It has been four weeks since my journey at IMD began, and I can already see how much it has positively impacted me. I am in the process of reframing my beliefs about both the inner and outer world, and what has triggered this self-reflection is, without a doubt, my exposure to new concepts and perspectives.
We have just completed the first module, which provided deep insights into the transversal skills of strategic thinking – skills that I am certain will be valuable not only throughout the course but also in life, especially when dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity. Sometimes, our decisions rely solely on intuition, and it is difficult to resist the comfort of biases. Applying strategic thinking allows us to step back from relying purely on gut feelings and instead adopt a more structured and effective approach to decision-making.
Communication has also been one of the key topics explored during this first module, particularly how executive presence can enhance message delivery. It was fascinating to realize that how you deliver a message is often more important than the content itself. One of the most impactful and thought-provoking sessions for me was Executive Presence with Robin Haas. It made me reflect on how our fight-or-flight response can limit us and affect those around us, causing others to unconsciously mirror our stress signals. As a result, our message loses clarity and impact.
This session was particularly powerful because we didn’t just learn the theory – we experienced it firsthand, feeling how instincts and nature influence our communication. It was a brilliant way to illuminate the concept and deepen our understanding.
Continuing with communication, we had insightful sessions with Mike Sergeant on Storytelling and Storyboarding. At first, I was quite skeptical about how storytelling could apply in a corporate environment. I recalled times when I had to present with strict time constraints, focusing solely on delivering specific content. However, through these sessions, I gained a deeper understanding of the power of storytelling; as humans, we naturally connect with a good story, and an engaging narrative captivates the audience and makes a message more impactful.
These learnings made me reflect on my past public speaking experiences at Unilever and how I would approach them differently today. I would focus more on the audience, finding a balance between staying true to myself and embracing authenticity while also recognizing that there is always room for growth. By continuously improving, we can expand our impact and positively inspire more people.
