I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford – one of our key partners in delivering a suite of leadership development programmes funded by the Department for Education.
There are some places and spaces that make us feel safe and the Saïd Business School is definitely one of them. Not only do participants come together to learn and develop themselves as part of a collegiate peer support and challenge group, they also feel safe to have the more difficult and complex conversations about their leadership.
It was no different for me when I sat in on the ETF Preparing for CEO programme on 3-4 July. I felt a sense of belonging that was familiar to me, 12 years after I took the Strategic Leadership Programme in 2011 as I was stepping into my first senior Executive role. I still recall how the combination of academic theory, philosophy, mindfulness, drama, poetry and music (yes, I did conduct that choir in the college chapel!) made me a more reflective and intelligent leader. The programme helped me understand my levels of energy, how I approach networking and engagement and how I bring my whole self to leadership.
And this time it was no different. I truly enjoyed meeting so many aspiring CEOs from across colleges, having meaningful conversations about purpose and alignment.
