The 12-Week MBA: Learn the Skills You Need to Lead in Business Today -- Bjorn Billhardt, Paperback

Based on a business leadership program taught to professionals at global Fortune 500 companies, this indispensable guide offers practical tips for managers and aspiring business leaders.

Getting an MBA takes time and money, making it inaccessible to many people who want to take charge in the business world. The 12-Week MBA offers an alternative way to learn business essentials, with a unique premise--business leaders in any industry, any function, and at any level need the same core knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively manage and lead. That core consists of working through and with other people to create value while using financial concepts and metrics to maximize the value created for all company stakeholders. The timeless essence of managing numbers and leading people can be learned in less time and at a lower cost than in a traditional two-year MBA, where much of the curriculum may become obsolete by the time students graduate.

Authors Bjorn Billhardt and Nathan Kracklauer are senior executives at Abilitie, a global leadership development company that has served over 100,000 learners in fifty countries. Now the key lessons from Abilitie's 12- Week MBA curriculum are available in this accessible and engaging guide.

Author: Bjorn Billhardt,Nathan Kracklauer
Publisher: Balance
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Size: 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.88d
ISBN: 9780306832376

About the Author

Bjorn Billhardt is CEO and founder of Abilitie, a global leadership development company. Prior to launching Abilitie, Bjorn co-founded Enspire Learning, an early pioneer of e-learning programs and business simulations, in 2001. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Harvard Business School. A native of Hamburg, Germany, he came to the US as an exchange student in high school and now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three boys.

Nathan Kracklauer leads Abilitie's research and development efforts as Chief Research Officer. Nathan has facilitated leadership seminars at leading companies and at executive education programs at IMD Business School. Nathan holds a BA and a BS from the University of Texas and an MA from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Nathan now lives in Karlsruhe, Germany, with his wife and two daughters.