Learning Through the Lens of Diversity
Kris Wright is Vice President of Global Footwear at Nike. As a company, Nike is committed to the acceleration of emerging leaders within the organization. As one of those individuals, Kris was looking for an opportunity to validate his leadership identity, and choosing to attend the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School (HBS) was an easy decision. Here, he describes how the program gave him perspective.
What was the biggest takeaway for you?
My biggest takeaway was learning through diversity. I was amazed to discover on the first day that the majority of my peers came from very different backgrounds—different countries, different cultures, different industries. When I reflect on the case study conversations, the breakout sessions, and the study sessions that we had, the diversity of thought and unique perspectives allowed me to truly digest the information that was being discussed. At my company, my peers and I may all come from the same industry background. Being thrust into an environment with so many disparate points of view was refreshing. It really sparked my thinking and helped me look at things from new perspectives.
How did the program influence your approach to leadership?
My leadership identity is all about making sure that I'm authentic, making sure I'm leading the team first, and, more importantly, making sure that everything is about leading through a moral compass—doing what is right. I wasn't necessarily coming into the program looking for a new leadership identity. I was hoping to validate the one I've developed, and I walked away from the program feeling invigorated and good about the affirmation that I received.
Is there anything that surprised you about the campus itself?
I first entered college in 1994, and that was the only year that I actually lived on campus. When I arrived at HBS, the experience was completely different. Literally every detail has been considered here, including an underground tunnel that allows people to walk to the gym from their rooms. Every detail that you could imagine was considered. I appreciated that.
Do you have any advice for future participants?
One of the most important things to consider is your approach to time management. There are a number of competing priorities in an environment like this. The social aspect of the program, for example, is important because you want to be able to network with other participants. But you have to balance that with the workload because the case studies are critical as well. In my case, I was 20 years removed from college, so it was important to manage my time in order to go through the case studies and retain that information. Reviewing the cases the night before was helpful, so the concepts were fresh in my mind. The balancing act of being a participant is critical to success.