Abdulrahman Alkanhal is an attorney who works in the The Royal Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He applied to attend Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education's Senior Executive Leadership Program—Middle East to learn more about leadership in the private sector. In this interview, he shares some highlights from his experience in the program.
What did you think about the faculty who led the program?
It was exciting to participate in discussions led by such great professors. They came from different backgrounds in terms of their interests and their research, and they explored a broad range of topics such as leading change, innovation, finance, negotiation, and leadership. Because there were different professors almost every week, it felt like a new program every time a new professor arrived. The experience and knowledge they brought was extremely diverse, and this made the program even more engaging and valuable.
Did anything about the program surprise you?
Although I'm an attorney working in the public sector, I was surprised to discover that government and business have so much in common. Almost everything we talked about was related to business, but I found myself thinking how to apply what I was learning in my own organization. It's interesting how similar organizations are, whether they're in government or business. I cannot begin to tell you how much I learned. Day after day, as I deal with new situations, I remember something from a discussion in one of the classes, and it helps me understand the situation more clearly. Aside from what I learned, I value the friendships I gained in the program as well as the social skills I developed by dealing with people from so many different countries, cultures, and industries.
What was your biggest takeaway from the program?
My biggest takeaway was the importance of culture in an organization. If you don't have a strong culture, no matter how much you micromanage and watch people, you cannot achieve what you need to achieve. If you have a strong culture, your people will do what you want them to do throughout the world.
How would you describe the value of the program to someone who is considering it?
I often hear and read about discipline, organization, planning, and other similar concepts. But what makes this program different is that it provides evidence that those concepts actually work. For me, at least, seeing that evidence makes me push myself harder to actually try to implement these ideas in my organization. The program transformed something that was just words I heard or read into a more tangible belief that's now deep inside me. As a result, I'm able to execute these things more naturally and at the right time.
What would you tell someone who is interested in applying to this program?
Do not hesitate. For anyone at an executive level, it's definitely worth investing the seven weeks and the time in between modules. It was such a rewarding experience for me that I hope to attend more HBS programs in the near future.