Nour Sabri
- Programme: Executive MBA
- Nationality: New Zealander / Iraqi
- Job Pre-programme: Senior Manager, Technology Advisory Services at Ernst & Young
- Job Post-programme: Lead Client Partner, Finastra
Refining leadership
“From my communication to interaction, my management style has been completely transformed”
“The EMBA at London Business School (LBS) played a huge role in enabling me to make a move from a big-four to a tier-one management consultancy, which was a big stepping stone for my career. It enabled me to think more strategically, look at problems from a different perspective, and analyse them in new ways to provide a different set of solutions.
The programme changed my leadership style tremendously, by learning how true leaders handle certain situations. For example, during highly stressful and difficult moments, real leaders are the ones who stay strong and help out others who are struggling.
From my communication to interaction, my management style has completely transformed. Before joining LBS, when working in a group environment, if someone made a mistake, I would give them a chance. If they made a second mistake, I would usually remove them from my project. During the LBS programme, you can’t remove team members from your projects; you have to work with them for the entire duration. I learnt that you need to change your style, so it fits with those present. Now when I work with certain individuals, I understand that not everybody is perfect. Everybody has their weaknesses as people go through different phases in their lives. I learnt to be flexible and help others overcome certain situations.”
Leveraging the network
“My previous role at Bain & Company came to me as a recommendation from a classmate of mine. I also received several job offers from classmates who had become general managers at their organisations”
“One of the best things about the LBS experience is the ability to access a very powerful network, the impact of which became clear immediately after finishing the programme. The alumni database has contact details for various people within the LBS community, so if you want to engage with a specific organisation, but don't know anybody there, you can just look through it, identify individuals who work there, and then reach out to them. It can be as simple as asking to catch up over a coffee because you’re both from LBS, which is one of the conversation starters I have previously used and continue to use.
The regular LBS events and functions are also a great opportunity to meet and listen to people within the network. They are brilliant for discussing ideas and collaborating, and I’ve successfully widened my own network by leveraging this community. It’s an incredibly powerful network once you know how to use it.
My previous role at Bain & Company came to me as a recommendation from a classmate of mine. I also received several job offers from classmates who had become general managers at their organisations.
From a personal point of view, LBS gave me a brand that I can always carry with me. So when other people ask me what qualifications I have, I can always say I have an EMBA from London Business School. It is something that will stay with me forever!”