“I believe this course has exposed me to different leadership approaches, which will positively impact the vision and direction of growth and the potential success of my organization” said Joseph Chibuye (Zambia) who joined the 5-day executive Strategic Leadership program from 12 – 16 April 2021.
Strategic Performance Management
The first day Leo Kerklaan, strategic performance management expert and lead trainer of the program, taught the participants the nature of a strategy and explained that strategic planning is an evolutionary process which should be part of a continuous management lifecycle. The participants learned about the most important tasks within the strategy life cycle to avoid failure along the process. Leo Kerklaan discussed typical strategic issues and shared examples of strategic concepts. In the afternoon, the participants learned about the role and contribution of leadership in strategy design and execution.
Tools for strategic analysis
On the second day the participants were introduced to the different tools and instruments for strategic planning, analysis and implementation. They learned about environmental scanning in which an organization analyses its in- and external environment to identify opportunities and threats that could influence future decisions and thus important for the strategic planning process.
Strategy frameworks
The third day addressed the importance of strategy modeling in relation to direction setting. The participants were introduced to the strategy house, an instrument to communicate your strategy in a simple but effective way. In the afternoon, Leo Kerklaan explained the value of creating a strategy map. A strategy map provides companies with a way to convey the message of their strategy to employees and other stakeholders to increase engagement and commitment along the strategic process. Engagement and commitment are essential factors in executing a strategic plan.
Especially this part of the program was very valuable to Joseph Chibuye: “It has exposed me to innovative ideas and knowledge about integrating analytical and human dimensions into strategy developing in a way that will create a winning outcome and which will help to get understanding and commitment within my organization to the common agenda. Secondly, I have learnt how to develop the strategic capacity of each of my institution’s stakeholder groups. With this knowledge, I am now well positioned to develop new perspectives and insights to lead in a way that incorporates both dimensions as we embark on developing the new strategic plan.”
Also Filippo Bianchi - born in Italy and now living and working in the Netherlands - recognizes that it takes strong leadership skills to execute a successful strategic plan: “As an Aerospace Engineer I lacked the strategic and leadership skills to work towards a common objective and vision. This course helped me achieving this objective. Furthermore, this course gave me a solid background on how to deal and monitor strategic objectives.”
Monitoring and dash-boarding
The fourth day of the program focused on defining and tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Leo explained about the difference between result-KPIs and driver-KPIs and the value of these performance indicators within a strategy. The participants explored some typical KPI template examples, which offer an efficient way of identifying and keeping track of the agreed objectives.
Team work to enhance strategy execution
The last day of the program was all about the importance of creating effective teams to enhance organizational performance. The participants were introduced to different styles of leadership and how to build high performance teams. To finalize the program, the participants integrated all the new insights, knowledge and skills in the implementation plan to achieve the strategic objectives of their own organizations.
The program was highly appreciated by all participants. According to Alfonso Martinez - born in the USA and now living and working in the Netherlands - the program was exactly as he expected: “The program delivered what it promised with the right number of lectures and examples. The course has taken me on the journey of thinking strategically and provided me with the framework which I can apply in my work.”
Filippo added: “The program was well organized and presented a good balance between theory and practical examples. Everyone could focus on its own case while listening to other interesting participants.”
Also for Zakaria Hocine from Algeria the program has been very valuable: “This program was very well structured and rich, and based on theory, practice and examples, which helped us to better understand the content. This experience helped me to gain knowledge that I will use when working on a new research theme in the future. It is a very interesting course that I will share with my colleagues.”
On the question if they would encourage other professionals to join this program, Joseph commented: “I would encourage any professional seeking to make a meaningful contribution to their organization, to consider enrolling in this program.” Zakaria fully agrees with the words of Joseph: “I would strongly suggest this course to all those who are looking to acquire new knowledge or update their knowledge. It is a good training to evaluate your knowledge and leadership skills and develop them in a very short timeframe. Don't miss such a chance!”
Also, Leo Kerklaan looks back at a very successful week: “Amazing - how fast the participants worked together as a team, given the fact that it was an online course. I loved to see that all were determined once back home to apply the holistic approach of strategic management cycle in their own organization.”
Would you like to join the next Strategic Leadership program?
The next Strategic Leadership program will take place from 15 – 19 November 2021. In case you would like to join, make sure you apply before 15 October 2021 (Non-EU).
About MSM’s executive education programs
In today’s rapidly changing world, it is important for leaders and professionals to keep their knowledge and skills up to date and relevant. Investing in executive education is investing in your future. At MSM, we embrace this lifelong learning approach! MSM’s hands-on executive programs, led by thought leaders and business experts, provide a practical and action-oriented learning experience and are designed to have an immediate impact on performance.
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