Open Your Mind and Career to New Opportunities

How would you sum up your GMP experience?

It was life changing. The diversity of thought, culture, and experience, combined with the academic excellence of the professors, created a unique environment that effectively challenged us to question our own points of view. No matter where discussions took place—in the classroom, in our living groups, or at informal events—they were robust and always insightful.

In what specific ways has GMP changed your way of thinking?

Learning to ask more questions and provide fewer answers is helping me to develop our next level of leaders and managers. I also became more aware of my weaknesses and broadened my views on various leadership and strategy topics. Finally, I realized that I spent too much time learning from within my own industries of agriculture and banking. Through GMP, I was able to break away from this habit and profit from the experiences of other individuals.

Which GMP experiences had the greatest impact on you?

One of the most unique experiences was the opportunity to converse with an astronaut while he was in the International Space Station. Academically, the presentations that were scheduled with various CEOs and other Harvard professors were structured to challenge our viewpoints on various topics. These discussions had a tremendous professional impact on me, and two of them created a very real connection to my personal life.

What was the highlight of the program for you?

Meeting 117 unique individuals and interacting closely with them on a daily basis was amazing. GMP presented a unique opportunity to spend significant time with individuals from 44 countries and 42 industries. We were encouraged to share stories about our professional successes and disappointments, and take the time to socialize outside the formal construct of the program. I developed a number of friendships that I believe will stand the test of time.

How are you applying your GMP learnings in the workplace?

During the program, I took many ideas from my colleagues—and from the more than 100 cases we reviewed, studied, and discussed—and formulated an execution plan that will take my company to the next level of development. Recently, I presented this strategy to our board of directors, and discussed it in greater detail with fellow members of the executive committee and senior management. I will continue moving forward with these ideas and changes until they are fully implemented and functional.

What surprised you most about the program?

The biggest surprise for me was what I could learn from industries I knew little about, never thought about, or believed were irrelevant to our business and industries. GMP really opened my mind to the impact of studying and understanding experiences in different industries and cultures. From a leadership perspective, I've begun to ask more questions and provide fewer solutions to empower others to develop their own decision-making process. To continue focusing on organizational and personal development, I've begun scheduling time for strategy reflection and self-reflection.