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Oxford High Performance Leadership ProgrammeAn Interview with alumnus Bruno FrossardI operate in a business that is growing in a very challenging industry, and we’ve got ambitious plans to grow it still further. We are aiming to increase turnover from $10 million to $50 million, with more or less the same number of staff, by exploring new segments, implementing lots of systems and increasing productivity, for example by better aligning rewards with performance.

So as I discussed this with our board of shareholders, the question that formed in my mind was: do I need to change? And that is what brought me to the Oxford High Performance Leadership Programme.

I enjoyed filling in the questionnaire as part of the preparation for the Programme. Life is always so busy that we don’t get much of an opportunity to think about ourselves, or learn about what sort of leaders we are

from the people we are supposed to be leading. In my organisation we do have 360 degree feedback in theory, but everyone is too careful to tell us directly what they really think. So this questionnaire from Oxford was a good and rare opportunity for me to understand my team and how they assess my leadership.

The programme has reinforced my ideas and beliefs about my leadership style. One of the psychometric questionnaires allowed me to identify my ‘natural strengths’, my ‘fragile strengths’ and the strengths I need to develop. A characteristic of mine that came across all too clearly is that I tend to take everything on my shoulders.

Bruno Frossard, CEO, Techduto Tecnologia, Brazil Oxford High Performance Leadership Programme alumnus

“Do I need to learn new leadership skills? Or should I continue with what I have and improve and enhance that? Or neither? Or both?”

“So perhaps the most important idea that I took away from this programme is that you cannot expect to be the perfect, complete leader.”

SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL WWW.SBS.OXFORD.EDU

Whatever your strengths, there are always things that you can’t do or that others can do better. And that’s fine: you need to understand your strengths and then work out where you can improve and where you should think about bringing in other colleagues or outside experts.

My one-to-one experience with Trevor was excellent. I’d never had coaching before – I always meant to, but never got around to it – and I discovered that it gave me a space in which to explore my fears. As a leader you always put a brave face on things and talk positively to your team. You then go back to your lonely office and start asking questions of yourself. My big fear is that of failure, of not achieving what I want to achieve. The coaching helped me to face that and explore it; then Trevor gave me lots of techniques that I can use to address these feelings whenever they crop up.

I’m going to make incremental changes from the moment I get back to the office on Monday. It will be very subtle – I will just be thinking differently, finding other ways to interact with colleagues, and other ways to approach tasks.

I learnt a lot on this programme from colleagues who came from so many different countries, different industries, different sectors and different types of organisations. But however diverse our backgrounds, we all have similar issues and challenges.

One of the really good things about the programme was that there wasn’t a single style of teaching. The large-group sessions were great, but I felt particularly comfortable sharing my views in the challenge groups, the peer-group coaching, and the small-group tutorials.

Even if you come from another country, the moment you walk into the building here it feels as if you are at home. The staff members are very friendly. The food is great. And the hospitality is great. Even though we had very long days, from 8.30am to late in the evening, we didn’t feel it. The variety of teaching styles, different members of faculty, constant feedback and questions mean that you don’t feel bored and you don’t feel tired.

When I was considering it there were some case studies in the brochure that just resonated with me, and made me want to come. It was hard work, but everyone on the programme was there for a similar reason and committed to contributing and getting the most out of the experience. What I learned from my experience there was absolutely worth all the effort.

You can discover more about the Oxford High Performance Leadership Programme by visiting our programme website:www.sbs.oxford.edu/hpl

“I would say to anyone contemplating applying to this programme that you won’t choose it – it will choose you!”