Recently, we spoke with two General Management Program (GMP) alumni who returned to HBS to attend the Advanced Management Program (AMP). Visar Sala leads the strategy and consulting teams for Accenture's Middle East and ASIAM region, and Mariusz Leszczynski is the managing director for Inditex Group (Zara, Zara Home, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear, Oysho) in Poland. Both executives agree that their leadership journey from GMP to AMP was a conscious decision based on their career stage at the time.
Visar Sala: When I came to GMP, I was a young partner. The experience changed me in unexpected ways—it enhanced my ability to build a team, lead from behind, and consider the multifaceted needs of collaborators, clients, and stakeholders. GMP helped me to step up in my new role, which I took on shortly after attending the program.
Mariusz Leszczynski: Just before I came to GMP, we had started our turnaround program. I was already the general manager, but the business was much smaller then. At GMP, I learned to look at the business in a much broader way. I was able to launch an entire balanced scorecard at Inditex Poland—we used strategy maps, and we beat our scorecard. Following GMP, I managed the company more effectively and efficiently. I became a stronger managing director who could deliver numbers and meet our goals.
VS: Even after so many years in this business, it was humbling to realize that my knowledge was less robust than I thought. The dynamics of interacting and observing how senior, very accomplished leaders think was a key aspect—examining all the different points of view of my classmates and learning what's important to people in different levels and positions. I was able to create a network of people I can relate to on pretty much any sphere, business and personal.
ML: Following AMP, I've really found a purpose. I want to work toward becoming a leader who can impact and change people's lives by helping them grow and thrive in the company, and create an environment in which the organization and all its stakeholders can grow. Recently, I've discovered an uncomfortable personal gap in myself—the awareness of where I am today and the possibilities and opportunities that await me. Now my journey is to close that gap in order to achieve my goals. That's my biggest takeaway.
VS: I loved the modular approach of GMP and AMP, and both programs have fantastic professors and very interesting and entertaining cases. But the learning group dynamics will always differ because the participants in AMP have more exposure to the direct and indirect impact of board-level and C-level decisions.
ML: GMP gave me the bits and pieces I was able to absorb from a functional perspective. After GMP, I started managing the business based on the balanced approach and was able to grow the company in Poland. Five years later, I was able to step back at AMP and take a more holistic approach. Instead of looking at the business from a functional perspective, AMP helped me look at the future that awaits and through a much broader lens.
VS: The average tenure of a CEO has probably halved in the last 20 years. Industries have more turn and much faster disruption. The ecosystem is changing faster. So over your career, you’ve got to plan to refresh your thinking constantly at all stages of your career. Executive leadership programs are one way to prepare for new challenges.
ML: My advice is to be realistic in terms of your goals, aspirations, and motivations. GMP is for the executive who is looking to expand their function and look at things from a bigger perspective. AMP is for the executive who is looking to move their company forward in a significant way that would add value to their personal life, professional career, and in the lives of those on their team.
VS: Be open-minded and ready to challenge all your beliefs and preconceptions. When you hear something that is the opposite of what you believe to be the right business decision, before rejecting it: wait, pause, and listen a bit longer. On many occasions, you might find that you learn something new that you hadn’t even considered before.
ML: To really make the most of a CLP, you need to feel totally liberated and committed to the journey. You have to be present—not only physically, but above all mentally. You cannot allow yourself any big distractions. The more you delegate to your group back at the company, the better equipped they are going to be, the more focused you will be—and the more value you’ll gain from attending a program. One of the most significant and substantial pieces of the entire program is the benefit and the value coming from the diversity of people, culture, views, and opinions in the classroom and in the learning groups.