Blazing Your Own Path to Effective Leadership
In his role as CFO, Sean Whiteley-Ross oversees control and reporting, budgeting and forecasting, and other key financial functions at OCHIN, Inc., an innovator in health care solutions. He recognizes that, as his company grows, he must have the professional agility to take on an even wider range of leadership challenges. That's why he attended the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education. He shares some highlights from his experience.
Why did you choose to apply to this program?
I believe that the wealth of any company is its people, and true change occurs when senior management teams unlock their potential. It's the duty of senior management to create an environment that nurtures each employee’s leadership capacity, and the High Potentials Leadership Program (HPLP) focuses on this duty. My previous experience in the Changing the Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making program gave me the confidence to realize that I would benefit from any program offered through HBS Executive Education.
How did this program change or influence your approach to leadership?
This program helped me understand the great dichotomy of leadership—everyone wants to be successful, but not everyone wants to get there in the same way or even defines success in the same way. Additionally, it helped me understand myself and my personal leadership style, assess who and what I have to work with, and set a clear vision that others can buy into.
How would you describe the program's value to someone considering it?
Time after time, we have seen that leadership plays a pivotal role in the success of organizations. In all aspects of people's lives, they are looking for authentic leaders they can follow who have values that are consistent with their own and will help them achieve success as they define it. If you think you are already a good leader, then this course can help you become a great one. If you think you are a great leader, then this will confirm that you are correct in focusing on the values and vision of your organization and giving your team a future worth striving toward.
What impact has this program had on you since you attended?
Since attending HPLP, I have identified areas in my own leadership style that can be enhanced and can result in better outcomes for myself and for those that I lead. For me, the program’s greatest impact was the opportunity to completely rethink what I can do to be a great leader for my direct reports. In one eye-opening exercise, the professor asked participants to list the traits of our best managers. Of the 40 traits identified by this international group of driven individuals, 37 were what I would call "soft" skills—such as loyalty, vision, and supportiveness—as opposed to "hard" skills like intelligence and skill.
How did this program complement your previous experience in Changing the Game?
Because of my previous experience at HBS, which was very positive, I was familiar with the structure and format. That helped me dive right in and take advantage of what I believe is a singularly unique learning environment. The combination of world-renowned educators and like-minded executives from around the globe created an experience that cannot be replicated in other executive education settings. Coming back to HBS provided me with the opportunity to realign myself with the concepts that I learned in my previous course and added skills to my repertoire of senior leadership tools. Each executive education program touches on a different aspect of the spectrum of executive performance and provides valuable insights.