We feature acclaimed drama coach and artistic director, Christopher Heimann. He will draw on his heritage of the theatre in exploring presence and authority.
We are delighted to be hosting the “Seat at the Table” Development Programme for a selected group of Senior Female Executives at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in September. We have called on world leaders in their fields to help address key challenges women can face en route to becoming tomorrow’s female Chairmen and CEOs. We asked Christopher a number of questions ahead of his session on “Personal impact within the leadership team.”
Fidelio: Why were you attracted to this programme?
Christopher: I was very struck by the diversity of disciplines involved in the programme, the difference in the speakers’ backgrounds whether military, or philosophy, or organisational development or, indeed, theatre. In addition, I am interested to be involved in something that is particularly geared towards women, as, in my experience, women still face particular obstacles and I am keen to support women in getting to the top.
Fidelio: So when you say that there are obstacles, what do you think are the particular ones that women faceas they move to the top of the organisation?
Christopher: I think a lot concern cultural attitudes towards women. There are still very different sets of assumptions and expectations around women and men. These do not just apply to business organisations, but to society as a whole and, I believe, can hold women back. For instance, I think women still have a harder time when it comes to parenthood and managing a career. It is about gender perception and a cultural mind set. Sometimes there may be also a reluctance on the part of women to be more assertive or more demanding.
Fidelio: In your experience do you think some sectors or countries are making particular progress?
Christopher: I do quite a lot of work in Sweden where there appears to be a different cultural attitude. When you stroll through central Stockholm on a week day you see lots of men with prams, because they have taken time off work for child-care. Offices generally close at 5pm as employees, including male executives, go home to be with their family. Sweden, and maybe the whole of Scandinavia, seems to have a much more equal sense around gender.
Fidelio: So if the problem is rooted in society, what can you contribute in the context of the Seat at the Table Programme?
Christopher: In the theatre, actors explore different ways of being beyond their habitual personal behaviours. My session of the programme will invite participants to do the same. People don’t often get the opportunity to examine how they act and explore topics around communication and personal impact because they are not usually formally taught.
Fidelio: In your module, you will deal with presence and authority, as well as exploring attributes of leadership. How will participants in the Programme benefit from this exploration?
Christopher: Communication and the way you come across are based on a set of skills that can be learnt, and that includes developing presence and authority. Participants will gain more awareness of themselves as communicators and also a wider range of choices around what else they can do, through their behaviour to manage perceptions and influence the people they need to affect. It is interesting that we use the word “to act” both in the context of acting and in the context of how people behave. We will be looking at the latter – not acting with a capital ‘A’, but what participants can do to consciously influence the impact they have.
Fidelio: What can we learn from a theatre expert and drama coach which will help us strengthen the pipeline of Senior Female Executives?
Christopher: In the theatre, an actor has to transition from their personal way of being into the demands of the character, and they have to do it in a way that is credible, that’s real and that makes sense to them and the audience. Actors become very conscious of what it takes to make these shifts, and there is a great deal to be learnt from that for any other area of life. It just gives people a wider range of choices that they didn’t even know they had. It is not about telling people what is right or wrong; but about giving people more awareness, more choice and also more confidence.
Fidelio: If we succeed, what will the impact of greater diversity be on Britain’s boardrooms?
Christopher: In my own work, I have always found the interchange of ideas between different people very enriching and I am absolutely sure that homogeneity is the last thing you want when it comes to innovation. A homogeneous group tends to think along the same lines and come up with similar solutions. In general, we need to come up with new ideas and I believe that diversity is crucial to achieving this.
Christopher Heimann
Christopher Heimann runs leadership development programmes across Europe for clients including King.com, Coca-Cola and BASF. He has also designed and run change management programmes for HMRC and Royal Mail. Christopher’s background is in theatre. For 10 years, he has been Head of Improvisation at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London, and has written and directed award-winning theatre productions at leading British theatres including the Young Vic and Soho Theatre in London, and the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. Christopher is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
About Fidelio Partners
Fidelio, the Board Development and Executive Search Consultancy will be hosting “A Seat at the Table” for a selected group of Senior Female Executive on 8th & 9th September 2015 at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This programme focusses on the personal and professional development of Senior Female Executives and prepares them for the critical transition to the most senior executive and non-executive roles within an organisation.
If you would like to learn more on the selection criteria for “A Seat at the Table” or if you have any questions please contact Valentina Lorini on vlorini@fideliopartners.com or +44 (0) 20 7759 2200.