"5 Reasons Why."

1.    What motivated you to pursue the Leading Professional Team certificate program?

Leading a global team of professionals, yet being a middle manager, has its challenges. I wanted to learn how to instill ownership and accountability in my team by leveraging everyone's capabilities. I've never had formal leadership training and was looking for a program that won't just focus on what it means to be a great leader but also provide insights into how to manage-up and show the value of your team to stakeholders.

2.    What superpower knowledge, skill, or tool did you develop in the LPT program?

I have always loved the concept of continuous improvement. I hold it as a personal value, as well as a professional. Throughout the program, I've mastered the art of prioritizing changes or improvements that will make the most impact and learnt to identify inefficiencies and waste.

3.    Can you describe a group project you led during or after your business program?

During the program, I worked on building my team's quarterly and yearly OKRs. My approach was to get ideas from the team and ensure we were fully aligned with company OKRs. In addition, I wanted to leverage the team's thoughts and ideas and motivate everyone to make a group decision. It was a completely new process for everyone, so my job was to ensure that people stayed focused and encouraged them to think beyond the obvious. As a result, we've completed the initiative on time and are now in full swing delivering on our objectives.

4.    What was your biggest 'ah, ha' learning moment?

In the past, I often found it difficult to provide feedback and was afraid to be too direct. However, after taking the program, I feel more confident approaching people with timely and to-the-point feedback, which people also appreciate. Another ah-ha moment was about running meetings. I used to think it was important for a manager to be present at every company or project-related meeting. By reducing the number of ineffective meetings in my calendar, I managed to free up time to focus on the activities that provided value to the team and the business.

5.    How has your approach to problem-solving in your work changed since taking this course?

The fundamental concept of the course was the leader's ability to develop situational awareness and self-awareness. After an initial evaluation of the dimensions of the problem and the stakeholders involved, I now try to look at it through these two lenses, always thinking of areas to improve.