The more you grow within a company or business, the more you realise that soft skills play a critical role in how you deliver projects and how they are received—whether by clients, company leadership, or co-workers.

I chose the Warwick Business School (WBS) Full-time MBA not only for its academic recognition but also for its emphasis on leadership-focused modules, such as LeadershipPlus. It is a unique opportunity in one’s career to step back and invest time in learning about leadership and how to shape it effectively.

The module has given me the chance to better understand my strengths and weaknesses and to learn how to adapt my communication style to connect with different personality types. In my experience, it’s easy to rely on a particular way of “doing things” simply because it feels natural. However, what feels natural to you may not always work in every situation or resonate with every person.

One of the most impactful aspects of the module is the opportunity to engage with your group, challenge your personal values, examine the stories you tell yourself, and receive feedback on how you collaborate within a team. These conversations encourage deep reflection on why we behave in certain ways and offer alternative perspectives. Interacting with classmates from diverse nationalities and professional backgrounds has been incredibly valuable, broadening my horizons and allowing me to learn from their experiences.

This module not only encourages reflection but also emphasises putting what you’ve learned into practice. One of my favourite activities has been the “Hard Conversations” exercise, where we had to choose a real-life situation that required confronting someone. Professional actors played the other party, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the methodology while experiencing the dynamics of a real interaction. Everyone in that class would agree that it was challenging, but having the opportunity to practice such conversations in a safe environment was invaluable.

In my view, leadership is not something we reserve for formal titles like CEO or Corporate Director—it’s something we exercise daily in our interactions. We all have influence, and how we choose to use it is up to us. Having the chance to learn from professionals such as the Mindflick team has been a significant advantage. Their experience working with high-performance organisations, schools, and companies has enriched the stories and lessons we’ve gained about leadership.

I look forward to carrying these lessons into the classroom and applying them in my everyday life.