Katherine McPherson has held several different C-suite roles within professional services for more than 25 years. After serving for 10 years in a senior role at the top-20 UK law firm Fieldfisher LLP, she was promoted to chief strategy officer. Since this was a new position at the firm, she began searching for a network to see how other leaders were approaching similar strategic challenges. Through her manager, she discovered the Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage program.
Why did you choose to attend Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage?
After I was promoted to chief strategy officer, I had a conversation with my boss, who is the managing partner. He said, "How can we help you? What do you need?" I explained that although I'd been with the firm for about 10 years, and had served on the board for six years, I'd never been sent to a leadership program. "Get me out of my comfort zone, and throw me into the deep end," I said.
So he talked to the chief people officer, who said, "For you, Kath, the only possible place we can send you is Harvard Business School."
What were your objectives going into the program? Were they met?
My key objective was meeting other senior executives from different organizations. Law is a small sector, so I wanted to hear how people in other sectors were approaching similar challenges. How different organizations respond can vary quite a lot depending on their culture, growth objectives, and leadership structure. For me, it's about listening to other people. We're all making mistakes, but we're learning from them. That kind of sharing and supportive environment was important to me.
Engaging with people from different countries and industries with so many diverse perspectives was especially useful. That kind of intellectual stimulation really took me out of my comfort zone and stretched my capacity and confidence as a leader. The learning experience was so intense, and I was so excited just being there. There's a lot to unpack, which is good, and I'm still processing it.
What surprised you most about the experience?
The energy of the faculty was phenomenal. I'd never experienced anything like that before. There were many senior people who were very accomplished, and the faculty held the room. They engaged and interacted with us on so many levels, so the discussions were amazing. I'm also in the process of developing my firm's strategy for the next three years, and I'll definitely be applying the concepts around sustainable competitive advantage. That's something we have never used before, so it’s very exciting.
What advice do you have for someone who is considering taking the program?
Read the case studies several times before you go to the session. Answer the questions and think about how they apply to your organization. Some people were trying to do that on the trot, but you don't get the most out of it that way. So it's really, really important to do the reading before the course.
The program gave me a much-needed boost. Having the space to think about things—and being given a framework to put those ideas into context, was just amazing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you won’t ever forget.