Listening, Learning, Growing

What brought you to AMP?

I have been in general management for the past 15 years, but I've never had much formal training in finance and accounting or in leadership. I wanted the tangible knowledge and skills that would increase my confidence and my ability to give good input when finances are part of the decision-making process in selecting a product or choosing a strategy.

In addition, I wanted to improve my ability to lead and connect with people. On the job, we tend to look for role models who are star leaders and then emulate those people, but I knew I needed more tools—I had been tasked with change management and had not been especially successful in engaging the organization the way I needed to.

People had talked about AMP as a life-changing experience, and I was at a point in my career when I was looking for that—for inspiration to take myself forward personally and professionally. I knew the Harvard brand stood for quality, and I expected great faculty and participants. I was also very intrigued by the case method—a more discussion-based mode of learning that seemed to fit my own learning style.

Was it difficult to leave work for eight weeks?

In Japan, the notion of the head of an organization being away for two months is practically unthinkable. I worried that if something happened, I needed to be there to resolve the problem immediately. As a result, I struggled with the decision to attend AMP. I talked with my boss and colleagues in my HR department and asked if I should really do this, and they encouraged me to come to AMP. I was grateful for their support.

The people one and two levels down were happy too because I was demonstrating the importance of everyone continuing to learn and develop themselves. AMP has indeed been a life-changing experience. What's two months weighed against that? Going forward, I feel confident that I can achieve bigger and better things for myself and for the team.

What were some of your first impressions?

The HBS academic atmosphere was exciting, especially because I had not really been in an academic environment as a student for a very long time.

The head of the HBS Japan Research Center organized a pre-AMP dinner, so I had the chance to meet former AMP participants and refine my expectations. When I arrived, I felt so welcomed. I enjoyed the culture of really pushing for the top—not just in the faculty or academics. All of the people here were top-notch. HBS deserves its reputation.

What were the highlights of the living group experience?

The mix of professions in our living group was fascinating. These individuals provided great leadership examples, and I learned a lot from them. We had a great deal in common. Despite the fact that we were a competitive bunch, we made genuine friends. It was great to get to understand the different challenges people were facing personally and professionally.

Leadership is a balance of driving and serving others. So when you put a bunch of leaders together, the danger is that everyone will try to drive. But in our group, we all respected one another and allowed different people to lead at different times based on their strengths. I learned so much just by watching that great group dynamic.

As you rise to higher positions, you have fewer people you can confide in. There are certain things you are unable to share and you can't be as open. You need people who can relate to that loneliness and at the same time be able to offer advice. The living group provided that kind of support. My living group is like a second family now, and I hope we'll continue to support each other for a long time.

Were there difficult moments to overcome?

I enjoyed every moment, but the first two weeks were a bit tough. I eventually settled in and was able to do more reflection and be more self-aware.

For the first negotiation skills class, I was overconfident. I thought I had the basic negotiation skills down. But I did not prepare enough and failed miserably! I thought I was the only one who had this problem, but everyone in my living group felt that way, and we prepared much better for the second session and it went much better.

How did the faculty enhance your learning?

I connected most with Stu Gilson, who taught financial management. He had a lot of energy and approached finance very strategically. One of my goals was to be able to ask the right questions in assessing our project strategy from the financial perspective. I sat down with him and went over some of my projects to get his input. In class and in our meetings, he gave me some very helpful tools.

All of the professors were fascinating. I thought the faculty would be stuffy, distant, and detached, but I was pleasantly surprised. I especially appreciated Dick Vietor's passion.

What were your biggest takeaways from the program?

When I came back, my first instinct was to want to share everything I had learned—in marketing, strategy, negotiations, and so on. But everyone I have spoken with has advised me to take a step back and ask my colleagues to watch me for the next three months and then give me feedback—tell ME what I learned.

The biggest takeaway for me is the importance of self-awareness and reflection. At AMP, we had a wonderful opportunity to reflect and to be ourselves. That kind of reflection produces results that go far beyond the individual. Stimulated by all of the leadership learning and discussions, I began to recall moments when I was faced with particular challenges or decisions and to think about what I might do differently next time to create a better outcome. One of the guest speakers, Anne Mulcahy from Xerox, talked about the importance of having self-doubt as a leader. If you don't have self-doubt from time to time—some humility and self-awareness, and the ability to reflect on your experience—you will never become a true leader.

During the program, we met many great leaders—CEOs and former CEOs such as Jack Welch from GE. Though each person's style was different, one common thread was that they all truly cared about people. It's not a touchy-feely thing, but rather a genuine commitment to developing people and taking them along in building success for the company.

How has AMP changed your approach to leadership?

I think all of us in AMP were very much command-and-control leaders. That ambition to drive has brought us to where we are today. But a command-and-control approach to leadership does not really generate true motivation or a feeling of being part of a team. To get to the next level, we need to become leaders who can create the environment that allows each of our people to grow. We will achieve success by making other people successful. To do that, we first need to be able to listen, really hear people's ideas, and also create a supportive environment for people so they're not afraid to speak up, and so we can make sure their best ideas are put on the table.

I don't think I've been a very good listener in the past. But AMP had such an exciting diversity of perspectives—and I was ready to hear them because I was there to learn. That predisposed me to listen more. What I have found by listening in class is that my way may be one of the right ways, but it's not necessarily the best way. There are always different ways to get to the goal, and you do not always have to choose the shortest one. To create better results over the long term, you might choose another path where you can bring more people along. Now I am trying to be a better listener, to take in others' ideas, and create an environment that helps people speak up, contribute, and grow. If I can do that, I'm going to be able to make a lot of people happy and inspire the next generation of leaders.

How do you think executive education can help women executives?

At AMP, we discussed the fact that many women do not have mentors. Men can be uncomfortable because they don't always know the best way to mentor women managers. So women learn on the job, falling flat on their faces, picking themselves up, and hitting walls here and there. I think executive education can give women confidence and direction. As they go up the ladder, they will be more certain of their own abilities and won't have to be on their guard so much. Not many women from Japan attend AMP, and I would like to help change that.

What advice would you give executives considering AMP?

Just do it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our brilliant marketing professor told us that when we go back, the first thing we must do is thank our boss, colleagues, and family who made it possible to have this opportunity to be ourselves. He also said that HBS brings out the best in people. I think AMP brought out the best in me. I had been working nonstop for the past 30 years. For eight weeks, I got off the treadmill and had the chance to think about what's important and how to give back. It's a rare opportunity to truly be yourself.

For anyone who is at a career crossroad, AMP is a great step. To be able to have that distance from your work and also from yourself is like pushing a reset button. My time at AMP was very, very intellectually stimulating, enjoyable, and challenging. I loved being exposed to so many different viewpoints. There is something about HBS—the faculty, the location, and the people the HBS brand attracts—that creates magic.