|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home » About Norwich » SGS Today »
Greg Palma celebrates with his daughter at graduation [photo courtesy of Greg Palma].
MSOL program teaches leadership from within
by Carrie L. Chandler, correspondent
© Feb. 27, 2009 Norwich University Office of Communications
Greg Palma was forced outside his comfort zone early in his first seminar of the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) program at Norwich University School of Graduate Studies.
"I was 10 years removed from academics," he said. "In business, I had learned to be as short and sweet as possible. I walked into MSOL with that mindset, and my first [online discussion] posts were horrible."
But by the end of the program, Palma had learned how to function well as a graduate student. According to Erich Randall, Palma's instructor for both his first and final seminars, he "made very significant improvements in many areas important to graduate education. The ability to critically think, conduct scholarly research, synthesize that literature, and write at a graduate level noticeably improved over the course of the program."
According to Palma, who earned his degree in 2008, it all started with a change in thinking.
"The degree program changed the way I approach situations as well as the way I interact with people," Palma said. "I have gone from an operational mindset to a strategic one — what is needed to get the job done, who I need to talk to."
This was paralleled by a change in employment. At the outset of the program, Palma worked as the quality manager for Johnson Controls, collecting and reporting on key performance indicators to senior management. Now, as a performance management executive at Jones Lang LaSalle, he analyzes that kind of data and helps to lead change within the company.
"I am constantly working outside of my comfort zone," he said. "MSOL gave me the confidence in my ability to live out of my comfort zone in the business environment and explore new ideas and possibilities."
The program also prepared him for an increase in responsibility — leading process improvement initiatives for the company.
The most helpful part of the program for him was the session on EQ (emotional intelligence), with an intense focus on resiliency and renewal. The study not only helped him keep up with his studies while recovering from a neck injury, but it helped him learn to better manage difficult or tense situations and lead group discussions at work.
|
|
| |
“My studies became applicable every day, in every phone call and face to face meeting.” |
|
|
"My mindset has changed with the education in the MSOL program, in that I now approach all process obstacles or challenging [people] as potentials for a successful outcome," he said. "The harder the problem or more difficult the [person], the bigger the win or success."
"My studies became applicable every day, in every phone call and face-to-face meeting," said Palma. "People are resistant to change, and through the MSOL program, I am able to acknowledge that resistance and manage the situations. The program better equipped me to manage those dynamics."
Palma also credits the design of the MSOL program for encouraging the personal application of learning.
"The courses were focused on ensuring that you could communicate through either papers or weekly posts how you were using the concepts in real life," he said. "It was a constant feedback circle that gave me new insights and allowed me to make immediate improvements in my performance at work."
That online structure also allowed classmates to monitor his development.
Jim Sirna (MSOL '08) learned alongside Palma and saw his growth firsthand. "I think [Palma] saw leadership in a different light as we went through MSOL," he said. "Looking inside ourselves and at how we were leading ourselves became another perspective to view things."
Palma has taken that learning and run with it. "I have a greater ability to positively interact with people in my organization and within the clients' organizations," he said. "I step up a lot more in projects and get myself involved in areas that are not core to my job to see what I can learn and how I can help."
Randall seconds that notion, having seen Palma come full circle from his first seminar to his last. "[He] found that he was really able to take many of the concepts he learned throughout his time [in the MSOL program] and use them to directly make a positive impact on his own career as well as the careers and lives of those in his sphere of influence," he said.
Palma realizes that "living what you learn" will never end, and credits the MSOL program for encouraging him to continue the process.
"Part of doing that is to engage in lifelong learning," he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norwich University - School of Graduate Studies
|
Admissions: 1-800-460-5597
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
