--- title: Cranfield Executive Development Blog | Mark Threlfall description: Mark joined the Centre for Customised Executive Development in May 2005. Previously he was with Lancaster University Management School within their Management Development Division having obtained his MBA with Distinction from Lancaster in 2002. Mark has undertaken numerous client assignments worldwide and is currently heavily involved with programmes being delivered in the Middle East working with the Environment Agency and the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi. He has developed through his experience and range of clients from various sectors real in depth skills associated with Process Consulting being particularly effective during the diagnosis phase of an engagement. Through his use of Soft Systems Thinking which he was taught by Peter Checkland whist at Lancaster University Mark is able to interpret organisational situations and needs at an intuitive and deeper level, this enables him to design highly innovative and effective learning interventions which are different from the norm. Clients Mark has a number of clients from the oil and gas sector and has worked with companies such as Subsea 7, Venture Production, Total UK and Optimus Safety Management. Other clients that Mark has designed and delivered learning interventions for include SwissRe, Sony Playstation, and O2. --- [![Marques-SoM](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Marques-SoM.png?width=85&name=Marques-SoM.png)](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som)   - [Home](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge) - Featured - [CEO Summit](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/ceo-summit-2021) - Categories - [Changing World of Work](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/changing-world-of-work) - [Digital Transformation](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/digital-transformation) - [Economics](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/economics) - [Entrepreneurship](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/entrepreneurship) - [Finance and Accounting](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/finance-and-accounting) - [Implementation](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/implementation) - [Leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/leadership) - [Logistics and Supply Chain](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/logistics-and-supply-chain) - [Organisational Behaviour](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/topic/organisational-behaviour) - [Organisational Resilience](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/topic/organisational-resilience) - [Strategic Marketing and Sales](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/strategic-marketing-and-sales) - [Strategy](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/strategy) - [Sustainability](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/sustainability) - [Executive Development](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/executive-development) - Content - [Articles](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/article) - [Whitepapers](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/whitepaper) - [eBooks](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/ebook) - [Podcasts](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/podcast) - [Webinars](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/webinar) - [Videos](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge/tag/video) - Programmes - [Open Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/open-executive-programmes) - [Customised Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development/consultancy-and-custom-solutions) - [MBA Programmes ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/cranfield-mba-programmes) - [Master's Apprenticeships ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/management-and-leadership-masterships) - [The Blog](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev) ### Subscribe to our blog for exclusive insights. # The Blog ## Actionable insights from across the Cranfield network [![BECOME A MEMBER](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/417879/b9b69d4d-7ced-4ee8-bd11-b66d3bd4d1b7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/417879/b9b69d4d-7ced-4ee8-bd11-b66d3bd4d1b7) - [Recent Posts](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev) - [Leadership](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/leadership#topic) - [Small business](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/small-business#topic) - [Skills](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/skills#topic) - [Reflections](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/reflections#topic) - [Mentoring](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/mentoring#topic) - [Coaching](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/coaching#topic) - [Impact](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/impact#topic) - [Influence](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/influence#topic) - [Management](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/management#topic) - [Conversations](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/conversations#topic) - [Talent](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/talent#topic) - [Career](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/career#topic) - [Back to Knowledge hub](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/knowledge#topic) ![Why traditional leadership development for senior leaders doesn’t work](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/General%20Management/General%20Management/kalen-emsley-100237-unsplash.jpg) ![](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/Cranfield%20Live%20Online/Mark%20threfall.jpg) By [Mark Threlfall](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/author/mark-threlfall) ## [Why traditional leadership development for senior leaders doesn’t work](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/why-leadership-development-doesnt-work) Standard leadership development programmes stay above the shoulders, and that’s the problem. They’re often focused primarily on... *( read )* Tags: [Cranfield School of Management](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/cranfield-school-of-management), [featured learning](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/featured-learning), [learning](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/execdev/topic/learning), ## Talk to us about your world Call us on [+44 (0)1234 754500](tel:+441234754500) [Talk to us ↗](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development/contact-us) [![cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo](https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo.png?width=300&name=cranfieldexecutivedevelopmentlogo.png)](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/executive-development)   - - - - - - © Cranfield Management Development Ltd - **[execdev@cranfield.ac.uk](mailto:execdev@cranfield.ac.uk)  ·  [+44 (0)1234 754500](tel:+44%20(0)%201234%20754500)**  ·  [Privacy Policy](https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://417879.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/417879/Knowledge%20Hub%20%2B%20Blog/CED_KH_v6.mp4", "dateModified" : "2023-05-12T11:14:23.676Z", "description" : "", "duration" : "PT1M13S", "height" : 1080, "name" : "CED_KH_v6", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://blog.som.cranfield.ac.uk/hubfs/Knowledge%20Hub%20%2B%20Blog/CED_KH_v6.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2021-07-08T10:07:25.171Z", "width" : 1920 } ```