A practical development programme to strengthen decisions, projects, and leadership impact.

In today’s volatile world, the most effective leaders are those who prepare not just for success, but for failure—and use that foresight to build stronger, more resilient organisations. This immersive two-day programme equips senior leaders with the mindset, methodology, and tools to conduct high-impact Premortem exercises. Participants will challenge assumptions, anticipate pitfalls, and uncover hidden risks before critical decisions are made. 

This experiential journey blends cutting-edge cognitive science with strategic leadership development. You’ll work through live case scenarios, engage in structured reflection, and develop actionable strategies to integrate Premortem practices into your organisation’s decision-making culture. 

Designed for senior executives and teams leading complex change, the programme builds personal resilience alongside systemic capability. Through immersive learning, peer interaction, and expert facilitation, you’ll gain a sharper sense of foresight and a stronger grasp of what it means to lead with both realism and optimism in the face of uncertainty. 

Who is it for

This programme is designed for senior leaders and executive teams responsible for strategic decision-making, transformation initiatives, or enterprise risk. Ideal participants include: 

  • Chief Executives and Senior Functional Leaders 
  • Directors responsible for strategic planning, risk, resilience, or innovation 
  • Programme Leaders and Heads of Transformation 
  • Senior HR or OD professionals enabling leadership and culture change.

It is particularly valuable for those who: 

  • Lead through complexity, ambiguity, and disruption 
  • Want to embed foresight practices into leadership routines   
  • Are tasked with strengthening organisational resilience   
  • Are navigating high-stakes projects or cross-functional decisions.   

What you will learn

You will learn how to facilitate and apply the Premortem method—a proactive approach to stress-testing decisions by imagining failure before it happens. 

Focus on understanding cognitive bias, learning the science behind the Premortem, and experiencing the method through hands-on simulations and peer-led scenarios. 

Deepen your application through real-world strategy challenges, group facilitation skills, and organisational integration. You’ll create a tailored implementation plan for applying the Premortem method in your leadership context. 

By the end of the programme, you will have developed the strategic capability and psychological insight to anticipate potential failure, protect against critical risk, and lead with resilience. 

Programme impact

For you:

  • Learn to run a powerful Premortem exercise to uncover blind spots before key decisions
  •  your critical thinking and foresight in high-stakes leadership scenarios
  • Gain confidence in navigating uncertainty and surfacing difficult truths early
  • Expand your resilience toolkit with practical, research-backed strategies
  • Develop skills in group facilitation, systems thinking, and scenario mapping
  • Leave with a custom action plan and tools to apply the Premortem method in your context.

For your organisation:

  • Build systemic foresight into major projects and strategic decisions
  • Reduce failure rates in transformation, innovation, or change programmes
  • Enhance organisational resilience through anticipatory leadership
  • Equip leadership teams with a structured method for stress-testing decisions
  • Foster a culture of psychological safety, constructive dissent, and honest reflection
  • Improve the organisation’s agility in identifying and mitigating critical risks.
 

How to apply

Next steps

Our premium executive development programmes are a strategic investment, with competitive pricing thoughtfully determined by the programme's scope and design to meet your organisation's needs.

Our team of resilience experts will be happy to talk to you about your organisation's development needs. Leave your details below and we'll get back to you.

You can also email ORaCL@cranfield.ac.uk directly with any queries.