Chris Williams

Chris, please tell us what motivated you to enrol on the High Performance Leadership programme, and why you chose Henley

‘As I was approaching a transition in my career, I felt that it was a good time to check-in on my position as a leader and enhance my skills.

‘Initially, I looked at Executive MBA programmes, but the timing wasn’t quite right, so I searched around for shorter courses and came across Henley’s High Performance Leadership programme. It seemed to have a great blend of taught content, psychometrics and coaching, all of which ticked boxes for me.’

Was there anything that surprised you about the programme?

‘I have to admit that I had previously been sceptical about psychometric analysis, but I now understand how incredibly powerful it can be in the hands of skilled practitioners!

‘The coaching was also very helpful, and really helped me to get a deeper understanding of my own career path, past and future. I now recognise my own strengths, as well as the areas I need to develop further, and I have a much clearer idea of where I want to go.

‘The Primary Colours® model, which David (Pendleton) presented, was perhaps my biggest take-away from the programme, and is one I will definitely be applying. It gave me a lot of valuable insights into how leadership teams function. It gave me a great deal more clarity around some of the challenges that teams I have been part of have faced in the past, and has shown me more productive and enjoyable ways to work.

‘The diversity of the cohort – even meeting virtually – added another layer to the programme, and we all gained from hearing the different challenges, perspectives and solutions brought to the group by people from different, backgrounds, sectors and countries.’

So what have been the biggest impacts of the programme?

‘The phrase that really resonated with me was that to be a better leader, you need to ‘put your mask on first’. In other words, we have to put ourselves first at times, and ensure that we are healthy, happy, resilient and focused before we can effectively lead our teams.

‘As a finance director, there is sometimes a sense of being the ‘responsible adult’ in the organisation, but there has to be a balance, and the better shape I’m in, the better leader I’ll be.’

What advice then would you offer to anyone considering the Henley High Performing Leadership programme?

‘If you want to become a more general, rounded leader; if your team is out of balance; if you want to improve, or feel like you’re wading through treacle, this is a very worthwhile programme.

‘It’s a really good introduction to executive education for modern leaders, in an environment that is steeped in quality. I’m very happy to recommend it.’

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