive feedback at all levels, building confidence and developing trust, and enabling people to take risks and challenges where appropriate.
- S16: Enable an open culture and high-performance working environment and set goals and accountabilities for teams and individuals in their area.
- S18: Optimise skills of the workforce, balancing people and technical skills and encouraging continual development.
Behavior must have for Duty 6:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
- B4: Value difference and champion diversity.
- B5: Seek continuous professional development opportunities for self and wider team.
Duty 7
"Promote An Ethical, Inclusive, Innovative, And Supportive Culture That Generates Continuous Business Improvement."
Knowledge must have for Duty 7:
- K6: Ethics and values-based leadership theories and principles.
- K10: Organisational/team dynamics and how to build engagement and develop high-performance, agile and collaborative cultures.
- K11: Approaches to strategic workforce planning, for example, talent management, learning organisations, group work, workforce design, succession planning, diversity, and inclusion.
Skills must have for Duty 7:
- S4: Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establish the value of ideas and change initiatives, and drive continuous improvement.
- S9: Drive a culture of resilience and support the development of new enterprises and opportunities.
- S13: Use personal presence and “storytelling” to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies, demonstrating clarity in thinking such as consideration of sustainable approaches.
- S14: Create an inclusive culture, encouraging diversity and difference and promoting well-being.
- S15: Give and receive feedback at all levels, building confidence and developing trust, and enabling people to take risks and challenges where appropriate.
- S16: Enable an open culture and high-performance working environment and set goals and accountabilities for teams and individuals in their area.
- S17: Lead and influence people, building constructive working relationships across teams, using matrix management where required.
- S18: Optimise skills of the workforce, balancing people and technical skills and encouraging continual development.
Behavior must have for Duty 7:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
- B4: Value difference and champion diversity.
- B5: Seek continuous professional development opportunities for self and wider team.
Duty 8
"Report To The Board (Or Relevant Governance/Management Structure) On The Progress Of Their Operational Activities Towards Achieving Business Goals."
Knowledge must have for Duty 8:
- K12: Influencing and negotiating strategies both upwards and outwards.
- K13: The external social and political environment and use of diplomacy with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders.
Skills must have for Duty 8:
- S19: Manage relationships across multiple and diverse stakeholders.
- S20: Lead within their area of control/authority, influencing both upwards and outwards, negotiating, and using advocacy skills to build a reputation and effective collaboration.
Behavior must have for Duty 8:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
Duty 9
"Cultivate And Maintain Collaborative Relationships With Key Senior Internal And External Stakeholders To Influence Key Decision Makers As Appropriate."
Knowledge must have for Duty 9:
- K4: Innovation; the impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices); drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people and culture, and sustainability.
- K7: Competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision-making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change.
- K12: Influencing and negotiating strategies both upwards and outwards.
- K13: The external social and political environment and use of diplomacy with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders.
Skills must have for Duty 9:
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S6: Act as a Sponsor/Ambassador, championing projects and transformation of services across organisational boundaries such as those impacted by sustainability and the UK Net Carbon Zero by 2050 target.
- S19: Manage relationships across multiple and diverse stakeholders.
Behavior must have for Duty 9:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
Duty 10
"Shape The Approach To External Communications For Their Area Of Responsibility And Ensure It Aligns With Any Wider Organisational Communications Strategy."
Knowledge must have for Duty 10:
- K15: Brand and reputation management.
- K20: The organisation’s developing communications strategy and its link to their area of responsibility.
Skills must have for Duty 10:
- S2: Set strategic direction and gain support for it from key stakeholders.
- S21: Shape and manage the communications strategy for their area of responsibility.
Behavior must have for Duty 10:
- B1: Work collaboratively enabling empowerment and delegation.
Duty 11
"Proactively Keep Up To Date With Social, Economic, And Technological Trends And Developments Relevant To Their Area Of Responsibility And Wider Organisation, And Promote Innovation To Address Changing Requirements And Take Advantage Of New Opportunities."
Knowledge must have for Duty 11:
- K3: New market strategies, changing customer demands, and trend analysis.
- K4: Innovation; the impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices); drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people, culture, and sustainability.
- K7: Competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision-making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change.
- K19: Approaches to developing a Corporate Social Responsibility program.
Skills must have for Duty 11:
- S3: Undertake research, and critically analyze and integrate complex information.
- S4: Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establish the value of ideas and change initiatives and drive continuous improvement.
- S7: Challenge strategies and operations in terms of ethics, responsibility, sustainability, resource allocation, and business continuity/risk management.
- S9: Drive a culture of resilience and support the development of new enterprises and opportunities.
- S13: Use personal presence and “storytelling” to articulate and translate vision into operational strategies, demonstrating clarity in thinking such as consideration of sustainable approaches.
Behavior must have for Duty 11:
- B3: Curious and innovative – exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions.
Duty 12
"Ensure That Their Area Of Responsibility Is Compliant With Internal Governance, Such As Any Assurance Framework Requirements, And With External Governance, Such As Any Regulatory And Statutory Requirements."
Knowledge must have for Duty 12:
- K2: Organisation structures; business modeling; diversity; global and horizon scanning perspectives; governance and accountability; technological and policy implications.
- K9: Financial governance and legal requirements, and procurement strategies.
Skills must have for Duty 12:
- S3: Undertake research, and critically analyse and integrate complex information.
- S8: Apply principles relating to Corporate Social Responsibility, Governance, and Regulatory compliance.
- S12: Oversee procurement, supply chain management, and contracts.
Behavior must have for Duty 12:
- B3: Curious and innovative – exploring areas of ambiguity and complexity and finding creative solutions.
