A Four-Month Investment—a Lifetime of Learning

What's one word you would use to describe GMP?

Opportunity. The program is what you make it. It's an opportunity for you to truly invest in yourself completely. Because you're away from home and family, you have a chance to focus 100%. It's an opportunity to expand your network to the entire globe. But none of these things will happen unless you seize those opportunities.

How did the program change you?

I didn't become a different person, but the program certainly shifted how I look at people and at situations both at work and at home. When I went back to work during Module 3, that difference was already noticeable. I found myself coming up with ideas or asking questions that I would not have asked before—or asking old questions in a different way for different reasons.

Which aspects of the GMP experience stand out?

I really enjoyed sitting in a room with people who were operating at a level in their organizations commensurate with mine. Because our industries and backgrounds were so different, I initially thought I would never be able to understand what they were thinking. But as we sat down and talked, we discovered very quickly that we were all human beings who end up causing and solving problems roughly the same way. The challenges they faced were very similar to mine. My confidence grew when I realized how much we had in common and the extent to which I could draw on the experiences of other industries.

What was the living group experience like?

I think we were all a bit nervous coming into the living group. I haven't lived in a communal setting since I was 18, so I wasn't sure how it would work. What would these people be like? Then we got together and talked about our families and the children we had left at home. As we got to know each other, worked on assignments together, and solved business problems together, we began to trust one another. Bonding naturally occurred because we spent so much time together—nights, weekends, and meals. It was a great experience.

Which aspects of the curriculum were most valuable to you?

Mihir Desai, our amazing finance professor, created a wonderful environment in which I built a foundation of knowledge and developed my financial intuition. I have spent the majority of my career in strategy, sales, or marketing. While finance has always been a big part of how my team works and makes decisions, it was always applied in a functional context. In GMP, I really appreciated being able to deepen my understanding of finance. Our group included many people who came from finance or banking and were very helpful and supportive. Though I'm still not a finance expert, I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to think through the questions and come up with logical solutions.

Did GMP change your view of leadership?

GMP has given me a more global view of leadership. My career has mainly been within the U.S., though I work with people from other countries. I've gained a much more intimate understanding and appreciation of the lens through which people look at the world and how and why they make the decisions they do.

I've also learned to go deeper and to think about people's intent versus their impact. As we leaders move up in the organization, we have a great deal more impact on an increasingly large number of people with whom we don't interact every day. Communications and actions can be easily misunderstood. So it is more critical to appreciate the potential for those misunderstandings and the nuances of different people's perspectives.

How do you lead differently as a result of attending GMP?

In my role, I lead other leaders. While there are some conversations I can have with them about what I've learned, my approach is generally to model the behavior I want to see in others. That's often the best form of coaching. I hope they will learn from my example as I ask questions that prompt people to think about an issue or decision in a new and different way.

What advice do you have for someone considering GMP?

People attend the program for different reasons. You might want to progress within your organization or focus on personal development. If you think that down the road you might want to change careers or companies, GMP offers a perfect opportunity to evaluate your capabilities and transferable skills in a different context, while exploring the menu of possibilities.

There will never be a right time for a program like GMP. Just as with starting a family or going on vacation, something will always come up to make you think, "Now's not a good time." But if you're 80% sure GMP is the right move, you just have to commit, choose the time that seems best, and make it a priority. There might be bumps in the road, but it's a four-month investment for a lifetime worth of learning. Seize the opportunity and do it!