Building my brand and honing my executive leadership skills

4 minute read
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Why I picked Oxford Saïd’s Strategic Executive Management Programme

I have been very fortunate to learn critical skills on the job from amazing managers. My experience was formative and in some ways was the crucible that formed the professional I am today, but as I’ve grown into more senior roles, taken on more responsibility, and have been more on the hook for strategy, I could feel the gaps in my experience growing.

In the past I had taken short-form, online certificates to challenge myself and learn a new skill, but this time I knew I needed something different. Something heavy duty. And something that would build my brand and advance my skills in a meaningful way.  

After assessing several online programmes, I landed on Saïd Business School’s Strategic Management Executive Programme for several reasons. Chief among those reasons was the curriculum. The three modules on Executive Leadership, Executive Finance, and Executive Strategy checked each box I was looking for and the 24-week duration told me that this was no ordinary online certificate program. In particular, I was drawn to the Executive Finance module, because in my work I’ve partnered with corporate development several times and been part of integrations, but I’ve never been on the deal side and wanted to understand valuation at a deeper, more granular level.  

The second reason I selected this programme is more about brand and reputation. My friends all know that if I am buying something, I’m going to research it inside and out and want the best thing that provides the most value to me. In this case, Oxford Saïd is one of the best and I wanted that on my LinkedIn profile, specifically.  

If I were to go back and tell the first-gen, Pell-grant kid who went to undergrad that one day I’d have the opportunity to learn from the faculty at Oxford’s Saïd Business School - I would have never believed it.

Selecting Oxford Saïd’s Strategic Executive Management Programme was one of the best investments I’ve made in myself and my professional development.

The learning experience

I’ve taken several online certificate learning programmes, and the structure and pacing of this programme stand out for several reasons. The content curation, programme staff, and learning platform have been so thoughtfully integrated that as a user, you are immediately immersed in a virtual classroom. This is not an uncoordinated pile of videos on YouTube or your company’s LMS. There are carefully selected articles, real-world artifacts, interactive graphics, and videos that are cleverly used to convey content and concepts in an engaging and fun way.  

At the end of each week’s module, there is also an assignment that is due that week. Sometimes it’s a word document, sometimes an excel file, or maybe even a deck. What I was not expecting as part of this programme is that your work is being graded and you are being provided very detailed feedback on your assignments. I started looking forward to seeing what my individual grades were and the feedback from the programme staff on how I’d worked with the content that week.  

Another surprising thing this programme pulled off, which I know from my own professional experience is hard, is networking. I made several LinkedIn connections from participating in this programme that I would have never thought would have happened, and its because there are live sessions integrated into each module and there are discussion forums with your cohort where folks are actively engaging with the content and seeking feedback. 

How the programme changed my professional development

From day one, I was able to start applying materials, frameworks, and concepts learned in the programme to my work. The final module and capstone project where you learn the Oxford Saïd view of strategy and the Oxford Saïd approach to scenario planning, were particularly meaningful. As part of that module you must develop a strategy playbook that integrates what you’ve learned across six months, and I used that opportunity to develop a strategy playbook for the business I’m in today. Having dedicated time to think about strategy is so hard and this program created the space for me to have it. Beyond that, I can tell I’ve become a better leader, more collaborative, and importantly – more strategic.    

Oxford Strategic Management Executive Programme