HBS Authentic Leader Development Program Study Abroad Report 2022 by Ms. Saori Imura

We would like to introduce Ms. Saori Imura, a short-term student of the Authentic Leader Development Program at HBS, and her study abroad report.

NUCB Business School supports short-term study abroad programs at IMD, Europe's top business school, and Executive Education programs at HBS, Kellogg, and MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States.

Authentic Leader Development Program

I participated in a six-day "Authentic Leader Development" Program at Harvard Business School (HBS). During the program, we shared a living space on the same floor with seven or eight other members of the Leadership Development Group (LDG), and we used the same living room to spend time with our group members. My group consisted of seven members from the U.S., Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, including five men and two women. The major theme of this program is to think about how to live as an individual, and requires thorough self-disclosure to clarify who you are and to be willing to accept yourself as you are. We share not only our life stories, but also our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, so that we can understand ourselves by seeing ourselves through the eyes of a diverse range of others. The large post-it note with the feedback from all the LDG members is a treasure in itself.

Leadership Purpose

The program also deepens discussions about work and relationship building. In the final stage of the program, the participants created their own Leadership Purpose to "give others a clear reason why they should be a leader" as a leader. My Leadership Purpose is not a one-time creation, but something that I will update as I go along. My Leadership Purpose is "Develop a continuous learning professional team in which everyone can speak their mind". The LDG will share this information and provide feedback to each other. Sharing at the LDG and giving feedback to each other has further deepened my understanding, encouraged me, and given me a lot of courage.

After the 6-day program

After completing the six-day "Authentic Leader Development" Program at HBS, I had a strong sense that HBS is a place that develops people and leaders, not a place that teaches knowledge and skills. It is a special environment - passionate, fast-paced, and incorporating a variety of music and visuals, allowing students to learn with all five senses. I am very grateful to HBS, my family, my workplace and NUCB Business School for supporting me to study in this environment.