Learning

IMD designs and delivers high-impact customized learning journeys through classroom, virtual liVe and online learning experiences, coaching, discovery expeditions, innovation interventions, mega dives and experiential leadership exercises.

As the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations, IMD tailors learning journeys for individuals up to thousands of participants, delivered in the location of choice.

With the client, the business school accelerates strategy implementation and drives change through a unique methodology and award-winning faculty – building the individual and organizational capabilities needed to be successful today, while preparing for the future and contributing to society.

In a strong sign of global demand for IMD’s world-leading approach, custom programs recorded the third annual highest revenues on record, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. The team also increased significantly its win rate for new business.

The team innovated further in 2021, launching video and podcast series across its custom programs and sharing content from IMD’s new knowledge hub - I by IMD - to enrich learning experiences with relevant, practical and high-quality insights.

This nimble and informed approach of “standardizing more to be able to customize more” built on the observation that there are some parts of the IMD offering that all clients need and other areas where customization is critical to create more targeted, cost effective impact.

How IMD helped Brazilian energy group Eneva chart a course for 2030

When Brazilian energy group Eneva needed to develop a new, long-term plan for transformational growth, its leadership discovered that the best way to do so was to step out of the everyday — and be challenged to build its “Vision House”.

The concept, developed with IMD, established key “must-win” battles that are stepping stones to the successful achievement of fresh strategic direction, embodied in a Vision House.

Having emerged from bankruptcy in 2017, Eneva developed a short-term plan with IMD a year later that delivered significant initial success. The company rapidly staked out a leading position in Brazil’s gas exploration and production market by focusing on extracting gas in territory onshore and feeding it directly into the electricity grid. Success came not just in strategic terms: its share price rose to impressive levels.

The plan set out the aspiration in a simple diagram known as Vision House, consisting of three “must-win battles” for 2023, the core behaviors needed to win those battles, the sources of value creation, and an overall mission.

Then, in 2021, with its initial plan moving faster than expected, Eneva re-engaged with IMD on a new plan for the next eight years, involving striking the right balance between exploiting its core strength in gas exploration and converting gas into electricity, while pushing into renewables and becoming a key part of Brazil’s energy plans — all while nurturing sustainable communities where Eneva operates.

“I think there is a huge opportunity in the Brazilian market. When you look at the … needs of the country in terms of energy and infrastructure, what you see is a massive opportunity in renewables. So, we have to position ourselves to focus on supporting the country's growth for not only the next eight years, but 10 to 20 years,” says Pedro Zimmer, Chief Executive.

Key to achieving this with IMD was a willingness to step out of the everyday and take stock, with senior management exchanging ideas with each other, challenging each other and ultimately developing new ideas.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to see new trends and focus and discuss a lot about our group plan,” says Marcelo Habibe, Chief Financial Officer. “And now we have a very robust plan to pursue for the next eight years.”

Susan Goldsworthy and team recognized for excellence in executive education at Chief Learning Officer magazine awards.

Affiliate Professor of Leadership, Communications and Organizational Change Susan Goldsworthy OLY and her team co-created an award-winning, customized leadership program with air transport industry IT provider SITA. The goal? To accelerate SITA’s transformation and cultural evolution.

Running across six cohorts of SITA’s top 200 executives, Professor Goldsworthy’s team worked closely with the multinational firm to design a program that could be easily translated into day-to-day practice, with a focus on three goals:

• Develop adaptability, resilience and the ability to apply SITA leadership practices, while creating a sense of psychological safety
• Increase self-awareness among leaders, develop authenticity and deploy strengths to teams
• Return leaders to the business with a consistent leadership approach, applying common techniques and displaying a collective shift in mindset

“The program is designed around the concept of secure base leadership to build psychological safety and resilience, co-creating the conditions where curiosity, creativity and innovation can flourish,” said Professor Goldsworthy, co-author of award-winning book, Care to Dare.

By February 2021, around 120 SITA leaders had completed the program, with a further 60 undertaking the virtual journey throughout the year. SITA said the program contributed to the company’s ranking in the top 30 of Forbes World’s Best Employers - the first time it had made the list.

“I do think we owe you a lot for this one, and you can certainly be proud of your impact on our management team,” said SITA CEO Barbara Dalibard. “We have created networks within teams. They have a much better understanding of who they are, how they act, which one of our values is their best. Part of the ranking in the Forbes Best was really, I think, a clear recognition that things were much better, and people have done a lot and owe a lot to the program.”

The learning that participants took from the program and shared with their teams resulted in increased collaboration and enhanced agility across SITA.

“As dramatic as it sounds, it was life-changing,” said Diana Einterz, Excom member and President of the Americas. “The ‘aha’ moments will have a huge impact on my life going forward. I’ve been in business for 40 years and it’s one of the best programs in which I have ever participated.”

After graduation, 90% of participants said that over 6-12 months, the program would have high impact on them individually and on SITA, with an average program rating of 4.6 (out of 5) across the four cohorts.