Transform Your Leadership in Four Days
Adam Zimmerman is President of CSE in Atlanta, Georgia, US. As a participant of The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS) Executive Education program at Harvard Business School, Zimmerman rediscovered the value of a creating an environment that welcomes diverse opinions.
How would you describe your experience in The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports?
It was truly transformative. Going into the program, I was curious to see what I could actually learn and achieve in four and a half days. Midway through day one, the program had already exceeded my expectations. I was intellectually challenged and stimulated by my environment, my professors, and the other participants. The immersive atmosphere and intense curriculum pushed me to maximize my time at HBS, to savor every moment, and to want to bring what I learned back to my workplace.
How has the program impacted your contribution to your company?
My experience continues to reverberate and affect how I conduct my business. My biggest takeaway was the pedagogy of the case method employed at HBS. The case method honed my ability to think critically, to engage in meaningful and purposeful dialogue with clients and coworkers, and to become more comfortable making decisions with incomplete data.
Were there any other key takeaways from the program?
My time at BEMS also taught me the value of constructive criticism. Too often, leaders with 20 years of experience are surrounded by sycophants and others fearful of dissenting from opinions and directives. While a leader must ultimately be firm in decision making, I was reminded of the merits of creating an atmosphere for constructive and meaningful differences of opinion for the betterment of my leadership and my organization.