Harness the concept of ‘energy’ – and unlock the real value of your learning programs

Through our action research across Europe and the MENA region, we uncovered a clear pattern in the development of male allyship in the workplace. Most men move through four distinct stages:

• Apathy – disengaged, viewing equity as irrelevant or threatening.
  
  

• Ambivalence – aware but hesitant, concerned about fairness or unsure how to engage.
  
  

• Reflective & Responsible – beginning to understand systemic bias, often motivated by personal experiences.
  
  

• Energized & Motivated – active allies advocating for policy reform, mentorship, and culture change.
  

Understanding this journey is crucial for fostering meaningful, lasting engagement. It reminds us that allyship isn’t a one-time event - it’s a developmental process. And like any leadership skill, it can be nurtured.

In providing executive education, business schools play a pivotal role in nurturing the energy flow throughout the executive development experience. Program design focuses on creating energizing environments that challenge, inspire, and activate leaders to bring about change.

Good design begins with understanding the value that the program needs to deliver to individual participants and client organization. Thoughtful inquiry and understanding will ensure that the learning delivers measurable impact in the first place, followed by tangible value.

Think of an organization which wants to offer learning and development to respond to poor scores in their Employment Engagement survey. The program design must begin by understanding what will engage those managers. Better communication? More autonomy? A more collaborative culture? The program can then address these issues, giving the managers the skills to create the working environment which will press those engagement buttons.

Good programs offer both learning intensity and reflective space. High-energy simulations, projects, and challenges are combined with coaching, mindfulness sessions, or nature-based experiences to maintain mental and emotional energy.

At Hult Ashridge, our faculty use their knowledge and skills to manage the energy throughout the program so that participants can return to their organizations enabled to create and experience increased engagement, acting as energy multipliers. Through their presence, insights, and renewed focus, they influence teams, set new standards, and inspire behavioral shifts that ripple through the business.

The impact of that learning may be measured through the next survey, but the value will emerge a little later. Research tells us that there is greater productivity profitability and customer satisfaction and lower rates of attrition in organizations with highly engaged employees.

For the sponsoring organizations, the notion of energy involves maintaining the momentum that has been built up during the program. The targeted investment they have made in the delivered development helps to channel organizational energy towards strategic goals such as digital transformation, international expansion, or innovation.

But that energy might dissipate or become diluted if it is considered a ‘one off’. If the returning participants are to deliver long-term value to the organization, it is essential that they receive continued support to maintain their learning energy.

This could be through facilitated alumni networking, through coaching or mentoring programs, or through shadowing senior leaders. It is important that the leadership energy that has been created – that collective drive, commitment, and capacity to execute – receives continued support to ensure that it is sustained.

In sum, energy is more than a metaphor – it is a strategic lever that underpins the success of executive development programs. For sponsoring organizations, it’s about activating and continuing to support the leadership energy to drive transformation. For business schools, it’s about designing programs that energize through meaningful content, delivery, and environment. And for participants, it’s about replenishing and managing their energy for personal and organizational impact.