Why I Chose to Invest in an EMC at INSEAD

I'm often asked why I chose to pursue the INSEAD Executive Master in Change (EMC) programme.

The answer is quite simple: I chose to do so because I want to be a more effective collaborator, communicator and empathetic leader to my family members, friends and colleagues.

What I ultimately want is to become a better person at home as well as at work. I have invested a lot of time and effort in acquiring knowledge in many fields such as engineering, finance, information technology and marketing over the past two decades of my professional career. I have truly worked hard to deliver professional results. My career has been progressive as I continue to learn more about the different markets, competitors and other work-related factors. But what I had not realised throughout all of this was how little I knew about myself.

The first hint of my self-awareness issue was when I did a 360 feedback with my subordinates in my previous organisation some years back. Back then, I did not take it seriously. Later on, when I joined INSEAD, I did a similar assessment and the feedback from my colleagues was again misaligned with my own expectation of myself.

At first, I denied the results and insisted that I knew myself well enough to know that the feedback was wrong.

But over time, my self-denial started to affect the relationship I had with my loved ones. My wife and a few trusted sources gave me feedback that was consistent with the misalignment between how others see me and my self-perception. After over a year of struggle, I decided to take matters seriously, and looked at how I could better myself. 

As part of my due diligence before investing in self-help, I searched for different courses, workshops and other training from around the world – and finally realised the INSEAD EMC was the best fit for me.

I look forward to embarking upon this journey of self-change and reflection.