Dr Marc Mangold

Marc, how did you initially choose the Henley Advanced Personal Leadership (APL) Programme?

‘I had been looking for a programme that would help me to become a better leader and manager, and a colleague of mine – our CMO – had been to Henley and studied there, and said it was the best programme he had been on, so after reviewing the programme I enrolled.’

So did it live up to your expectations?

‘I expected it to be similar to other management training programmes I had attended – and that there would be high-quality teaching with expert guest speakers and case studies.

‘But from the very first minute I realised that this was different! This was teaching by experience – the best kind of learning. And while I expected there to be case studies, I soon realised that I was the case study. We all were!

‘I could see that everyone had similar issues and that we were all facing the same challenges ahead of us in our jobs. It was also interesting to note that everyone had their own difficulties, and I realised that this is normal. At first it was tough getting feedback on my opportunity areas but it soon became clear that this is the best way to become a more effective leader.’

What were the highlights of the programme?

‘The feedback session was – in hindsight – a real highlight of the programme for me. Understanding that the only thing that matters about your behaviour and performance is what other people perceive was painful at first, but I came to see the benefits of the process, so much so that by the end I was constantly seeking more feedback. Leadership is all about asking the right questions.’

So what impact has it had on you, and on the organisation?

‘I feel that I’m much better at handling business relationships and I have a different perspective on the objectives of my peers.

‘As a result, I’ve given the team more space to become leaders themselves. We’ve run a number of joined-up activities, with positive outcomes – and when the stars are aligned, we all perform better. I’m sure the programme has contributed to this.’

So what makes this programme so special?

‘We talked about this a lot in my group, and it’s difficult to explain. This is anything but a traditional programme. Each person on the programme has to define what works best and how to get there. But it had a real impact on me – from start to finish. It was the best management training experience I have had.’

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