Driver’s License in Business Leadership: A Flexible MBA for Time-Strapped Managers

Updated: June 2, 2026, 4:11 p.m.
Published: March 13, 2026, 2:39 p.m.

For many managers, the allure of an MBA is tempered by practical challenges—finding the time, bearing the hefty cost, and maintaining a delicate balance with ongoing work commitments. Enter the new Executive Education Core MBA from Dagens Industri (Di), designed to surmount these hurdles by offering a concentrated, practical approach to business leadership.

Traditionally, an MBA has served as a well-trodden path for managers keen on enhancing their leadership skills. Yet, this form of education frequently demands a significant interruption to daily responsibilities. The Executive Education Core MBA aims to innovate this model, asking how we can equip managers with essential leadership skills without sidelining their professional duties or overwhelming their schedules.

“What we noticed was a gap,” remarks Niklas Grewin, business manager at Di Close. “Many programs tend to be extensive, costly, and hard to fit into a busy work life. We wanted to create a program that could run parallel to one’s job and be accessible to a wider audience.”

He likens the training to obtaining a driver’s license—not a deep dive but rather a foundational framework for decision-making. The MBA consists of five modules, each lasting two days, spread out over a year.

“We condense what’s typically covered in a week into just a couple of days,” Grewin explains. “Our focus is on the crucial elements of business leadership, prioritizing depth over breadth.”

This course structure is intentionally streamlined. Where conventional MBAs may stretch over 50 to 60 days of instruction, this program caps at just ten. While some topics inevitably receive less coverage, the curriculum emphasizes immediate relevance for managerial decision-makers.

Partnering with Di Akademi and River Jump, the program’s content creators, Gunnar Ekman and Jennie Brobeck, bring a wealth of experience from both academic backgrounds and hands-on leadership roles.

“We come into this partnership with extensive backgrounds in managing and guiding leaders,” Brobeck shares. “Gunnar has led Executive MBA programs at top institutions, while my experience spans over two decades in sales, marketing, and business development in international corporations.”

The training combines educational expertise with a thorough understanding of the real-world challenges that managers face daily.

“Di Akademi provides the training expertise, while our network is steeped in the lived experiences of managers grappling with everyday dilemmas,” Grewin adds.

Emphasizing practicality, the curriculum steers clear of rigid templates. Instead, it encourages participants to reflect and share insights drawn from their diverse experiences. “In a cohort of 20, there’s a wealth of knowledge to leverage,” Ekman notes.

The program is designed for flexibility, with modules running continuously throughout the year, allowing participants to catch up on missed sessions without the pressure of starting from scratch. Initially aimed at a narrow audience, the program’s appeal has expanded, with many early applicants including CEOs and CFOs from small and medium-sized enterprises.

“We’re seeing interest from early to mid-career managers rather than those on the brink of retirement,” Grewin observes.

As Brobeck underscores, networking stands as a vital aspect of the program. “Leadership can often feel isolating,” she notes. “Having a community of peers to rely on is invaluable.”

An integral component of the curriculum involves project work linked to each participant’s organization, serving as a practical examination. This approach enables attendees to apply their learning directly in their workplaces.

“In practice, organizations benefit from a substantial consulting project executed by the participant,” Grewin explains.

The timing of this initiative is intentional. In a rapidly evolving work landscape, the demand for effective leadership is surging, and information is more accessible than ever. Yet, the challenge lies in distilling this knowledge into actionable strategies that align teams and drive results. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, the ability to exercise judgement and pose the right questions becomes even more critical.

Ultimately, the Core MBA serves to prepare leaders for navigating the transformative changes many organizations currently face. “Now, more than ever, effective leadership is paramount,” Brobeck emphasizes. “Our goal is to provide managers with a reliable foundation as they navigate the fast-paced world around them.”

How the Executive Education Core MBA is Structured

• Module 1: Strategy – from idea to execution: Crafting business models, understanding macro trends, and implementing competitive strategies.
• Module 2: Leadership, culture, and communication: Fostering effective leadership, grasping group dynamics, and building a resilient corporate culture.
• Module 3: Change management: Tools for steering organizations through change while balancing direction, pace, and resistance.
• Module 4: Financing – from numbers to decisions: Developing economic acumen to inform strategic decision-making.
• Module 5: Customer and growth – from data to loyalty: Leveraging brand strategy and customer insights to cultivate sustainable growth.

This article is produced by Brand Studio in collaboration with Di Executive Education and is not an article by Dagens Industri.