Becky Patterson, Director of Health Care Analytics at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, recently completed Momentum’s Executive Leadership Program as a member of Class 19. With some knowledge about what Momentum was designed for, she told us her experience took her by surprise.
“I was surprised at how much it caused me to internally reflect,” Becky shared.
Becky said that while she knew Momentum equips participants with impactful professional development tools, she quickly noticed that the program was also focused on her, not just her organization’s needs of her.
“Going in, it was just this class I was going to do, but it quickly found its way into my being. It began to really shape my leadership on a deep, personal level,” Becky shared.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama has a strong commitment to its employees’ leadership development and growth. She shared that while a 360 review, and a few other aspects of select sessions were not entirely new to her, the makeup of the class was entirely different than any training she’d received before.
“What was interesting to me was how different it felt to go through this with women who had such different backgrounds and organizations that they were representing. It allowed me to see outside of my role and focus on my own personal leadership with this very diverse group,” she said.
She said because of this, she gained something entirely new out of every class session. Like Becky, 80% of our current class participants report that sessions are unique from other trainings they may have received in the past because of the group setting with women of various industries and backgrounds. She added that the class has become a source of support, even after the conclusion of their program year.
“This is one of the most supportive networks I’ve ever had. It’s just pure support. Diversity is really, really important to me, and I want to make sure my table is really broad. This Momentum experience helped me with that,” she said.
Additionally, Becky credits the Momentum experience for helping her feel empowered to bring her whole self to work.
“This experience has brought about a new sense of satisfaction with where I am and how I lead. I’m vulnerable, I talk about the hard things, I understand people better, and bringing my whole self to work has made me more comfortable as a leader. In response, I notice my team feels more comfortable collaborating and sharing themselves. I think people see that I’m more approachable and I now consider vulnerability a strength of mine,” Becky shared.
“Supporting a healthy team culture is my leadership destination and I think we are doing really well on that journey.”
