Since 2015, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Executive Development (SMU ExD) EXCEL Leadership Programme has established a reputation for a rigorous and practical curriculum, as well as giving its participants the opportunity to engage with peers from a wide range of nationalities and sectors. More than 250 participants across myriad organisations have participated in SMU ExD’s flagship programme on leadership.

This year, SMU added National Football League (NFL) athlete, Mr Kelvin Beachum to its list of student alumni, with the leadership programme serving as a platform for the exchange of enriching multicultural perspectives, applicable to both business and society. Trading his football helmet for a tablet and pen over the five-day programme held at SMU’s city campus, Kelvin shared his motivation for returning to the classroom, as well as his choice of a management university located in tropical Singapore. The American football offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals, based in Phoenix, Arizona, had flown to Singapore for the leadership programme in May 2023.

“The challenge or concern that I am looking to try to understand is utilising this programme to better equip myself to be a leader in sports and business, venture capital, philanthropy as well as the arts – being able to understand how to move in and throughout those industries, as well as having the capabilities of being a good leader,” said Kelvin.

The multicultural element of EXCEL had been a deciding factor for Kelvin in his search for a comprehensive programme to broaden his perspective and complement his career opportunities. He had been researching educational institutions in the USA, when he was told by a professor at Wharton to spend some time at Singapore Management University.

“The ability to interact with people from different nationalities, in different regions, stood out for me,” commented Kelvin. “Also, understanding how to use these different skills in different settings in my life. Additionally, I realised the different cultural differences and how important those cultural differences are. The EXCEL programme has done a phenomenal job in curating individuals from all over the world, as well as giving cultural context in how to do business in Asia and how to lead in these particular environments.”

The five-day EXCEL programme, focused on leadership effectiveness, included 27 participants from a diverse range of geographies, cultures and industries, comprising 11 nationalities from a total of 10 organisations. Kelvin, a 11-year veteran of the fast and athletic game, along with his fellow learners, had to complete a psychometric assessment which identified their individual strengths, performance risks and core values. With the assessment used as a basis of reference, programme participants were guided by a team of academics, coaches and industry practitioners, towards an understanding of different leadership styles and the ways in which to gear towards effective outcomes.

“We all know that businesses today are facing an ever-increasing amount of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The world of work is changing, so how do leaders prepare for a world that is unpredictable and constantly changing? Leaders today need to think differently, behave differently and develop a different mindset to navigate the complexities and uncertainties across geographies, functions, industries and organisations to deliver the organizational change needed,” said Eddie Tritton, Executive Director, SMU Executive Development. “While context is important, so is content. As a leading academic institution across Southeast Asia, we believe in the value of rigour and applying cutting edge research in our programmes, as it helps leaders to reframe the nature and reality of their challenges.”

“What I found to be the most enjoyable aspect of this programme was one of the conversations around influential leadership. That was a very impactful course with a very impactful dialogue. Today, the conversation around executive presence, being able to understand how to utilise executive presence, having communication with your team, as well as presenting on a global stage, is important,” commented Kelvin.

“Being able to have a conversation around executive presence was something that I didn’t anticipate, but it’s something that has been very special about the programme,” said Kelvin “I would highly recommend the programme here at SMU, realising just how important the ecosystem here at SMU is to understanding the business ecosystem that surrounds this particular region, and the different nationalities that you would be exposed to by coming to SMU.”