Education with a wow feeling!

1 September 2021

“I am often sceptical when it comes to leadership training as the quality can vary, but the Organizational Behavior and Leadership module was superb! I think we all left with a wow feeling.” Sara Sönnermyr, Senior Global Brand Manager at Åbro Bryggeri, was pleasantly surprised by the Executive MBA programme’s last module for the spring semester, when the group could finally meet up again in real life.

After almost two terms of online education, the Executive MBA group 2020-2022 gathered in mid-June at Tofta Herrgård, located between Kungälv and Marstrand, on the Swedish west coast. The programme supervisors rescheduled the module Organizational Behavior and Leadership from January to June in the hope of being able to run it with all participants gathered in one place; and that’s exactly what happened! The group had the conference location all to itself. Upon arrival, a mobile test centre was waiting where all participants were required to take a PCR test and wait for test results before they were admitted. Everyone tested negative.

“It was a joy in itself to be able to sit in the same room as the others in the group again and still be safe because everyone was tested,” says Sara Sönnermyr.

Knowledge to use directly

The module Organizational Behavior and Leadership is characterised by practical exercises, active listening and a lot of reflection. Sara Sönnermyr continues, “It was largely about relationships and about people’s needs and motivation. We were put in different situations through exercises and role plays and worked with very good models that can be used directly in everyday life, both in working life and privately. It also became clear how much experience there is in the group. We learned from each other. In addition, the course leaders, Frank Stenman and Trevor Durnford, were very good at capturing and lifting things in the moment. ”

Responding to the question of what her main takeaways were from the module, Sara Sönnermyr mentions two things:

“The importance of listening instead of coming up with the answers yourself and being aware of how I communicate.”

Hard work that pays off

Sara Sönnermyr started the Executive MBA programme last autumn with high expectations. She wanted to develop, be better prepared for the future and gain an increased overall understanding of the business.

“I have had many aha experiences that have given me a broader perspective. In addition, I appreciate being updated with the latest research and being able to use the new knowledge directly. Already, several times on a Monday after a weekend module, I have ended up in a situation at work that I recognize from the training,” she says and adds:

“And it’s fun, much more fun than I thought! Sure, it’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”