Case Study - Richard Bowyer

How did you come to be on Henley’s Certificate in Leadership programme?

‘I was keen to develop my leadership style and realised that in order to do so, I needed to remove myself from my day-to-day environment.

‘So just as I started my search for a suitable course, I received an email from Henley Business School, and having looked into their Leadership programme, I quickly identified that there was no other equivalent programme elsewhere and that it ticked all my boxes. I liked the calm space it offered, the fact that it would give me a recognised, formal, M-level qualification, the balance between practice and theory, and that it wasn’t sector specific.’

So what were your expectations, and to what extent have they been met so far?

‘It has met all my expectations, and exceeded them in several areas. The spread of backgrounds across the cohort has been very interesting, with participants from public, private and third sectors, which has opened up lots of diverse perspectives.

‘The practical nature of the assignments – which are geared to each delegate’s individual circumstances – has been particularly good, and I’ve enjoyed the reading and writing much more than I thought I would.

‘It feels like the programme is moving at a real pace, and whilst it’s testing me, I’m enjoying the challenge.’

What then, have been the notable impacts of the programme to date?

‘It’s made me more thoughtful and more empathetic. I’ve found myself developing new ideas in response to the organisational challenges we’re facing.

‘I’m more reflective now, and tend to give more active thought to my own leadership style.’

Do you have any advice to anyone thinking of enrolling on the Henley Certificate in Leadership programme?

‘It’s something that we so often take for granted, but I’ve realised what a privilege it is to have time to think about what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and why.

‘Equally, every participant is well supported by the team at Henley and I’ve valued that highly. The programme itself is designed to be very flexible, so you can take one, two or all three stages. The tutors are very engaging, and there are great resources in the ARC (Academic Resource Centre).

‘There’s lots of scope with the assignments, so you can focus on what’s really important to you and your organisation. So you can decide what you want to achieve, and work towards that as part of the programme.

‘So long as you’re curious, especially about other sectors and views, this is an excellent programme.'