Here’s what participants say about The Leadership Center programs

Timely development opportunity

Ebtehal S. Alomar, who has a Ph.D. in Operational Systems Engineering and works as a system analyst with the Power Systems Engineering Department, said that she seized the virtual offering of the Advanced Self-Leadership Certificate Program to walk extra miles toward her targeted development path.

She explained that the different parts of the program nicely complemented each other, and that they were always linked to business needs. “The skills developed help you both on leading yourself, as well as leading and motivating teams. They help you to communicate the company’s vision in shaping up the organization culture,” she said.

“The opportunity came at a perfect time. I was able to put the virtual meeting skills immediately into action, to communicate effectively with colleagues online,” she added.

Alomar mentioned that she missed the class interactions, but she appreciated instructors for doing their best to keep participants engaged.

Emotional intelligence for better relationships

Sulaiman T. Sulaiman, an HR advisor, said whenever he attends a course in the Leadership Center, he walks away with something in him changed forever.

“To name one experience, the ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ course caused a paradigm shift for me,” he said. “The material we covered was practical, and we had a chance to apply what we learned during class time,” he adds.

Sulaiman explains that the skills learned out of these programs are life skills that could be applied on a daily basis, professionally and personally.

“Emotional intelligence taught me to better manage my relationships at work, and outside with family and friends,” he adds.

Self-paced development

In joining the virtual offering of the Leadership Center, Mohammed Alkhowaildi, who works as a Workover engineer, said his experience set him for a paradigm shift.

“I liked that the program was self-paced. It took me about 5 months to complete it due to the nature of my work, which includes providing support to rigs,” he said.

Alkhowaildi explains that the developed knowledge, skills and competencies from such programs assist him on a daily basis in handling the complexities that he faces in his work.

“If it was possible; I would go back in time and start this development earlier,” he adds, expressing his desire to grow learned competencies even further in the future.

Knowing your audience

Seba S. Al-Maglouth, a system analyst with the EXPEC Computer Center, said that the virtual leadership program helped her to sharpen her communication skills, and provided her tips for a better understanding of her audience.

“It is essential that you understand your audience, so that you can communicate with them effectively,” she said. “Effective communications helps you to engage with your team and motivate them to achieve the set goals.”

Al-Maglouth said that she put many of the skills into action as a chairperson of the SPE-KSA Student Outreach team.

“As the pandemic limited our ability to conduct programs with physical attendance, the skills I developed helped my team and I on building and delivering successful programs virtually, including the SPE 2020 Energy Summer Camp,” she added.

Learning by applying

Ayman H. Khallaf, who works as a reliability engineer in the Central Region Distribution Department, said that the Advanced Self-Leadership program offered virtually was one of a kind.

“I really liked the way the program was tailored. It covered a diverse range of topics, yet was concise and to the point on each topic.”

“The workshops were delivered in a manner that transforms knowledge into a set of tools and a mindset, through interactive sessions and business applications to apply learning outcomes in real work situations,” he added.

Khallaf explained that the true power of the skills learned is realized when they come together to strengthen the leadership of an individual.

Leadership in challenging times

As COVID-19 has resulted in a new normal, M&PDD has adapted to continue providing leadership development suitable for these challenging days, with many of its programs shifting to a virtual learning environment.

While many employees found themselves in difficult situations, and some had extra time to devote to their development, a webinar series was launched covering topics that are relevant to the new environment, including leading in difficult times and building personal resilience.

Also, certificate programs were introduced to allow employees to use their time to pursue personal development of leadership skills, and assist them on how to deal with the new norm in their work environment and life.

To engage all employees in the company, three certificate programs were offered: Certificate in Self-Leadership, Certificate in Advanced Self-Leadership, and the Certificate in Leadership and Management for Chief Position Holders.

Each of these programs incorporates the Leadership Center’s virtual workshops as well as modules from Harvard Management Mentor that allows employees to create their own learning journey. They also provide more flexibility to participants to accelerate their growth, by completing the programs on their own time within 180 days.

Additionally, to prepare leaders for the new challenges and the unprecedented levels of stress the pandemic has created, a new program was launched, in partnership with Cornell University, titled “Resilience and Well-Being for Industrial Leaders.”

The program focuses on the need to strengthen skills for increased resilience and well-being for leaders in the field, and supports employees in effectively leading teams through challenging times.