Pausing to Learn What You Don't Know

What led you to GMP?

I've been doing what I do for a long time, and I'm good at it. But I was at a point in my career where I wanted to test and validate what I knew. I wanted new ways to look at my work challenges—and I wanted to know what I didn’t know. I was hoping to refine existing skills, gain new skills and toolsets that would help me in my job, and also become a stronger, more strategic leader. In addition, I wanted to build a network within and beyond my industry.

Executive education is a very important resource. When you are working, you are building up institutional knowledge. A program like GMP forces you to pause for a second and expand your thinking outside your company and your industry. It’s a chance to keep learning, adding to your toolbox, innovating, and driving excellence.

Why did you select GMP?

I chose GMP because its scope was broad. I appreciated the format—alternating periods of on-campus and off-campus learning. In addition, I liked the idea of a program based on case studies. I looked at other HBS programs, but GMP was exactly what I was looking for.

How did the program compare with your expectations?

I expected to be pushed and challenged and to have an intense experience. GMP definitely delivered all that and more. For example, I knew we were going to network and build relationships, but I had not realized that the personal bonds would be built so quickly—or that they’d be so strong.

What do you like about case-based learning?

When you read a case, you get dropped right into the action. You are part of a real company going through something that really happened—a business challenge or internal corporate challenge. The cases are very well written, so you can relate to the situation and understand the concepts easily.

Case studies are real-life applications of ideas and tools and theories—successful or unsuccessful. We would study a situation and then examine the theory around it, versus starting with a theory and then trying to apply it to reality. With a case study, you are a fly on the wall, looking at a business situation from a very different perspective. That was a wonderful way to learn.

Each case had at least one idea that I could apply directly to my business. I was prompted to think about what my company had done in a similar situation. Sometimes the discussion validated what we were already doing. I also found possible new solutions to issues we were facing.

What was it like to work with your living group?

On my first day on campus, I remember thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" I didn't know anyone. I could feel the nervous energy from everyone. But we knew we were all in the same boat. Because the program is designed so well, though, I started to bond with my living group quickly.

I think the living group concept is brilliant. The coaching sessions helped us break down the walls and build relationships. As we settled into a routine, we really got to know each other. My living group also got along quite well with the living group next door. We became an extended family, expanding the network and the support system.

The bonds we built with each other and with the faculty are very important and will be there for the long term. We went through an intense experience together at a very pivotal point in our careers. At the end of the program, we felt sad to leave people with whom we’d developed such close ties. We began to think about how to keep the peer coaching and support system going. Everyone wants to stay connected.

Ten years from now, I hope I'm at a reunion with my GMP 19 colleagues looking back on new businesses and new adventures—discussing how we took our companies to new levels and how we've supported one another along the way.

What aspects of the GMP experience stood out for you?

The HBS learning method confirmed for me that teams come to better solutions than any individual can. It was wonderful to feed off of people's different experiences, points of view, and energy. I liked looking at challenges in different industries and companies from the perspective of multiple domains—accounting, finance, leadership, and strategy.

There were so many wonderful moments in GMP. You might be in a class and have something really click—you suddenly understood why a certain solution worked or didn't work. Or, you might be listening to a guest speaker and hear something that makes you look at the world a little differently.

The professors were highlights of the program—they were the best facilitators I have ever experienced. They constantly pushed us and made us think outside the box and stretch ourselves. They were very accessible outside class and very eager to help. What makes an instructor great is also what makes a leader great. These faculty members were leaders in our classrooms and were motivating us while fostering the right culture and learning environment.

How did you approach the off-campus learning?

The off-campus modules are effective because each of us learns at our own pace. When I began to work on Module 1, I realized that it had been some time since I had thought about these topics and questions. Once I set a schedule and got into the work, I began to understand the scope and depth of what we were going to cover in GMP. I was starting the journey, and I found the work very motivating.

The next off-campus module was Module 3. By then, I had developed a standard approach for reading a case and quickly drilling down to its essence. I studied cases at my desk at work, at home, on planes, in coffee shops—anywhere at all. As Module 4 approached, communication picked up among the members of my living group and we held each other accountable for preparing to return to campus: "Have you done the cases? The interviews? The surveys?"

Did the second on-campus module feel different from the first?

The very first day on campus for Module 2, you are just a deer in the headlights. You walk into the opening reception and see a whole bunch of new people. You're excited and nervous and a bit outside your comfort zone. But every detail is so well thought out that you are put at ease very quickly. You meet your living group over dinner, and then you head out to your living area and it all really begins. You realize there's nothing to worry about.

Coming back for Module 4, I was really excited to see my living group and the faculty again. When I arrived, I thought, "I'm home." The first night, the noise level and the energy in the room were completely off the charts. Many of my living group members and peers said the same thing. It was really like seeing family again. We had built an incredible sense of community.

As the program went on, we started to make more bridges and links between the various cases and topics. I was excited, re-energized, and full of ideas. I looked forward to getting back to work and applying some of the concepts and tools.

How has the program changed you?

A big part of the program focuses on your personal style as a leader. For example, when you go back to work after Module 2, you begin to look at yourself under a microscope. How are you managing yourself? What kind of shadow are you casting as a leader? You analyze your own day-to-day interactions. When you come back to campus for Module 4, you can talk with your living group about how you interacted with your team, what behaviors you changed, and how it affected the result.

I also analyze my team differently now. I know what to look out for, and so I’ve started to track how the team is running, look at processes, and consider tweaks I might make. I’m looking forward to pushing the team and seeing what innovations we come up with. Teamwork and team culture are very important, and I’m excited to build on that and to make it even stronger.

GMP confirmed some of what I knew, but I've also gained a whole new set of skills, knowledge, and tools that I can apply to work and to life in general. I’ve learned a lot about myself—about how I can be pushed and stretched and how I can leverage strengths I didn't know I had. That’s a valuable lesson in itself.

I won't make massive changes instantly. But I will—very methodically, strategically, and thoughtfully—apply all of the lessons learned.

What did you find most valuable about GMP?

In GMP, you expand your knowledge and skills so that you become a leader who is a little bit about everything. On any given day, someone on your team or in your management might come up to you and throw any question at you—any problem from any angle. This program gives you the tools so that you can look at any issue, understand it, drill down into it—and ask the right questions.

There is something very special about leaving work and really immersing yourself in the learning, the environment, and the culture. It was a fantastic experience. You learn different ways of approaching problems and are exposed to other leadership styles, which enables you to strengthen your own leadership. My advice to anyone thinking about GMP is to just do it. The lessons are priceless—and you won't forget them.