Institution:
Harvard Business School (USA)
Course:
Leading and Building a Culture of Innovation
I am extremely grateful for my experience with the ILF. After some encouragement from Geoff Vogt I applied for a grant in 2019. The application and interview process was rigorous but very reasonable and everyone involved was friendly and encouraging. I was awarded the grant right before the pandemic started, and as a result I had to postpone my study until the end of 2023. Even though I was not able to study initially, I still found great value in the ILF through events and networking. Everyone in the network is welcoming and has a wealth of experience and knowledge and I am looking forward to continuing my participation in this group for years to come. I believe we all share a passion to make South Australia the best it can be, and somewhere internationally renowned.
After finally making it over to the Harvard Business School I can say the experience of studying there is something I’ll remember for a lifetime. We learned from some of the best teachers in the world – people with incredible international experience and networks – using the case study method which I found to be fair more engaging and rewarding than traditional study. There are many lessons that I’ve taken back home with me to apply both at Teamgage and with our customers. The course provided clarity around what leadership and innovation really is, and how best to foster innovation across an organisation. There is also something magical about removing yourself from the day to day of your usual role and setting aside time to reflect in a new context, with new perspectives and new ways of thinking.
Another huge part of the value of the course was the group of peers in the program. Our group consisted of 65 participants with a broad range of experience across many industries and geographies. Our group still communicates regularly and I value the connections I made with them.
If you are considering applying for a grant with the ILF, I would strongly encourage you to pursue it. There are many different study options available to you that can meet just about any requirement of topic, form and duration, and you will almost certainly find your experience to be transformative.
