Reach the highest level of leadership skills
3 minutes that will explain why we created the EPA
The hardest decisions don't have right answers.
These are the kinds of problems we call “wicked problems.” Not because they’re complicated—but because every possible solution comes at a cost.
You can't delegate them. You can't copy your competitors' solutions. And you can't wait until you're certain. You have to make a decision.
The EPA was created precisely for situations like this.
What makes EPA more than just another leadership program?
Watch these 4 short videos and see if the EPA mindset is what you need at this stage of your career.
Front-Line Practitioner · EPA™ Expert
Poland's first online bank. Built in six months. What do you do when people say it won't work?
Sławomir Lachowski founded mBank—one of the most groundbreaking business ventures in the history of the Polish financial sector.
At the Executive Power Academy, he shares his experiences in building an organization that didn’t simply copy the market but changed its rules.
This is a conversation about leadership, ethics, strategic courage, and decisions that cannot be made based on data alone.
The old management model has become your biggest risk.
Experience alone isn't enough when the rules of the game are changing in real time. At the Executive Power Academy, we teach you how to make the right decisions when the textbooks don't provide answers.
What should you do when AI changes the rules of the game faster than your organization can keep up?
AI is not a technological problem. It is a strategic issue that affects business models, competitive advantages, and the way people work.
What if the world looks different 12 months from now?
The new economic order is still taking shape. And your company can't wait until everything becomes clear.
Why might the very thing that led to your success prevent you from growing further?
At a certain point, the existing business model becomes the biggest obstacle to growth.
Is your organization ready for the world of 2030?
10 questions for leaders facing strategic decisions. Answer YES or NO—the quiz will take about 2 minutes and will show you just how complex the challenges you face are.
What should you do when every available option is a bad one?
With many strategic decisions, you’re not choosing between a good and a bad solution.
You’re choosing between two imperfect options.
Should we roll out AI faster or protect the organization?
Should we invest or build resilience?
Should we scale the business or maintain control?
The best leaders don't take sides.
They forge a third way.
That's what we call integrative thinking.
No, need more knowledge. You need better decisions.
That is why the Executive Power Academy is not a program about management. It is a program about making decisions when there are no obvious answers.
Money-back guarantee after 2 sessions
7 Decisions That Will Shape the Future of Your Organization
Each session focuses on one of the challenges that CEOs, business owners, and board members are increasingly facing.
See what decisions the EPA participants are working on during the program's seven sessions.
How can you leverage AI before it changes the game in your industry?
Dr. Iwo Zmyślony
Content
- An Introduction to Integrative Thinking — An Approach for Leaders Without Ready-Made Answers.
- AI as a Test of Leadership — How to Effectively Implement AI in Management.
- Why most companies struggle with AI: a lack of understanding of what AI really is—and what it isn't.
- Case studies of companies facing difficult strategic dilemmas.
- Managing Conflicts and Disagreements in Management Teams in the Context of AI.
Session expert
Dr. Iwo Zmyślony — Change and organizational culture designer, design process methodologist, anthropologist specializing in design and new technologies. He advises on change implementation, motivation management during crises, and omnichannel design. Head of HR at the Digital Poland Project Center.
What should we do if the world might look completely different in three years?
Andrzej Jacaszek,
DBA & Prof. Bogdan Jacek Góralczyk, Ph.D.
Content
- The biggest mistake leaders make: making decisions as if the future were an extension of the past.
- The difference between risk (which can be estimated) and uncertainty (the lack of reference points).
- Strategic foresight — from forecasting to preparedness.
- Tools: scenario planning, identifying weak signals, "no-regret" actions, developing strategic options.
- How do you manage a company when the existing order is coming to an end but a new one has not yet emerged? The answer lies in war-game simulation methods.
- Geopolitical analysis as an application of strategic foresight principles.
Session experts
Andrzej Jacaszek, DBA — Vice President and Managing Director of the ICAN Institute. Former Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Poland. Strategic management specialist.
Prof. Bogdan Jacek Góralczyk, Ph.D. — Political scientist and sinologist, former Polish ambassador to Thailand, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Professor at the University of Warsaw. Author of seminal works on China and the new global order.
How do you resolve conflicts when both sides are right?
Izabela
Stachurska
Content
- Conflicts arising from disagreements over the company's future direction, budget allocation, and investment priorities.
- Five styles of dispute resolution — analysis and selection based on the situation.
- How to identify the sources of misunderstandings and consciously choose strategies.
- Achieving a "win-win" outcome even where differences seem irreconcilable.
- Integrative thinking in conflict resolution: developing solutions that integrate diverse perspectives.
- Introspective workshop session — practicing specific scenarios.
Session expert
Izabela Stachurska — Leadership consultant and trainer, certified coach. Creator of original leadership programs. She co-facilitates The Leadership Circle® certification processes and the Leadership Culture Survey™. ICF Professional Certified Coach.
How can you get strong personalities to work as a team?
Jacek Gwóźdź &
Paula Sobieszek
Content
- The unique nature of a top-level team—it is not a typical team with a simple chain of command.
- Aligning diverse perspectives toward a single strategic goal.
- Balancing individual aspirations with collective goals among strong personalities.
- Ego, Power, and Diverse Goals: Managing Complex Interpersonal Relationships.
- Creating a collaborative work environment among strong personalities.
Session experts
Jacek Gwóźdź — Former CEO and CFO of DENSO Polska. Over 20 years of experience in organizational management. He has launched production facilities for Stellantis, VW, Audi, and Porsche.
Paula Sobieszek — Expert in strategy and digital transformation. Director of Business Development at Publicis Groupe CEE (20 markets). Certifications: Design Thinking, Generative AI.
Scaling a business as a wicked problem — a billion-dollar breakthrough
Dr. Witold Jankowski
& Krzysztof Folta
Content
- “The Growth No-Man’s-Land” (Doug Tatum) — the stage when a company is no longer a startup, but is not yet a scalable organization.
- Why does what made a company successful stop working as it scales?
- The moment when a leader’s role shifts: from salesperson to organizational architect.
- Case Study: The Transformation of TIM S.A. — Closure of brick-and-mortar warehouses and development of a B2B e-commerce platform. Acquisition by Würth for PLN 1.08 billion.
- The practical decisions that need to be made to transition from the growth stage to scaling.
Session experts
Dr. Witold Jankowski — Founder of the ICAN Institute. One of the most experienced strategic consultants in Europe. Over 30 years of experience (including at AstraZeneca, BNP Paribas, BSH, Shell, and Tauron).
Krzysztof Folta — Founded TIM in 1987 in a 16-square-meter office. Served as CEO for 37 years. In 2013, he closed all brick-and-mortar warehouses and shifted the company’s focus to B2B e-commerce. In 2024, TIM was acquired by Würth for PLN 1.08 billion. EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020.
Leadership Development and Succession Planning
Anna Connor-Łakomy
& Andrzej Borczyk
Content
- Succession planning as a strategic priority for organizations – why it cannot be put off.
- The role of a leader in shaping a new generation of leaders.
- The Psychology of Resistance: The Fear of Losing Power and Its Impact on Succession Planning.
- Leadership Skills for the Future – How to Anticipate the Needs of a Changing Business Environment
- Integrative thinking in succession planning – reconciling conflicting goals and perspectives.
Session experts
Anna Connor-Łakomy — Trainer, coach, and neuroleadership diagnostician. One of the few certified Neurocolor consultants in Europe. Certified Scrum Master and Assessor.
Andrzej Borczyk — An HR leader with experience at Mars, Diageo, Microsoft, Heineken, and CCC. Former HR Director and Member of the Management Board. Co-founder of HRInfluencers.
Difficult ethical choices: How is the AI revolution shaping business ethics?
Artur Negri &
Sławomir Lachowski
Content
- Ethics as a Strategic Element of Leadership – From Philosophy to Business Practice.
- Ethical challenges of AI – responsible use of data, privacy protection, and algorithmic bias.
- The consequences of ethical lapses – legal risks, loss of trust, and damage to reputation.
- Ethics as a tool for risk management and building relationships with stakeholders.
- Organizational values as a magnet for talent and a source of meaning in the workplace.
Session experts
Artur Negri — Lecturer in critical thinking for the Executive MBA program. Business trainer and coach. Expert in communication and ethics. Former press spokesperson for the Krynica Economic Forum and journalist for Polish Radio.
Sławomir Lachowski — Founder of mBank — Poland’s first online bank. He has established four next-generation retail banks in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Gold Cross of Merit for his contributions to the transformation of the banking sector.
Experts who will share in a closed group what they cannot discuss publicly
Not academics with theories. Practitioners with years of experience.
The Executive Power Academy isn't for every leader.
Find out if this is the right program for you.
The greatest value of the EPA is not its materials or lectures. It is the conversations between leaders who face a similar level of responsibility and similar decisions.
Therefore, participation is by invitation only and is preceded by a brief screening process.
Most often, the EPA recruits leaders who:
7 questions · less than 2 minutes · instant results
25 spots, 7 sessions, 14 days of work.
One decision that can change the way you manage.
Download the full program brochure.
- A detailed description of all 7 sessions in the program
- Participant Eligibility Criteria
- Expert and Presenter Profiles
- Schedule and Organization of the Program
- Terms of Participation and Investment
- Information to help you determine whether an EPA is the right move at this stage of your career
The ICAN Institute has over 30 years of experience working with top-level leaders.
Download a detailed program description
Three things that no other program in Poland can offer you .
You'll make better decisions in uncertain situations
AI. Geopolitics. Scaling. Succession.
You’ll learn the ways of thinking that leaders use to solve problems that don’t have ready-made answers.
You'll have a group of people you can call
The biggest decisions are often made alone.
EPA fosters a community of leaders who understand the magnitude of the responsibility you face.
You'll feel calmer while others are panicking
Not because you'll know the future.
But because you'll learn to take action despite uncertainty.
You won't just come away from the program with more knowledge. You'll come away with a better way of making decisions.
The program through the eyes of participants and experts
Listen to what makes the program so powerful and what leaders value about it.
How is this program different from all the others you've participated in?
Because the EPA wasn't created to disseminate knowledge. It was created to help leaders make better decisions.
Only 25 spots available.
Your Quick Tip Before the Training Session
Key data and conclusions in one place. In this report, you’ll learn: :
- What are “wicked problems,” and why are there no ready-made answers to them?
- What are the 7 challenges facing confused leaders in 2026?
- How Can We Make Difficult Decisions Using Integrative Thinking?
- What do the 8% of companies classified as "AI high performers" do differently?
Ready to join the Executive Power Academy?
- ✓ 7 two-day sessions
- ✓ Access to a private group of 25 leaders
- ✓ Working with leading business practitioners
- ✓ Consultations between sessions
- ✓ ICAN Knowledge Portal
- ✓ Money-back guarantee after two sessions
Magdalena Witek
Frequently Asked Questions
Most programs teach management when the rules of the game are known. EPA™ focuses exclusively on situations with no single correct answer, where every option carries significant risks. Instead of ready-made formulas, participants master integrative thinking: a skill that allows them to combine conflicting strategies and create an advantage where others see chaos. Participation is by personal invitation only, with a maximum of 25 people—this ensures a level of discussion unattainable in any open training program.
Exclusively for C-suite executives—that is, business owners, CEOs, vice presidents, and members of company boards—who feel that their current approaches are no longer working and are facing decisions of great importance. If you’re just looking for a certificate to include on your resume, this isn’t the right program for you.
Participation is by personal, named invitation only. The program is not available to the general public. To request an invitation, please contact Magdalena Witek, Sales Director at the ICAN Institute: tel. 22 11 33 444 or m.witek@ican.pl.
The program includes 7 two-day in-person sessions in Warsaw. Each session consists of two perspectives: the expert’s perspective (conceptual, methodological) and the practitioner’s perspective (real-world decisions, failures, and lessons learned from the front lines). The program is supplemented by work between sessions and a knowledge portal with additional materials.
The 2026 edition addresses the following topics:
- AI as a wicked strategic problem
- Management in the Geopolitical Context
- Resolving difficult conflicts and disagreements
- Teams at the Top (Teams at the Top)
- Scaling a business as a wicked problem: a billion-dollar breakthrough
- Leadership Development and Succession Planning
- Difficult ethical choices (including in the context of AI)
This is a concept developed by Roger Martin, who was named the world’s most influential person in business in 2017 (Thinkers 50). In short: instead of choosing between Option A and Option B, a leader creates Option C—one that integrates the best elements of both. In the program, we teach a specific process and tools that participants apply to their real-life dilemmas.
The cost of participation is 39,999 PLN + 23% VAT. The price includes 7 two-day sessions, access to the knowledge portal, materials, consulting, and membership in a private network of leaders.
Classes are held in person at the ICAN Institute’s headquarters at al. Niepodległości 18, Warsaw.
A maximum of 25 participants. A small, carefully selected group of participants creates an intimate setting for meaningful discussions about the greatest challenges facing leaders and for sharing experiences.
Yes. The ICAN Institute has conducted the EPA™ program in a closed-door format with, among others, the TOP Management team at BSH Polska and the leaders of FB Service. If you would like to discuss a customized edition for your executive board, please contact Magdalena Witek: m.witek@ican.pl.