Vijay Naidoo

I couldn’t run away from myself any more and be content in my comfort zone… I had to listen to my inner voice and make some critical changes, leave that which was familiar and comfortable and venture into the unknown. The skills obtained at INSEAD enabled me to make those changes successfully.

INSEAD has a huge reputation in the South African retail bank where I was head of Organisational Development, and I had been reading Manfred Kets de Vries’ books for years. So, when the company agreed to sponsor me through the EMC programme, I didn’t hesitate.

As a psychology graduate, I’d heard a fair amount of the content before, but there were many new concepts and tools to sharpen my trade. I learned about power dynamics and politics, for example, which definitely helped me function better. But what I really got out of the EMC was that I couldn’t run away from myself any more. I had to confront my own thoughts and feelings, and make some key career changes. It also gave me ideas that percolated and are still growing. It helped me to be my best self – and to bring it to work!

I stayed with the bank for two more years after the programme at INSEAD and then went into private practice as an industrial psychologist, coach, organisational development practitioner and lecturer in organisational behaviour to MBA students at a university. I couldn’t have made these changes without EMC, but I think the bank also saw the benefits of my growth because I still do consulting work for them.

I’d recommend the programme to others – and in fact I have already recommended it to two other people who are now attending. It’s a life-changing experience if you want to confront what hinders and mobilises you in life as well as work. When I’m lecturing or consulting to oranisations, I use a lot of what I learnt. But the EMC is much more than content. It works because of the academic staff: the Programme Directors Together, they complement each other, it’s the perfect blend of humanity, intellectual wisdom empathy and care.

The simple truth is that it’s a brilliant programme.