As the owner of One Entertainment, Heather Reynolds is no stranger to overcoming talent management challenges. But after leading her own organization for more than 10 years, she decided it was time to acquire formal strategies aimed at growing her brand. After attending our Owner/President Management (OPM) program, Heather spoke to us about how OPM strengthened her capabilities, both as a leader and a business owner.
When my client and I ventured into a business entirely outside my area of expertise, we fumbled a bit. Many of our decisions were based on gut feelings rather than proven methods. I thought OPM would help with course correction—and it did. I learned how to find our space on the playing field, pitch an idea, and run with it. OPM went above and beyond my expectations, forever changing the way I perceive business and the world.
The program is structured so that each unit builds on the previous one. This allows you to learn, incorporate those strategies into your organization, and come back to learn more. The break between units was just enough time to process what I'd learned and implement some of the actionable insights.
After completing the program, I'm evaluating opportunities through a different lens. We've shifted our attention to creating competitive advantage, while revamping some systems to better align with that goal. Using the insights that I gained at OPM, we intentionally left one area of business in order to focus our resources on another. Because of the program, I'm targeting new opportunities in a more cohesive way.
Decency is part of the Harvard Business School philosophy—and it's now front and center in my thought process as well. I always operated ethically, but the concept of decency makes it more personal. The idea of earning "a decent profit decently" now permeates every layer of my business decisions. I'm taking ownership of my responsibility to serve a greater purpose in the community.
OPM urged me to be a better, more attentive listener. So even if I'm not asking THE right question, I'm asking better ones. The case studies also helped me learn how to sort though information more effectively. I've become more methodical in figuring out what I don't know.