Putting Our Leadership Development to the Test

The personal assessment phase of the course revealed to me what professional attributes I most needed to work on – specifically trying to be mindful of my team’s sentiment when leading, rather than always applying a ‘roll the sleeves up and get the job done’ approach. This insight became extremely valuable whilst working through the COVID-19 crisis.

The course showed me that it is essential to lean in and show genuine compassion in complex and difficult situations, whilst at the time ensuring that our team goals were being achieved. I found this required a careful balance of being both a thoughtful leader and a reliable source of listening and understanding. Creating a safe space for team members to share their experiences, and the subsequent impact on their responsibilities, was key to ensuring that the team was set up for success.

When all of the above is combined, there is a sense of relief and happiness that occurs as we begin to see each other as not just work colleagues, but as other human beings. We care more about what happens, we become more open to different opinions and thoughts, and most of all, we become more successful as individuals, as teams and as a company.

Prior to the MDE program, I had a fixed mindset. I liked routine. The most valuable thing I learned on the course is the importance of having a growth mindset and the development that can be stimulated by getting out of my comfort zone.

When the COVID-19 situation hit us, I tried to apply this new mindset to the challenges I then faced. Facing an increased workload, I was quickly able to find ways to create efficiencies and do things better. MDE has helped me to not accept the status quo and think outside of the box. I now work more smartly which has been especially pertinent during lockdown.

I completely agree with Ishaani. Never has a growth mindset been more important than in the time of crisis. Having learned how to deliberately practice this mindset, I saw all the changes and new challenges that came my way as opportunities to grow and lead, rather than as unexpected difficulties. The result was that I turned the focus of my team around from working on long-term initiatives to identifying short-term actions that led to timely success. By doing so, we’ve helped the organization to better understand how our consumers think, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first step to growth is identifying and admitting your own weaknesses. The MDE taught me how to improve on my weaknesses to become the best possible leader. I now make sure to regularly self-reflect and set up goals to improve myself.

One of the main insights from the experience is the importance of communicating a proper purpose with everything we do. As a leader, it is especially important that I provide this sense of purpose to my team members when we are embarking on a project.

The course helped me to realize that my team and I were sometimes missing a strong reason or purpose behind our tasks, which was ultimately leading to poor execution. If a team member doesn’t understand the broader context of where their task fits into the bigger picture, they are not going to be motivated to complete it to a high standard. As a leader, it is critical for me to provide this transparency to my team.

The aspect of the MDE that I found most enriching was the focus on mindset, including motivation and generating energy. Especially during the most challenging times of the COVID-19 crisis, it was extra important to apply this to my daily life. The course made me aware that you can easily generate a lot of energy if you focus on some key basics: sleep, nutrition and exercise. Whilst I couldn’t change the situation in lockdown, I did have control over these basics, which in turn helped me bring energy to my work.