Executive Leadership Program participants and the Emerging Executives Committee recently attended the final 2023 networking session, where small-group breakouts facilitated dialogue that helped forge ties between students of the three programs: Engaging & Influential Leader, Strategic & Branded Executive, and Advanced Business Development. The virtual format enabled more than 25 individuals from around the world to attend. Emerging Executives Committee Vice Chair Ayodeji Daramola, Halliburton, facilitated the session.
The committee designed the networking format to help attendees identify career development and leadership behaviors that work for them and brainstorm ways to continue development post-graduation, including opportunities to develop others.
Participants broke into small group discussions where they reflected on valuable tools and resources they learned about during the year and shared plans to continue developing their leadership skills.
Key takeaways were shared with the entire group at the end of the session. One participant shared how he has discovered the value of servant leadership, encouraging collaboration and diversity of thought.
“This concept is challenging but it’s opened my eyes about leadership in general, taking into account my team’s thoughts, feelings and recommendations, rather than using the traditional style of telling people what to do. When putting this into practice, I have learned others have great ideas and information they can share with me to make better decisions.”
Program Participant
Another participant discussed the value she received from the program’s Executive Coaching.
“We can get bogged down in the day to day and be hard on ourselves, because we’re good at what we do, that’s why we have our positions. But my coach made it clear that at some point at the end of the week, I need to just reflect on the wins and the positives of the week. This helps to keep up morale and motivation versus getting discouraged with things that we could be doing better. That’s something that I just strive to do now, and I encourage my teammates to do so as well.”
Program Participant
Regarding the importance of mentorship one participant shared, “The mentorship piece was very beneficial for me as I was able to build a really positive relationship with my mentor. We met quite often and I actually adopted his method for coaching and mentoring: reviewing what my direct reports are working on, what they need support on, and then diving more into personal and professional growth. I am very pleased I have been able to implement that into my team.”
Graduates of the 2023 Executive Leadership Program will convene for a graduation reception on January 17 in Houston at HMH.
Peggy Helfert, Vice President Programs & Events, writes about the Energy Workforce’s sector-specific best practices and leadership. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
