Institution: Melbourne Business School
Course: New Leaders Development Program
My industry leaders fund journey began in early 2018 when I was introduced to Geoff through my boss and mentor, Stuart Glenn. After this initial meeting and some online research (the previous ILF scholars experiences proving particularly helpful), I was determined to apply for a 2018 grant. Since finishing University four years earlier, I had always been keen to further my business education and the ILF provided a perfect opportunity to make this a reality.
The application process was thorough yet easy to navigate, with Geoff and Suzi providing great support throughout. Geoff’s advice and experience was particularly helpful during the course selection part of the application. This advice allowing me to confidently select the New Leaders Development Program at the prestigious Melbourne Business School as my preferred course.
Upon receiving the ILF grant at the 2018 awards ceremony, I was taken aback by the quality of the 2018 cohort and honoured to be a part of the ILF alumni.
Leading up to the course I was eager to participate yet unsure as to how much I would get out of it. A whole week away from work at a busy time of the year was daunting. This mindset proved to be completely unfounded however, with the course surpassing all expectations.
Having no formal leadership or management training, I went into the course with a blank canvass and left with a toolkit of leadership and management strategies that I could put into practice straight away. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on self-awareness and the impact of your behaviour on the people you lead and interact with. The course itself was attended by a diverse range of ambitious young leaders from a variety of countries, cultures and industries. The insight gained from this diversity was invaluable and I was lucky to develop a wide-ranging network of colleagues as a result. Taking a break from day to day working life also presented the opportunity to take a step back and strategically think about the future direction of my organisation.
Upon returning to work I have been able to implement learnt strategies, pragmatic tools and useable frameworks which have resulted in significant personal, team and organisational improvements. Regular follow up meetings with course graduates have further ensured that I continue tracking towards my goals.
A significant benefit of the ILF has also been the plethora of Scholar program and events. These programs and events give you unrivalled access to the outstanding ILF Scholar network and provide money can’t buy learning opportunities.
In summary, I could not recommend the ILF more highly to anyone considering applying for a future grant. I would like to thank Geoff, Suzi and the broader ILF team for the study opportunity provided to me and I look forward to furthering my involvement with this great South Australian initiative.
