Institution: IMD (Switzerland)
Course: High Performance Leadership & Advanced High Performance Leadership Programs
I would like to start with a thank you to the Industry Leaders Fund for their support of my attendance at the IMD High Performance Leadership and Advance High Performance Leadership courses.
I had the privilege of attending the High Performance Leadership (HPL) course in November 2016 in Singapore and then following on at the Advanced High Performance Leadership (AHPL) course in October 2017 in Switzerland.
The Experience
Prior to attending HPL I had attended leadership courses which taught you about the team and about your influence. HPL was all about how I could be the best me and the impact that being the best me would have on those around me.
I learnt a lot about how I think, how I feel and how I am. In the plenary sessions we learnt about how we dare ourselves and others and how we care for ourselves and others. During this experience I shared more with my syndicate of 6 than I have with many of my closest friends about some of the skeletons that lived in my closet. And I saw that we all have things that hold us hostage, I learnt that I can overcome those things and be free to be the best me I can possibly be.
HPL was an experience were I learnt a lot and it impacted me as a leader and as a husband and father. In attending AHPL 12 months later we worked in groups of 4 to go deeper into the elements of HPL. In what was an intense week of working together we focussed on the key things that impacted us since attending HPL. For me this was that I actually could overcome the biggest thing that held me hostage – my depression and my self image.
I am generally a quiet shy person who likes to keep to myself, I don’t talk a lot in group sessions and I am quite reluctant to share to much about me. I have always struggled with not feeling good enough or worth enough too be able to share. During AHPL I was challenged to regularly stand in front of groups of people and talk about me and the things I have done. I learnt about how my brain and my words have impacted what I think of myself and what I allow others to know about me.
After HPL & AHPL
The first step I took after AHPL was to share my battle with depression with my colleagues, my friends and the world and for the first time I had the ability to be able to say that I am able to do what I do because of some of the experiences I have had dealing with depression. I wrote an article which I put on LinkedIn and shared with those around me about my battle with depression. Refer https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6331287505916227584
The learning hasn’t stopped at attending the course. I have continued to work with one of the coaches from my HPL experience and I have made some lifelong friends from my time on both courses.
Most important though I have developed the courage to actually share myself with the people around me – to not hide behind the image that I think people should see of me. I am much more open about my challenges and what I am dealing with and as a result I am able to build much stronger relationships with people around me.
I have gained so much from my experiences with HPL and AHPL and words can’t express my gratitude for the role the Industry Leaders Fund has played.
