Telangana Chief Minister Set for Harvard Leadership Program
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will join a special executive education program at Harvard Kennedy School in early 2026. The program, called "Leadership for the 21st Century," will take place on campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts from January 25 to January 30, 2026.
Program Focus and Structure
This week-long program examines leadership as a practice rather than just a position of authority. It brings together senior leaders from over twenty countries across five continents. The curriculum focuses on how leaders can mobilize people to tackle complex challenges, especially in situations where formal authority alone cannot drive meaningful change.
Rather than discussing current events, the program uses historical and contemporary case studies to explore leadership dilemmas that cut across different sectors, geographies, and time periods. Participants must attend daily classes, complete written assignments, submit homework, and work on group projects with fellow participants.
Immersive Learning Experience
The learning structure is deliberately immersive. Each morning begins with small consultation groups where participants collectively diagnose adaptive challenges from their own professional contexts. These sessions test assumptions, surface underlying tensions, and develop new interpretations of organizational and community-level problems.
Plenary sessions later build on these discussions using experiential teaching methods. One approach called "group as case" uses classroom dynamics themselves as material for learning. Harvard says these methods reveal the complexities, risks, and possibilities inherent in exercising leadership, particularly in politically charged or high-stakes settings.
Key Program Objectives
A central objective of the program is to help participants move beyond technical fixes and instead undertake adaptive work. This means closing the gap between stated aspirations and present realities. The process involves examining personal assumptions, loyalties, and resistance to change. Participants also learn how to orchestrate learning and adaptation within organizations and communities.
The curriculum simulates real-world leadership pressures. Participants bring specific leadership challenges from their own work and engage in candid conversations about what limits progress, both individually and institutionally. According to the program description, this process demands curiosity, openness, and courage. Participants analyze their own challenges while supporting peers in doing the same.
Program Details and Eligibility
The program fee is $12,900, which includes tuition, on-campus housing, curricular materials, and most meals. Applications for the January 2026 session closed on December 1, 2025, though prospective participants can still contact the program director for further queries.
The recommended applicant profile includes:
- Senior public officials at national, state, and local levels
- Corporate executives such as vice presidents and C-suite leaders
- Nonprofit and NGO heads
Harvard describes the ideal participant as an experienced professional seeking to strengthen their ability to lead in uncertain, interdependent, and politically complex environments.
CM Reddy's Participation
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy will stay on the Kennedy School campus throughout the program and participate fully in all academic components alongside the international cohort. Upon completion, he will receive the program's certification. According to the Telangana government, this will mark the first time a sitting Indian Chief Minister completes such a program at Harvard.
The program treats all participants as peers within a shared learning framework, emphasizing collective problem-solving rather than individual designation. This approach creates an environment where leaders from diverse backgrounds can learn from each other's experiences and perspectives.
Harvard Kennedy School is a graduate institution focused on public policy and leadership, with particular emphasis on economics, quantitative analysis, and ethical decision-making. Its executive education programs are designed to help leaders develop practical skills for addressing complex societal challenges.
