Halfway Through My Harvard Business School Executive Education Journey

My Living Group after a successful workshop

Okay, it's mid-point! I’m halfway through the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program for Leadership Development (PLD)! To paint a picture of where I'm at in my journey; I started on a path towards HBS Alumni Status in May 2023, and I've been in class since September 2024, right after diving into ‘Competing in the Age of AI’ with only one week off. Here's a link to that program if you'd like to learn more. I wrote this post on March 17, 2024, after just getting back from an amazing two-week learning experience on campus.

After spending the last eight years at Microsoft, it’s so invigorating to hear fresh perspectives on global trends and the economy, especially during this exciting time with AI advancements. My classmates are executives and leaders from all walks of life, industries, and geographies, making our discussions and professional growth super enriching.

So, what are the benefits of the Harvard Business School Executive Program? And is there anything unique about it? Absolutely! Here are some of the standout highlights:

1.  Growth in Many Formats

Coaching: This was fantastic! Working with a successful executive coach (mine is an entrepreneur) to identify leadership strengths and gaps through one-on-one and group coaching sessions was invaluable. This personalized approach helped me develop a customized action plan tailored to my leadership goals. I was seeking self-awareness, understanding, and confidence; these sessions filled in my knowledge gaps and advanced my expertise.

Immunity to Change: One of my favorite activities during the program was the 'Immunity to Change' workshop that HBS organized for our PLD. We partnered to accomplish what I believe is traditionally a 3 day workshop in an afternoon. Here's what the company has to say about ITC -- "The Immunity to Change™ (ITC) methodology is designed to help individuals, teams and organizations attain deeply sought changes by bringing this internal unconscious resistance to change to light." We got to partner with a classmate to develop 'Immunity to Change Maps' and think through our 'Big Assumptions' that we'll overcome. My partner Seb, who is brilliant and incredibly insightful, will continue to be my accountability partner on my journey to improve.

I'm not an expert so if you hope to learn more you can check out their website -- https://mindsatwork.com/programs-services/organizational-services/.

2.  Individual Project

The cornerstone of the PLD learning experience is the ‘My HBS Leadership Case’ project. This customized case allows you to tackle a Performance Gap or Opportunity Gap within your organization by building a strategy and implementation plan. The feedback from faculty, my living group, and my executive coach was instrumental in refining my project.

3.  Learning Structure

During my MBA, we studied Harvard Business School cases, but it often felt like there was one right conclusion. Here, Harvard's legendary case studies, taught by the faculty who created them, felt profound and innovative. We delved into real-world challenges facing leading companies, discussed various paths, and sometimes even heard directly from the executives featured in the cases. The learning groups were particularly eye-opening, reminding me that everyone has blind spots. It was a safe space to debate, make mistakes, and grow.

4.  Building Connections

Living and working in small ‘living groups’ with peers fostered deep connections. Sharing this intense learning experience naturally led to bonding with a diverse group of senior executives and leaders from companies like Apple, Google, Accenture, Intel, Eli Lilly & Co, Acrotec, and even Harvard Business School. These connections are priceless, providing a supportive network of professionals from different functions, cultures, and countries.

If you have any questions or are considering the program, feel free to ask! I’m more than happy to share more about my HBS experiences; here is what I wrote on my decision and application process for Harvard Business School.

Thanks for reading,

Roxie