Centered Leadership Program

Anna

Anna is a junior associate in the Sweden office and a former participant in McKinsey Sweden’s Centered Leadership Program (CLP).

As a previous participant, what did you find most valuable about the program?

The CLP helped me identify the most important drivers of my development, and provided me with a toolkit to build the best possible foundation for growth. During the program I met many talented and inspiring people, with so many different areas of expertise. In the sessions, we shared both our successes and failures, and I was surprised to find how often we could all relate to similar experiences. I also gained new insight into how people can perceive the same situation in very different ways.

What was it about the program that led you to join McKinsey after you graduated?

I really enjoyed the open and relaxed setting, which helped all of us—students and consultants—to learn from each other. The McKinsey consultants participating the program shared personal experiences very openly, and together we discussed many challenging topics. I was also very impressed by how professionally the program was organized, and by McKinsey’s ability to identify such a warm, talented group of people to invite. My great experience with the consultants and the program itself, together with other interactions with the firm, left me with no doubt about accepting McKinsey’s offer to join after I finished my studies.

How did attending the workshops help you grow personally and professionally?

• Meaning helped me identify what drives me and gives me purpose—a critical enabler for anyone to perform at their best over time
• Energizing made me aware of what gives me energy and what drains me—and highlighted the practical steps I can take to boost the spikes and avoid the dips, both in the short term and long term
• Framing helped me take a step back in stressful situations to understand the underlying drivers of pressure and negativity. This was my favorite session.
• Connecting taught me both to value my relationships and to leverage them for my development—and it also encouraged me to draw on these relationships to support others in achieving their goals.
• Engaging helped me prioritize the things I am passionate about and seize exciting opportunities, rather than doing less important things half-heartedly

What advice would you offer students about CLP?

Be open about sharing your experiences and perspectives, so you contribute fully to the open and welcoming environment. You will learn a great deal about yourself in CLP, and you will gain access to a powerful toolkit for personal development. These tools will be much more useful to you in “real life” if you take time during the program to reflect on actual situations when they would have improved the outcome. Also, knowing is not the same thing as doing.

At the end of every session, decide on one thing that you will change before the next meeting, based on what you have learnt. It will feel great to share stories of your growth with other participants—and to inspire each other to implement your learning in everyday life, as people and as leaders. CLP has provided me with valuable tools and experiences that I will take with me throughout my life. I wish you the best of luck in finding yours too!