As the chief strategy officer of Calik Holding—a multinational, multi-industry conglomerate—Ahmet C. Yildirim is all too familiar with complex business challenges. To fine-tune his problem-solving and decision-making skills, he applied to attend the General Management Program (GMP) at Harvard Business School (HBS). In this interview, Yildirim discusses what he gained from this learning experience, and how it has helped him handle problems that arise, develop corporate strategy, and examine his effectiveness as a leader.
Throughout my career, I have led multifunctional teams, faced many challenges, and managed risks in a very competitive and dynamic environment. GMP has given me a more systematic way of handling problems. Because of my exposure to the case studies covered in the program, I have started approaching my own challenges as case studies, and as a result my diagnosis and assessment skills are stronger than ever. I learned how to step back before taking action, and that has enhanced my ability to pick the right strategy on both a qualitative and a quantitative basis.
Before attending the program, I used to think that inspirational leaders and executives have the natural flair to influence others. I thought it was something they were born with. But now I realize that ordinary leadership skills can be improved and translated into great leadership skills. This multicultural and diverse program helped me develop self-awareness, and self-awareness is priceless.
This program has changed my mindset when it comes to approaching problems and adopting changes. For four years, I have been the chief strategy officer and a member of the board at Calik Holding, one of the most remarkable conglomerates in Turkey. This holding company is active in six sectors and more than 20 countries. Given the company's diversification across both industries and geographies, our business environment is very dynamic. It is affected by many threats, opportunities, and uncertainties in terms of the competitive landscape, market conditions, and geopolitical developments. GMP has helped me improve myself as a cross-functional leader and generate quick strategic options through a "diagnose and act" approach.
