How to develop core strength at pace
As a recent AIESEC alumnus, it is very interesting, though not surprising, to see the speed at which the global organisation changes in response to changes in the external environment. Programmes are added, acronyms are changed and within 2 months of leaving the organisation the 3rd version of the global intranet in my time has been released! But what I truly love about the organisation is that the essence of developing global leaders has remained at the core, driving motivation across continents.
This unwavering purpose draws the organisation together and is fundamental to its success over the past 60-odd years. I would have to say from my own personal experience that the self-driven experiential leadership development has provided knowledge, skills and more importantly, perspective that I would have never otherwise had. Of course, as with any organisational strength within AIESEC, the question was asked, “How can we do this whole leadership development thing better?”
This same question sparked a conversation in 2008 between Vishal Jodhani Talent Management repsonsible for AIESEC International, and Gabriela Albescu & Jarda Dokoupil, two AIESEC alumni working with Future Considerations, a leadership development and change consultancy that I have the pleasure of working with in London, UK. By the end of 2008, the first workshops of the programme were ready to be delivered. 2009 saw expansion of the programme to include direct development with the AI current and elect teams and by February 2012 approximately 350 MCPs will have participated in the programme and we are currently exploring ways that support may exist for it to be scaled to include MC teams as part of the objectives of the programme. The speed at which this programme has been implemented is a credit to the dedication of consecutive AI teams, Gabriela and Jarda.
I look at this as an example of how common purpose acts as a fundamental driver for timely action. Within 6 months the idea for a global development programme went from an idea to a reality and it continues to drive growth and performance of the organisation and even more important, the fact that it directly relats to leadership, the essence of AIESEC, this type of activity would remain eternally relevant.
My learning from this example stems into the organisations and teams that I have worked with and am working with.
- Do my colleagues and I share the same understanding as to why we are working together?
- How does this common purpose shape action to achieve performance?
- If something is missing in terms of a common purpose, then how can this be recognised and rectified as part of a team?
I feel that as an alumnus of the organisation, our ability to learn from our time in AIESEC will only continue to grow and serve is in our professional careers and personal lives. Though, as always, it is up to us as individuals to find that learning and apply that in the most appropriate way.
Peter Masters is the first intern working with Future Considerations and plays a key role in the marketing and communications of the company. Previous to his internship he was the MCVP ICX for AIESEC Australia 2009-2010.
Future Considerations is a global consultancy whose mission is to enable the world’s leaders, institutions and systems to evolve, and to influence the greatest challenges of our time. We work with partners (such as HSBC, Shell and AIESEC) to transform their leadership, teams and organisations by applying leading edge thinking to business reality and effect deep personal development as a conduit for organisational change, and vice-versa.
If you would like to know more about Future Considerations, AIESEC or the programme itself, please feel free to email peter@futureconsiderations-copy.dev
Comments are closed.