Twelve senior executives from e4health traveled from across the country to Brown University's School of Professional Studies for a three-day custom executive education program focused on strategic planning and connection. Following a leadership transition, e4health asked Brown's executive education team to develop a program that would bring its fully remote leaders together around a shared vision. The curriculum was designed to strengthen trust, deepen alignment and build resilience in a VUCA — volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — environment. For several participants, it was also the first time meeting their colleagues in person.
Edward Barrows, professor of the practice of leadership and academic director of the master's in organizational leadership was the faculty lead on the program. Barrows helped guide the curriculum, which emphasized six core leadership competencies: strategic thinking, strategic planning, execution, teamwork, agility and mindfulness. Throughout the residential experience, participants engaged in interactive sessions with Brown faculty and collaborated on a strategic plan for 2026. They also took part in group assignments and an individual action-learning project, applying classroom insights to real organizational challenges.
Experiential components included high-stakes teamwork simulation in an emergency room, an escape room that tested team building under pressure and ‘river of life’ exercise, all designed to deepen connection and enhance communication. The program concluded with participants leaving campus aligned, energized and equipped with a shared path forward.
