What executive education did for me

Amy Manning

American. Purple Pipeline (custom director development course), UNC: Kenan-Flagler; graduated 2022. HR director of enterprise engagement and development, FedEx, Tennessee

What advice would you give prospective executive education students?
Absolutely do it. I have an MBA so, technically, I understood what they talked about on the course, but there are still things you can learn.

For example, understanding the “five levels of listening”. I didn’t realise that I wasn’t listening to understand — I would listen to respond. I wasn’t actually hearing what people say, I was just formulating a response. It is these soft skills that you need in leadership because you’re not doing the work as much — you’re helping remove barriers for other people to do a lot of the work, so listening is key.

Programmes like these enable you to pivot and reshape your approach to leadership, because being a manager is very different from being a director, and the skills I leaned on as a manager are very different to those I lean on now.

Stefanie Ralph

Canadian. Executive programme, Western University: Ivey; graduated 2022. Executive director of nursing, Yukon Hospital Corporation, Canada

How do you use what you learnt?
My lessons from this programme have fundamentally affected everything I do. I think about executive presence in every meeting and presentation; I use concepts from case studies to challenge myself to step back and take another perspective; I reach out to my new colleagues to pick their brains on challenging issues; and I continue to leverage coaching in the way I lead my team.

When I started the programme, I was afraid I wouldn’t belong. I wondered if I could hold my own in a cohort of very impressive senior leaders, especially as a young woman with a nursing background. Instead of being an outsider, I discovered I did belong and, at times, my skillset shone. Knowing that I can rise to the challenge in this way has increased my confidence and belief that I have what it takes to reach my goal of becoming a chief executive in healthcare.

The programme has also opened my eyes to leadership possibilities in other industries.

Jung Min Park

South Korean. Advanced innovative management programme, Kaist; graduated 2022. Chief executive, SK m&service, Seoul

Why did you choose this programme?
Since I took over as chief executive, our company has gone from a B2B enterprise to one that includes consumers, too. For me to persuade employees of the new direction and vision — and convince them of the need for change — I had to be confident in digital transformation and data-based decision making.

The Kaist programme had various curricula for this. For example, I learnt a lot about customer-value innovation through data and gained ideas around establishing a data-driven digital marketing strategy.

The field trip to new industries was also impressive. We could see the strategy and status of the company vividly, and discuss issues and solutions. I thought it wouldn’t be helpful because it was in a different area of expertise but, as we worked together, we presented solutions that we had never thought of before. The process of finding answers through colleagues was an important lesson that couldn’t be learnt anywhere else.

Begonya Mèlich Bonancia

Spanish. Programme for management development, Esade; graduated 2022. Innovation and sustainability manager, Balfegó Grup, Spain

What is the most important lesson you learnt on the course?
I learnt that the operation of a company is like a music band. Each one of the departments is an instrument that must be co-ordinated with the rest, so that the music — the operation of the company — works in total harmony. It’s so simple, yet at the same time so complex. As part of this, the course helped me understand more about each instrument.

We’re often technically aware of other areas of the organisation we work in, but ignore the functional impact they have on other departments. These lessons have changed my point of view. I now have a more strategic vision — both of my work and of the company as a whole. At the same time, it helped me to change my perspective from area management to more global management.

Tuba Kara Albek

Turkish. Digital leadership programme, Sabancı University; graduated 2022. Talent and learning director at ING Türkiye, Istanbul

Why did you decide to study the executive programme?
As digital transformation reshapes every industry, many companies are looking to take advantage of the opportunities it creates. ING wants to enhance its employee and customer experience by improving digital processes and infrastructure. With this vision in mind, I took the digital leadership programme to refresh my knowledge and understanding of best practice, contribute to digital projects in my company and learn how to use technologies better in my own team.

I gained some important insights from the programme, including an understanding of the latest technology and how it can be applied to solve business challenges, as well as how to develop a clear and effective digital strategy that aligns with company objectives. I also learnt how to use data and analytics to make informed business decisions.