Go back to a time when you encountered roadblocks while working in and leading teams. What if these roadblocks were a manifestation of a personality pattern instead of an operational roadblock. And what if through practice and learning these roadblocks can be prevented from popping up again.

We had the privilege of going through an intensive process of iterative team games and self-reflection to figure out how best to lead and contribute to healthy team dynamics last week. Based on an approach of self-awareness, goal setting, understanding how to get there and a system of continuous feedback & support, the Leadership Lab helped my team to gel together and for us individuals in the team to be more self-aware and iron out our flaws in order to reach the maximum outcome as a team. At the end of this exhaustive process, it was heartening to see class members share their deep personal drawbacks and in the process bond more as a cohort.

A history of working in tough locations and being constantly on the move even during times of personal crises has made me grow many layers around my core personality and it was enriching to experience the peeling of these layers through constant feedback and coaching sessions. I was able to learn why and how I behave in different settings and how best to understand and train my mind to deal with these emotions. Indeed I was able to understand what part of my life caused these patterns and why I relapse into certain behaviors. I’m looking forward to the next leg of the leadership exercise that is the Personal Development Elective. The intent is to take these learnings and dive further into the psyche in order to unravel these behaviors and learn how best to navigate difficult situations.

One of the main reasons for me to choose IMD was the leadership component of the program. It is the only the start of the component but the quality of the experience and the content of the training has exceeded my expectations. It’s a privilege to receive such training at the beginning of our management careers rather than in senior management and I believe all of us will benefit from the learnings and the outcome.

Needless to say, we had to quickly get back on our feet to deal with a busy week ahead. Strategy cases, accounting assignments and economics readings have a knack of pulling you out of your inner layers. Until next weekend.

*Featured image1: Team- Work in Progress- Ana ,Hans, Gerardo, Kshitij, Paula and I

*Featured image2: Our team logos- IMD dungeons

P.S. Team Work in Progress for the win!!!

Parth Reddy

Linkedin

While the first week was an awakening of sorts, the second week focused on the high level themes of the program- Digital, Global and Entrepreneurial.

The Entrepreneurship module started with a lecture on defining value in a business but the highlight was the introduction to the protagonist of our first case study- Robert Keane, CEO and founder of Cimpress N.V.. Extraordinary resilience and an incredible ability to change and adapt defined his story and it was enthralling to listen to it live in the class!! We were also introduced to the various factors affecting project success in a simulated game environment. It was a lot of fun collaborating with differing views and scarce resources to drive business value in a project.

Then we explored how digital has started defining winners and losers in today’s dynamic world. We learnt that using digital tools to define and execute business strategy has helped not only businesses but political players around the world. And we learnt that its not about the disruptor but always about the disruption and the need to stay agile and flexible to capitalize on opportunities.

From a global perspective we learnt about how some countries are defying expectations and contributing more to the growth of the world’s economy. From a leadership angle, we learnt about what was needed to become a successful leader in these emerging markets. We also took advantage to learn from the diversity of the class when we were introduced to the politics, economy and culture of 43 different nations in the Life before Microsoft presentation, something that has become a tradition at IMD.

Of all these amazing experiences, one thing stood out the most for me. We started the week with an inspiring story on how to lead in turbulent times by Dr. Tawfik Jelassi. And this summed up my decision to come to a business school and that is to meet incredible leaders and be inspired.

Having been through the turbulence of the Arab spring myself, it was no surprise that I connected instantly with Dr. Tawfik Jelassi’s incredible story. What at first seemed like a normal class on leadership quickly turned out to be a real face-to-face encounter with someone who has the resilience, tenacity and determination to not bend to the odds and still achieve results that were beyond any expectations. Listening to his life experiences was humbling and our own professional hardships were tiny specks compared to the gargantuan effort on his part to lead through those turbulent times.

How does then someone lead in an explosive, polarized, irrational and adversarial world? The takeaway offered by Dr. Jelassi was that emotional resilience is the key. And having the leadership team as your secure base is crucial. The hard choices that you will have to make then are backed up by the leadership team and this allows you to go beyond the unexpected and sometimes the seemingly impossible, even in the face of opposition. When everything is going against you, it’s crucial to stick to your beliefs, trust your instincts and stand by your values. Thank you Dr. Jelassi for this important lesson. We hope we have the chance to apply these lessons successfully.

Parth Reddy

Linkedin

Featured image: Life Before Microsoft at IMD

As the first busy week of the programme drew to its close, we left the IMD campus to learn more about two of our most distinguished neighbours in the Geneva area ecosystem, EPFL and CERN. Continue reading “CERN: Beyond physics” →

Half way through the electives, Isfandyar Z. Khan – Partner IMD 2017, shares his experience as well as insights into the benefits of opening this part of the program to the partners.

You may think that typical courses in this one year intensive MBA program would only focus on hard skills, taking over the world one excel sheet at a time, however the truth is far from it. This fall, the program provided the opportunity for the partners of MBA students to participate in electives. This opened up a secret chamber by which partners could not only see, but live through, part of the MBA experience.

Given that I myself am a bit weary of the ethical practices of the business world, I decided to take the popular elective on Truth, Lies and Trust taught by Professor Jennifer Jordan, who is a part of the leadership faculty. I wish an elective like this had been offered earlier in the year as finally I could empathize with my wife’s motivation for getting up at 6:30 am, downing a coffee and braving the cold to be on time for morning classes.

The elective was great – one learned, one challenged, one laughed and one pondered. It also gave us some lie detection skills which could have come in handy earlier in the year (were you actually studying or were you at the White Horse bar?!) Yet, more than just the course, I really appreciated IMD opening up the electives to others. For a program which emphasizes personal leadership and prioritizes relationships, it is necessary to acknowledge that there are certain factors that ensure some relations endure and strengthen over time. Post MBA, the graduates will not operate in a bilateral world but one with many nodes, and thus having partners more exposed to classmates will help carry relationships forward.

As the year draws to a close, I do feel we have come together as a family. There is warmth, there is affection and just like any family there will be conflict and a need to nurture relationships. I think taking an elective makes us all know each other better and just for that, I hope IMD keeps up with the tradition.

Isfandyar

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”     Carl Jung

Today’s guest entry comes from Susan Goldsworthy, MBA Lead Coach at IMD. Continue reading “Tips and Guidance from Leadership Coach” →