LBS Group Work_ The Uniqueness of a Diversified Team

Great Minds:

I never knew how rich Group 3 EMBA27 was, until we had our first meeting on January 30^th, 2022. It was my first time to have a direct interaction with many of the group members since the program commenced on 24^TH of January 2022. I was excited to be in the same team with many great minds from different disciplines, coming together to brainstorm, and provide perspectives to issues at hand. It was never so easy to understand and tolerate one another at the beginning because of our different personalities, but we later overcame this challenge when we realized we needed one another to succeed as a team. What a well-balanced group from different profession: Lawyer, engineer, entrepreneurs, finance, and medical practitioners, benefitting from a diversified opinions on a topic to enrich conversation towards a logical conclusion.

Still Learning:

I have learnt a great deal of what makes an effective leader through these amazing individuals with traits of a great leader. One of the first thing I learnt, was the power of active listening, and respecting the opinion of others even when I do not share their perspectives on a topic. The People-orientation trait of some members have left an indelible mark on my relationship skills even at my place of work. I have learnt to collaborate more and make each member of my team feel important and vital to the success of the team, securing the best effort from them. I was impressed when I first received a telephone call from one of my fellow executives to remind me of the tasks of the week: this energy, motivation, and courage can only come from true leaders. The cooperation, discipline to attend late hour brainstorming session, emotional stability to be active and assume responsibilities for the group after all the stress of the day, has indeed demonstrated the uniqueness of Group 3.

The Impact:

The impact of LBS Executives MBA program on my leadership style, especially my spectacular ABP Group 3 has been very noticeable in my office. In fact, I have received a private commendation from a senior colleague on the positive changes she has noticed in my leadership skill in the last six weeks. My confidence has greatly improved and the way I frame problems in a bid to providing solutions has been very concise, and specific to the issues at hand with alternative options to guide top management decisions. Therefore, my understanding of the Executive MBA program has shifted from networking and passing the exams, to learning from my fellow executives to becoming a better version of myself without losing focus on the formal. Aside from the grouping scheme LBS has adopted to instill a sense of leadership in students, I am looking forward to the mentorship program that would help an independent person to have a second pair of an eye on my development and provide guidance on the area that require improvement.

I have made a personal resolution to continue leaning from my fellow Executives, continue to build my confidence, and make my contribution to support the team.

Zeal07, #EMBA27