Jackie Martin shares her experiences of the High Performance Leadership programme.
As Director of Education and Lifelong Learning at the Association for Project Management (APM) Jackie is a member of the leadership team and reports to the CEO. She leads a team of thirty and is responsible for the development, delivery and quality assurance of qualifications, standards, content and events which support development for the profession.
“I had reached a point in my career where I felt a bit stuck, but I knew I wanted to move forward and to grow, and address some of the aspects of my role I found more challenging. APM is very good about supporting staff with development opportunities, and were quick to offer support for me to undertake some external training.
“When I was researching my options for executive development the Cranfield website was helpful, but it was when I spoke to the team there and they put me in touch with a past participant that it really clicked that the High Performance Leadership (HPL) programme was for me. Being able to have a conversation with someone who had already experienced the programme helped me make up my mind that this was what I wanted to do.
“In terms of what I expected from the programme, I think I hoped it would do the equivalent of flicking a switch in my head. I wanted something that would help me to see things in a different way and give me the confidence to deal with some more challenging aspects of my role. I wasn’t disappointed!
“In short, I loved the experience I had on the HPL course. The content was exactly what I needed and entirely relevant and transferable to my role. But it wasn’t just the content; that, on its own, is not enough. It always comes back to the people.
“The course leaders were great; they are enthusiastic, motivational and supportive. They were skilled at bringing together a group of fifteen strangers and getting us to a place where we were OK with being vulnerable, happy, a bit scared and ultimately willing share with each other in a meaningful way.
“The main takeaway for me was to believe in myself. Acknowledge the doubts and negativities but then move on, recognising that I can do the stuff that scares me. I have more confidence in my own ability now, and I believe in myself more. I hope that this is reflected in how I work with my team, my colleagues and our wider stakeholders. I feel more empowered to tackle the challenges we’re facing, and I believe this will impact positively across the wider organisation.
“So much of what we did will stay with me and has already been helpful. I think about how I present myself and how I come across much more now. I am still applying what I learned in different contexts as new challenges arise and will continue to do so. HPL has given me the confidence to question and challenge things more, and I think that alone will help me succeed in my current role. I am feeling happier and more in control than I was 12 months ago.
I would totally recommend HPL to others. In fact, I challenge anyone to do the course and not find it fascinating in terms of thinking about what you do and how it makes you feel. It will push you out of your comfort zone and, at times, it will make you question yourself and your choices. But the impact it has is absolutely worth it.
Thank you, Cranfield, for the experience. I won’t forget it.
Download the High Performance Leadership programme brochure to discover more:
