In our learnings blog post, we proudly shared what alumni in our programs had learnt on their learning journeys as purpose-driven leaders. In this post, we look at what impact they had been generating on others through the social enterprise created as well as in their respective private and professional environment. We are super proud to share that in 2023, one program alumni had impacted an average of 86 colleagues with purpose-driven leadership while improving job and life chances of 875 people. This makes 961 people impacted by one leader on average (+11% compared to 2022).
There are thousands of leadership programs out there in the market. What makes our action learning programs unique? If you ask our program alumni, they put our learning by doing approach first. This entails engaging in a hands-on experience in which candidates take responsibility as a social entrepreneur for themselves, for others and for a joint higher goal. As a result, they transform an entire community, themselves and their private and professional environment. To date, there is no other comparable program in which candidates are challenged to step into the shoes of an entrepreneur and create something tangible for which they have to be responsible.
In 2023, one program alumni impacted an average 961 people.
When asked whether they can re-call any impact they have had on others through the program, 83% of our program alumni stated that they have had an impact on others in either their private or professional environment or both. In 2023, each of our program alumni has impacted on average 86 people in their personal or professional environment with what they have learnt in the program. In addition, one program alumni had been impacting 875 people on average with increased job and life chances through the social enterprise they had created in a disadvantaged community. In total, one alumni in our program had impact on 961 people!
"The learnings from my experience in the Capability Program helped me leading important internal projects successfully while having fun within the team." Tobias Wassmann, Key Account Manager, FINMA, Switzerland
Program alumni cited purpose-driven leadership skills as the number #1 on how they have been creating impact on others since end of the program. After the program, they started to lead differently and received trust and positive feedback by their colleagues.
"My leadership style development was greatly accelerated by Bookbridge and I attribute a lot of the positive feedback I have received on the program." Sebastiaan Groenhuijsen, Head of Product Management, Hilti Sweden
Entrepreneurial skills closely followed and ranked second. Program alumni have been creating impact on others by starting new initiatives and using the tools and methods around agile working in their respective business environment.
"In our organisation we integrated some of the methods in our work and are discussing the needed view/perspective for intrapreneurial thinking." Anonymous program alumni
In addition, program alumni have been creating impact by engaging socially. They started to volunteer actively in their respective environment. This allows them to keep on creating an impact beyond the social enterprise they had been co-creating in our program. Four program alumni also quoted that the program has had an impact on their families and friends who got involved in social projects as well.
"Due to the programme I had the urge to keep helping people at need and I am therefore part of our community team supporting our biggest children charity in Great Britain. We have worked on activities in the past few years to fundraise and motivate others to support as well in different means."
Khadije Bah, Northern European Head of Technical Marketing & Engineering Design Team, Hilti
A real-life experience in social entrepreneurship as our USP
There are thousands of leadership programs out there in the market. What makes our action learning programs unique? If you ask our program alumni, they put our learning by doing approach first. This entails engaging in a hands-on experience in which you take responsibility as an entrepreneur in the field. To date, there is no other comparable program in which candidates are challenged to step into the shoes of an entrepreneur and create something tangible for which they have to be responsible.
"I never came across leadership development programs in which candidates would act as real entrepreneurs and create their own business from scratch." Rainer G. Kirchhofer, Former Managing Director, UBS AG
"A wonderful experience of co-creation and a live experience in another culture based on value creation." Angela Weiss, Leadership and Team Excellence Manager, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland
Second, the combination of social and business objectives differentiates our programs from others in the market according to our program alumni. We are the only leadership program in the world in which you have the chance to create a social enterprise from scratch. Social entrepreneurship entails putting impact first while creating a sustainable business model. This challenges our program alumni to leave their comfort zone and create something meaningful they personally care about.
"BOOKBRIDGE offers a unique real life action and social impact oriented setting to learn and grow." Adrian Röthlisberger, Head Human Resources, FINMA, Switzerland
Third, the impact created in our programs make us unique. It is the combination of impact on the individual participant plus impact created on others through the social enterprise which makes our programs unique in the views of our program alumni. What you create in our programs, have a lasting effect on you, your organization and a specific community on this planet. It is this multi-dimensional impact which makes our programs so appealing.
"Only BOOKBRIDGE is building a social and sustainable business with a huge impact in disadvantaged communities as part of a leadership program."
Marcel Vogt, ICT Systems Engineer, Swisscom
Fourth, the people involved were mentioned as key differentiator. Program alumni perceive BOOKBRIDGE and all stakeholders involved as authentic, passionate and sincere. Instead of talking about change, we walk the talk. Program alumni feel part of something bigger than themselves even years after the program has ended. We make them part of our family and give them a sense of belonging. In addition, diversity, agile working skills and personal development have been cited as key factors differentiating our programs from other leadership development programs in the market.
"Meaningful challenges mixed with a network of great people." Eva Haussmann, HR Divisional Operations Officer, Swiss Re
Fifth, our strong sense for purpose is what makes us unique according to our program alumni. Program alumni recognize purpose in the energy and the passion of the coaches, the BOOKBRIDGE Team and all stakeholders involved when they team up to deliver our programs. Purpose is what drives us and we make everyone feel this in our programs.
We are very proud how our program alumni impact others with what they had learnt in the program. We will continue to assess our impact on a yearly basis and support our alumni in transforming not only their lives but also the lives of others.