HBS Authentic Leader Development Program Study Abroad Report 2022, Ayumi Yonemura

We are pleased to introduce a study abroad report from Ayumi Yonemura, a short-term student of the Authentic Leader Development Program at Harvard Business School.

Nagoya University of Commerce 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

　On May 22-27, 2022, I participated in the Harvard Business School's Authentic Leader Development Program (ALD) for six days. The program brought together approximately 150 selected leaders from over 30 countries who spent a diverse and passionate time together. My motivation for attending the program was to gain a core foundation for my future leadership as I work with multinational teams in my current position, and ALD was exactly what I was looking for.

Advance Preparation

　Preparation for the program begins in earnest one month prior to participation, and all topics are published centrally on an Internet platform called the ALD Learning Community, including communications and agendas for the entire program, assignments for the duration of the course, and relevant information for the stay. Based on this information, participants can be fully prepared for their participation.

　Two main tasks required advance preparation. The first is to proceed with class assignments based on the books and materials. The assigned workbooks prepare the groundwork for the entire program discussion. The workbook is primarily to organize your own experiences, background, and values as the basis for your leadership.

　Secondly, we were asked to interview five people who have been significant in your life, learn about their leadership, and gain personal insights into the main themes of the ALD. The stories and relationships that I heard from these interviewees were a valuable asset in themselves, as I would not have been able to learn more about these people who have made such a significant impact on my life had I not participated in ALD.

Experience the program.

　Learning at ALD is truly an experience, and by intensively discussing and experiencing together with a diverse group of peers for six days, you will realize and further develop the theory. Even in the same discussion, each of us will receive different things, and we will not reach the same conclusion as someone else. In this sense, the learning becomes personal, and I felt that this value is gained by investing time in this discussion. I am confident that these experiences will push me forward in my career from time to time.