COURSE TITLE: Inter-Personal Dynamics

Subject Area: Organisational Behaviour

Lecturer: Professor Richard Jolly
Email Address: rjolly@london.edu
Room Location: R307
Extension: 8919
Course Administrator: Michelle Timms
Email Address: mtimms@london.edu
Room Location: A301
Extension: 8944
Course Code: E500 SPR18
Term: Spring 2018
Credit Value: 1

FACULTY BIO

Richard Jolly is Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. He

has taught the ‘Leadership Skills’, ‘Managing People and Organisations’ and ‘Developing
Effective Managers and Organisations’ core modules; the ‘Inter-Personal Dynamics’, ‘Managing
Change’ and ‘Paths to Power’ electives; as well as the ‘Executive Leadership’ module on the
EMBA Global with Columbia Business School and on the EMBA Global Asia with Columbia
Business School and Hong Kong University. He is the faculty supervisor for the LondonCAP
Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector with Professor Patrick Barwise. He also co-
leads the Global Business Experience in Lima, Peru and the Global Business Assignment in
Mexico City.

Richard teaches a wide portfolio of courses at the school, for which he was voted Best
Programme Teacher by students in 2003, runner-up in 2007, won two runner-up awards in 2010
and runner-up in 2011, and won Best Teacher again in 2014. Richard also instructs a large
number of Executive Education courses for over 60 firms in the UK and across Europe, the
Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

He has co-directed the ‘Leading Change’ and ‘Professional Services: Next Generation
Leadership’ open programmes, and has taught on the ‘Senior Executive Programme’,
‘Accelerated Development Programme’ and ‘The Essentials of Leadership’, as well as a diverse
portfolio of company-specific programmes for over sixty organisations.

Outside of academia, Richard is a Director of the organisational consulting firm, Stokes & Jolly
Consulting Limited, where he advises CEOs and senior management teams at international
organisations covering a wide range of sectors.

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COURSE SUMMARY

Why did I introduce this elective? As described in the school’s Elective Portfolio Review
(2012), “recruiters are increasingly demanding that students are equipped with a broader set
of ‘softer’ skills which will allow them to be more effective in the workplace. Currently, such
skills are not formally delivered as part of the elective portfolio.”

This elective has been developed based on extensive research with different stakeholders
across the school (and is delivered in active partnership with the Career Centre) and in the
business community to ensure you are equipped to meet the inter-personal challenges that
become increasingly important and demanding as you get more senior.

The objective of this course is to help you develop your ability to build more effective
professional relationships. This involves a set of skills that are evidence-based and can be
learnt.

Given that this course is about building relationships, being a passive observer will significantly
limit your own learning and the learning of those around you. By attending this course, you are
committing to being actively engaged in the discussions and activities, as well as bringing a
mindset that allows you to be open to taking risks and giving and receiving feedback to help
yourself and others maximise their learning. If you do these things, I am confident this will be
one of the most enjoyable and useful courses in your time at the school.

Self-Awareness
These skills start with knowing and developing yourself – enhancing your ability to accurately
assess and regulate yourself. We will build your skill at paying attention to your thoughts,
feelings, sensations and impulses. We will explore what identity is and what it means to be
authentic. You will receive intensive feedback on how others perceive you. We will close the
course by helping you reflect on what really matters to you and your ability to cope with the
demands of your environment.

Building Relationships
We also focus on how you read emotions and connect with them to build successful
relationships. This includes dealing with people who are different to you personally and
culturally, as well as how to manage conflict and difficult conversations.

Personal Impact and Communication Skills

We will analyse the elements of effective communication and what it means to connect more
profoundly with those around you.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

 Effectively understand and influence the impressions others form of you to build trust

 Manage yourself more mindfully and respond more consciously to people and
situations

 Be more effective at connecting with people and building relationships with people who
are different

 Handle difficult situations and conversations more successfully

 Communicate more powerfully in a wide range of situations

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 ASSESSMENT

Assessment Table:

Assessment type Deadline Group/ Formative/ Requirement Submission

Weighting
Individual Summative to pass? Y/N Information

Class Participation N/A 10% Individual N N/A

Individual 19th January 40% Individual Y Submit via Canvas.
Assignment 2018
Mindfulness 23rd March 25% Individual N Submit via Canvas.
Assignment 2018
Group Assignment 16th March 25% Group N Submit via Canvas.
2018

Minimum requirements to pass this course:

1) minimum 50% in the weighted final numerical score AND
2a) minimum 50% in the aggregate of the individual components OR
2b) minimum 50% in the largest weighted individual component

Attendance

In line with the published regulations for your course, your attendance in class and timely
arrival to class are required. Please refer to the Programme Office guidelines regarding class
absences, and what to do in the case of extenuating circumstances.

Assessment Overview

Individual Assignment
This assignment represents 40% of your overall grade for the elective.

The assignment needs to be completed before the course starts and submitted electronically
via Canvas by the beginning of the first class (8:15am) on 19th January 2018.

Please read Epley’s book, Mindwise. This is a great book that skilfully summarises a large
body of research about how to understand the minds of others and develop greater social
intelligence. As Epley states in the preface:

“In a world of seven billion people, where both your happiness and your economic
success depend critically on our relationships with others, it is hard to imagine a more
useful ability than understanding other people. Even better, your brain comes fully
equipped to do it.” (xvii)

Your assignment is to apply the research that he describes to analyse specific situations
where you personally have struggled to build effective relationships. You then need to write
up three of these situations. Each situation should relate to a separate ‘part’ of the book (i.e.
three of the four ‘parts’ will be referenced). Do not be tempted to suggest you have never
struggled to build relationships effectively!

For each of these three situations, please:

1. Briefly describe the situation in which you struggled
2. Relate the situation to a framework or frameworks described by Epley

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 a. How does the situation fit with the theory?
b. How does the theory help you understand why you struggled with this specific
relationship dynamic?
c. What, based on this analysis, could you have done differently or have you
learnt about how to handle future situations?

Your paper should be no more than 2,000 words, plus or minus 10%. Please double-space
your paper, using a minimum of 12-point type. You should show the word count at the end of
the paper. All sources and references should be cited in footnotes.

Papers will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Quality of your analysis (Have you demonstrated insight into the assumptions you
brought to the situation? Are you willing to confront your own role in bringing about the
situation?). This is an academic paper, not a piece of journalistic ‘reportage’, so please
focus on analysis, not just description.
2. Appropriate selection and use of material from the set text and, if applicable, from your
own experience or reading.
3. Logical organisation (for example, please integrate any theories, models and
quotations into your discussion rather than simply inserting them just to have them
there).
4. Presentation (including proofreading - you are welcome to have someone look over
your paper for errors of grammar, spelling, etc., so long as it remains your own work).

Your papers will, of course, be treated with the strictest confidence.

Mindfulness Assignment
This assignment represents 25% of your overall grade for the elective and will be briefed in at
the end of session 2 on 19th January. It is due for submission on 23rd March, one week after
the last day of the course.

Please practice at least ten minutes of formal mindfulness practice every day from this session
until the end of the course.

You can download Michael’s free audio instructions for this from iTunes using this link:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mindfulness-in-8-weeks-40/id1124468146?mt=2&ign-
mpt=uo%3D4.

Alternatively, go to iTunes (or to Podcasts on an iPhone) and search for “Chaskalson”. You
could also, or instead, use the Headspace app as an alternative form of guidance. Choose
what suits you best.

Please also keep a reflective journal, briefly recording each week (or more often, if you prefer)
how you’re getting on with the formal practice of mindfulness meditation as well as your
experience (or lack of experience) of mindfulness in your daily life. This journal will help you to
complete this assignment, but is not the actual assignment. Please do not attach your journal
as an appendix to your assignment.

You will be assigned to a study group to assist you in sticking to your practice. The objective of
this group is to provide a supportive learning environment. You will work in these study groups
in other activities (both within and beyond the classroom) across the programme. Whilst this
specific assignment is an individual component of the assessment, you will be working
together on a group assignment (see below) towards the end of the elective.

Your assignment should be no more than 1,200 words and should explicitly cover the following
elements:
1. What was your initial reaction to the concept of mindfulness presented by Michael?
2. How often did you practice mindfulness across the duration of the course (be honest!)?

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 3. How did it go for you?
a. What did you find easy?
b. What benefits did you perceive from practising mindfulness?
c. Where did you struggle?
d. What did you do to persist with the practise?
4. What can you take forward into your daily life after this course from your study of
mindfulness?

The grading for this assignment will be based on the degree to which you demonstrate mindful
authenticity and self-insight in your, rather than on simply claiming a large number of practice
sessions or how positive you feel about it.

Group Assignment
This assignment represents 25% of your overall grade for the elective and will be briefed in at
the end of session 8 on 2nd March. It is due for submission on 16th March, the last day of the
course.

Your group assignment should be no more than 3,000 words. As a group, discuss what you
have learnt about feedback from the two group exercises (Reflected Best Self in session 6
and Feedback Exercise in session 8) and write up your responses to the following questions:
1. What different insights did we get from our experience of each exercise?
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses within the group?
3. What do we each need to do to spend more time playing to our strengths? Be specific.
4. Which of our weaknesses are "development needs" that we can and want to work on,
and what coping strategies can we develop to address our genuine weaknesses?
5. What commitments did we make to each other about what we will individually work on
following the session? What is going to get in the way (for each of us) of making
progress?
6. How could we apply the learning from these exercises in our working lives in future?

Class Participation
This component represents 10% of your overall grade for the elective.

Developing your ability to present a clear, concise point of view in group environments is a
core inter-personal skill – practicing it in the relative safety of the school environment is a
valuable opportunity, especially to those who are not comfortable doing so.

Marks for class participation are awarded on the following criteria:

 Regular participation in class discussion – you do not need to speak in every session
to get a reasonable grade. However, over the course of the elective I will get a clear
picture of which students are participating most insightfully.
 Quality of comments made in class. Good comments are those which:
o Build on the current discussion, speaking to the point as well as adding
substance
o Are reasonably concise
o Are in order (hand up, called on, not interrupting)
o Share personal experiences relevant to the issue being discussed

Comments which are repetitive, insubstantial, irrelevant, exhibitionist (‘MBA-itis’!) or rambling

will negatively affect your class participation grade. By contrast, some of the best class
discussion occurs when people take up opposite sides of an issue. A well-argued, constructive
comment that offers a different point of view with what has just been said (particularly if it was
said by the lecturer!) is always welcome.

While outstanding class contribution will increase your class participation grade, disruptive
behaviour will decrease it. Coming late to or being absent from classes will cause your
participation grade to be lowered. Finally, if you miss any classes without authorisation, you

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may be given a zero for class participation and therefor fail this portion of the assessment
(please see the published Students’ Guide to Extenuating Circumstances for more
information).

Plagiarism Declaration
All students completing this course should be aware that in submitting any assignment for this
course, you agree to the following declaration:

“I certify that the coursework that I have submitted is entirely my own unaided work, and that
I have read and complied with the School’s guidelines on plagiarism and referencing as set
out in the School handbook.

I understand that the School may make use of plagiarism detection software and that my
work may therefore be stored on a database which is accessible to other users of the same
software.”

Students should be aware that, where plagiarism is suspected, a formal investigation may be
carried out under the School’s Student Disciplinary Procedure. This may result in penalties
ranging from mark deduction to expulsion from the School.

READING LIST

Epley, N., 2014. Mindwise: Why we misunderstand what others think, believe, feel, and want.
Vintage.

Readings and cases for specific sessions will be available electronically.

Course materials will be distributed:

Electronically on Canvas

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching/contact hours: 27.5

Suggested independent study hours: 30

The following teaching methods will be used on this course:

Lecture(s)
Guest Speaker(s)
Seminar(s)
External Visit(s)
Project(s)
Other (please specify below)
Experiential learning techniques

The course is largely experiential. In-class exercises, guest speakers and case discussions
are the main tools of learning. It will be a very interactive class. There will be readings to be
prepared for the class before many of the sessions (see below), but these are just the starting
point for learning. The class will give students an opportunity to apply and refine their
knowledge about themselves and how to build effective relationships.

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COURSE OUTLINE

Session One – Friday, 19th January 2018

Managing First Impressions

08:15am – 11:00am
Effective relationships start with self-awareness – we will help you develop a more insightful
sense about how others perceive you. During the first session, we will explore the research
into how powerfully (and accurately) we form first impressions.

Most people consistently have limited insight into how others perceive them, yet such
impressions determine whom we trust in life. Understanding whom we trust and how trust is
developed can contribute to stronger relationships. This will be a very practical and interactive
session.

Reading
Kramer, Roderick M., 2009. Rethinking trust. Harvard Business Review, 87(6), 68-77.
 Kramer outlines seven rules for tempering trust – what can you do to adjust your
mindset and behavioural habits to build trust more effectively?

Preparation
Please dig out your NEO PI-R personality profile from your core course and review the data.

If you are an international exchange programme (IEP) student and have not completed this
personality inventory, please liaise with Michelle if you would like to get your profile completed.
Any IEP students who take this assessment will have the opportunity to be taken through their
data and its implications during the break after the first session. Please let Michelle know if you
would like to take advantage of this opportunity.

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 Session Two – Friday, 19th January 2018
Mindfulness

12:45pm – 15:30pm Michael Chaskalson

Mindfulness is getting a massive amount of exposure in the business world today. It has been
shown (in a large number of evidence-based studies) to build resilience, collaboration and the
capacity to lead in complex contexts. The practices we will be exploring help executives with
several critical skills:
 Emotional regulation
 Empathy
 Focus
 Adaptability
 Take broader perspectives into account

During this session, we will examine what mindfulness is, looking at the academic research
that supports its spread through the business world; practice the skills of mindful meditation;
as well as briefing you on the assignment that you will be writing up by the end of the course.
You will also be supporting your fellow study group members in their efforts to practice
mindfulness.

Reading

Reitz, M., & Chaskalson, M., 2016. Mindfulness Works but Only If You Work at It. Harvard
Business Review, 4th November.

 Please read this article before the session:

o What is your attitude to the concept of mindfulness?
o What benefits might it have for you?
o What are the obstacles you will encounter in practising mindfulness as a regular
habit?

If you would like to read further about Mindfulness after the session, check out Michael’s book:
Chaskalson, M., 2014. Mindfulness in Eight Weeks: The revolutionary 8-week plan to clear
your mind and calm your life. HarperCollins UK.

However, this is optional reading.

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 Session Three – Friday, 2nd February 2018
Core Relationship Skills

08:15am – 9:30am Mindfulness Follow-Up with Michael Chaskalson

For the first part of the session, we will be checking in with Michael Chaskalson to explore your
efforts with practising mindfulness:
 How have you got on with your mindfulness meditation practice?
o What went well?
o What has proved challenging?
 Further practice of the techniques of mindfulness meditation

09:45am – 11:00am
We will focus in on the core skills necessary to build relationships – asking questions and
listening. Whilst these might sound straight-forward, they are deceptively difficult to master.
Most people think they are good listeners… how effective are you at fully focusing on the other
person?

Reading
Daimler, M., 2016. Listening Is an Overlooked Leadership Tool. Harvard Business Review,
25th May.
 Daimler describes ‘360 listening’:
o What does it feel like to be truly listened to?
o What gets in the way of you listening deeply more of the time?

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 Session Four – Friday, 2nd February 2018
Building Powerful Relationships

12:45pm – 15:30pm

During this session, you will be taken through the debates that thinkers have being having for
hundreds of years about what it means to have a successful relationship, focusing in on the
most influential thinker of the twentieth century in this field, Martin Buber.

We will also look at the ways in which philosophy guides the art of rhetoric. Drawing on ideas
from politics, literature and film, we will look at how we communicate to build relationships,
learning about the six elements that define powerful communication, before practicing these
skills in an exercise.

Readings (optional)
Nannerl Keohane, "On Leadership": Perspectives on Politics, Vol.3 No 4 (Dec, 2005) pp705-
722. American Political Science Association

‘Read Buber, Not the Polls!’, The Opinion Pages, New York Times, 1st November 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/opinion/read-buber-not-the-polls.html?_r=0

Listen (optional)
Paul Greengrass, BAFTA lecture: http://www.bafta.org/film/features/paul-greengrass-david-
lean-lecture-2014

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 Sessions Five – Friday, 16th February 2018
Presence and Impact

Please note that this is a longer (3.5 hour) session that runs until
11:45.

08:15 – 11:45 Dramatic Resources – Geoff Church & Stephanie Street

The business of creating presence and impact can seem like a mysterious process. Often
people believe these are innate qualities – you either have them or you don’t, and there is little
you can do about it. This session will equip you with the understanding and skills to make
behavioural changes, which will help you build and maintain the successful relationships.

Dramatic Resources specialises in inspirational communication-skills training for business that

draws on techniques from the theatre. Through the use of two simple, yet powerful, theatre
techniques, ‘The Theatre of Difficult Conversations’ and ‘Status and the Impact of the
Non-Verbal’, you will gain an insight and understanding into your own default behaviours and
how you come across, as well as ways you can flex this depending on the situation and who
you are communicating with.

The session will cover:

 Non-verbal signals of communication
 Techniques for greater physical presence
 The critical first 30 seconds
 Flexing your style to suit the situation
 Reading emotion and subtext through body language
 Giving direct and effective feedback
 Addressing difficult behaviours and sensitive situations
 Developing greater range of communication style

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 Sessions Six – Friday, 16th February 2018
Reflected Best Self

Please note that you will need to have the 1Self Assessment
completed (by yourself and others) well in advance of this session.

12:45pm – 15:30pm Dr. Ben Hardy

All of us get told (often frequently) what our weaknesses are and what we are not doing well
enough. Whilst such feedback may be necessary, does it really help us improve our
performance and develop our career?

An important new line of research suggests that we are happier and more successful if we
build from our strengths, rather than focusing on all our weaknesses. In this session, you will
get feedback from people close to you, both personally and professionally, about how they see
you at your best and share it with your study group members to think through the implications
of the data.

Everyone has their own unique strengths. Moments when they are essential, challenged and
authentic. Moments when they are the best version of themselves. Essentic has developed
the 1Self Assessment to help you discover and employ this essence of who you are, by
compiling feedback from friends, relatives and colleagues.

The 1Self process includes an external assessment and a self-assessment:

 External assessment – you will be asked to nominate 15 - 20 feedbackers for your
external assessment. 1Self is most effective when your feedbackers are people who
know you well and are a mix of friends, family members, mentors and colleagues. They
will be asked to write stories about times when you were your best self, sharing their
insights on your strengths and moments when you made a lasting impact on people or
situations.
 Self-assessment – for your self-assessment you will be asked to consider who you are
when you’re at your personal best.

1Self distils who we are when we’re at our best. The effect of this report can be profound and
revelatory - in some cases it may reveal strengths and qualities that you were not aware you
possessed.

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Your external and self-assessments will be combined into a report which you will receive
during this session. During the session, you will analyse the feedback you receive in
combination with your personal insights with the other members of your study group.

This study group exercise is the first of two feedback exercises that you will be analysing in
your group assignment for the course, due to be submitted on 16th March, the last day of the
course.

Reading
Roberts, L.M., Dutton, J.E., Spreitzer, G.M., Heaphy, E.D. and Quinn, R.E., 2005. Composing
the reflected best-self portrait: Building pathways for becoming extraordinary in work
organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), pp.712-736.
 This is a great introduction to the concept of the ‘reflected best self’ (RBS)
o Do you buy the concept that focusing on the positive is a powerful way of
‘shaping human development and functioning’?

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 Session Seven – Friday, 2nd March 2018
Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs & Introduction to Feedback

08:15 – 09:45 Veronica Azua

The words ‘inner critic’ bring more than seven million results in a google search. The term
inner critic, along with other closely-related concepts, such as self-doubt and impostor
syndrome, seem to be well-known by the public and are extensively studied academically.

Self-doubt is an issue that touches all of us, directly or indirectly. Self-doubt and self-criticism
deeply affect our lives, careers and, more importantly, the way we relate to others in the
workplace.
 What are the origins of the inner critic and its impact on day-to-day interactions?
 How does self-doubt affect you?
 And what can you do about it?

This is a highly interactive session where I will share insights from my doctoral research on
self-criticism impacting on leadership. It will be an opportunity for self-reflection as well as
taking some actions towards self-development.

Reading
De Vries, M.F.R.K., 2005. The dangers of feeling like a fake. Harvard Business Review, 83(9),
p.108.

10:00 – 11:00 Introduction to Feedback – Richard Jolly

Recruiters regularly cite the inability to be open to feedback as a key reason why LBS students
fail to get positions. ‘Feedback-seeking behaviour’ has been linked to higher job satisfaction,
greater creativity at work, faster adaptation in a new role or organisation and lower turnover.
Additionally, seeking out negative feedback is associated with higher performance ratings
(Stone & Heen, 2014). Additionally, your willingness and ability to accept influence and input
from your partner is a key predictor of a healthy, stable marriage (Gottman).

We all have a complicated relationship with feedback! Whilst we know that an understanding
of how others perceive us is crucial to our effectiveness (perception is reality, in that how
others perceive us will determine our success in life), we can struggle to hear what others are
saying to us, both directly and, crucially, indirectly.

This applies both to our strengths – can we stop and smell the flowers? – and our
weaknesses. Feedback is a gift. If people really wanted to damage us, they wouldn’t tell us

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what they think of us and therefore we can’t do anything about it. However, feedback is the gift
that we need, rather than the gift that we necessarily wanted – an example of what is called
‘good pain’!

Reading
Stone, D. and Heen, S., 2015. Thanks for the feedback: The science and art of receiving
feedback well. Penguin. Chapter 1 (pp. 15-26)
 How do you feel about feedback, really?
 What are your ‘triggers’ that prevent you from receiving feedback effectively?

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 Session Eight – Friday, 2nd March 2018
Feedback

12:45pm – 15:30pm
During this session, after a short briefing in plenary, you will be working in your study groups to
give and receive feedback in a highly-structured and carefully-designed format!

There is no preparation for this session.

This is the second and final exercise that you will be analysing for your group assignment, due
to be submitted on 16th March, the last day of the course.

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 Session Nine – Friday, 16th March 2018
Identity

08:15am – 11:00am Professor Herminia Ibarra

To be a good leader, you must increase your self-awareness. To make good career choices,
you must be true to yourself. When you are considered for an important role, evaluators’ views
about who you are count at least as much as their assessments of what you know. But who is
that self? What are the core building blocks of identity? What is constant and what changes
with experience? How do you best get acquainted with yourself? In this class, we will use the
Harris Roberts case, self-reflective exercises and an interactive lecture to explore the many
facets of the self and its evolution.

Reading
Harris Roberts (A) (Note: B & C get handed out in class)
 Who is Harris Roberts? How would you describe him? How would his boss describe
him? His peers? His wife? Why is he stuck?

Optional Reading
Ibarra, H., 2015. The Authenticity Paradox. Harvard Business Review, 93(1/2), pp.53-59.
Ibarra, H. and Lineback, K., 2005. What’s Your Story? Harvard Business Review, 83(1), pp.64-
71.

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 Session Ten – Friday, 16th March 2018
Resilience

12:45pm – 15:30pm
We close the course by coming back full-circle to you and your self-awareness. This is a
chance to reflect on where you are, where you are going with your career and what is
important to you. We will also explore the research about how we can develop our capacity to
cope with the demands of our environment – as students, as job seekers, as executives, as
job movers, as well as taking up our responsibility for ensuring that those we are leading are
coping effectively.

Reading
Schwartz, T. and McCarthy, C., 2007. Manage your energy, not your time. Harvard Business
Review, 85(10), p.63.

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 Guest Speaker Profiles

Michael Chaskalson

Michael Chaskalson (www.mbsr.co.uk) is one of the

pioneers of the application of mindfulness in leadership
and in the workplace. He is the author of the agenda-
setting book The Mindful Workplace (Wiley, 2011) and the
bestselling Mindfulness in Eight Weeks (Harper Thorsons,
2014).

Based on his 40 years of personal practice of mindfulness

and related disciplines, Michael now shares his insights
and research with audiences worldwide as a keynote
speaker, coach, consultant, and teacher. He works with
global corporations and public-sector organisations, as
well as individuals, so that they better understand mindful
leadership practices.

Michael has also been a successful social entrepreneur, founding a fair-trade

company that came to have annual sales of £10 million and 200 employees. He is
founder and CEO of Mindfulness Works and a Professor of Practice at Ashridge
Business School, where he has co-led ground-breaking research into the impact of
mindfulness training on key leadership capacities.

Based in Cambridge, UK, Michael can be contacted at michael@mbsr.co.uk.

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 Ben Hardy

Dr. Ben Hardy is an Adjunct Faculty

member at London Business School, a
Senior Lecturer at the School of Oriental
and African Studies and a Fellow in
Management, Finance and Physiology at
the University of Cambridge Judge
Business School.

His first degree was in Veterinary Medicine

and Surgery from the University of
Edinburgh. He worked as a veterinarian in academia, general practice and in the
pharmaceutical industry before undertaking an MBA at the University of Cambridge.
He then went on to complete an MPhil (with distinction) and a PhD in Organisational
Behaviour. Ben has taught on the EMBA, MBA and MiF at London Business School
and the Masters in Finance, MBA, EMBA at the University of Cambridge.

He has taught and provided consulting services to a number of organisations such as

Barclays, HSBC, WPP, BT, McKinsey, Novartis, McLaren Group, Royal Dutch Shell,
Slaughter and May, Prudential, Detica/BAE Systems, Agricultural Bank of China,
International and Commercial Bank of China, and IBM.

His research on the role of hormones and emotions in financial decision making and
on linguistics has been published in leading science and management journals such
as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Scientific Reports
and Organizational Research Methods. It has been covered in the Financial Times,
The Times, BBC, Wall St Journal, Reuters, Sky News, The Daily Mail and The Sun.

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 Geoff Church

Geoff Church is a pioneer in the application

of theatre expertise in corporate
development. As a director of Dramatic
Resources, he has developed and led
highly successful programmes for a range
of international corporations and leading
business schools.

His work is highly interactive, challenging

and enjoyable. It combines the rigour and
discipline born out of years of working in
the theatre, with a fresh insight into the world of business communication.

Geoff trained as an actor and worked in theatre and television for twenty years. He
now works as a director, trainer and workshop leader. His work as an actor included
seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court Theatre, and National
Theatre of Great Britain. He also appeared extensively on UK Television in series such
as ‘The Brief, ‘Foyles War’, and ‘Prime Suspect’. The television film, ‘No Child of Mine’,
in which he played a leading role, won a B.A.F.T.A award for Best Single Drama.

As a director, he has taught and directed extensively on the American University

circuit, and has directed projects for The Royal National Theatre’s Education
Department. He runs a production company, Hydrocracker, for which he directed
Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in Kazakhstan, and directed a new play, The Consultant, at
Theatre 503 in London.

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 Stephanie Street

Steph is a writer and actor, having studied at

Cambridge University and trained at LAMDA.

Her first play, Sisters, re-opened the Sheffield

Crucible Studio in March 2010. Most recently she
adapted Mohsin Hamid’s award-winning novel,
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Emily
Brontë’s Wuthering Heights for the National Youth
Theatre.

Her acting work includes critically acclaimed performances for the National Theatre,
Out of Joint, The Bush and the Royal Court, and she has had guest lead and regular
parts in numerous series on UK TV. Steph recently appeared in Behind the Beautiful
Forevers at the National Theatre.

She is a Trustee and founder of Act for Change, campaigning for greater diversity in
the live and recorded arts, and a Trustee of the National Student Drama Festival,

As a Senior Associate of Dramatic Resources, Steph has delivered training for

corporate clients, business schools and taught on the International Teacher’s
Programme at HEC Paris. Her past clients include Cisco, Nestle, Deloitte and she
works closely with IMD in Singapore.

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 Veronica Azua

Veronica is an organisational psychologist who has been

working in leadership development, talent management and
coaching for the past decade working in professional
services firms (Deloitte and KPMG) as well as in industry.

She has been working for the London Business School

facilitating group and one-to-one sessions as part of MBA
and EMBA programmes for the past 9 years.

Veronica is currently studying a professional doctorate

researching the impact of self-doubt on leaders’ ability to
take up a role in the workplace.

Veronica’s early career background have been initially in psychoanalytical

psychotherapy in Argentina where she was born and raised.

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 Herminia Ibarra

Herminia Ibarra is The Charles Handy Professor

of Organisational Behaviour at London Business
School. Prior to joining LBS, she served on the
faculties of INSEAD and the Harvard Business
School faculty for thirteen years. She is a
member of the World Economic Forum Global
Agenda Councils, a judge for the Financial
Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year
Award, and ranked among the most influential
business gurus in the world by Thinker 50.

Professor Ibarra is an expert on professional and

leadership development. Her recent book, Act
Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader (Harvard
Business School Press, 2015), explains how to
step up to a bigger leadership role. Her best-selling book, Working Identity:
Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (HBSP, 2003) describes how
people reinvent their careers.

Ibarra is the author of numerous articles in the Harvard Business Review,

Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review, Academy of
Management Journal, and Organization Science and writes frequently for business
media including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and New York Times. She
directs The Leadership Transition, an executive program designed for managers
moving into broader leadership roles and speaks internationally on leadership, talent
management, and women’s careers.

A native of Cuba, Ibarra received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University, where she
was a National Science Foundation Fellow.

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