Student Profile: Patrick

A graduate of our MA in Consulting and Leading in Organisations, Patrick is now working towards his Professional Doctorate – unlocking deep insights into his own leadership style and impact in the process.

Patrick’s leadership journey began in a military context, before shifting to a career in commercial business. When he first encountered our “systems-psychodynamic” training, he had already completed an MBA and was working towards a coaching certificate. With this background, the Tavistock’s courses seemed “exotic”, but a recommendation from his coaching tutor convinced Patrick that it was time to expand on the rational, instrumental approaches that had informed his career to date. “I wanted to go deeper”, he explains.

Patrick began by undertaking our Master’s Degree in Consulting and Leading in Organisations: Psychodynamic and Systemic Approaches, which swiftly unlocked “deep insights” into his own leadership style. “I became more aware of myself, what I bring to the table, the contribution that I make”, he explains. “My leadership got much more impactful, people developed into new roles, and this was thanks to what I learnt on the course”.

As a former military officer, Patrick was very familiar with the dynamics of authority, power and leadership, but the MA took this understanding further. “It made me understand where my authority is really coming from – from the system, from myself, but also from other people – and that authority needs constant reauthorisation. This was quite a ground-breaking insight. It made me a much more effective leader”.

Next, he embarked on our Professional Doctorate in Consulting and Leading in Organisations – an experience which has proven equally rewarding. While grappling with theory, research and literature reviews, Patrick has found the programme “a very supportive place to be”, with opportunities to learn from colleagues and tutors who bring experience and insight from many different sectors and roles.

Patrick’s doctoral research will explore “unexpected changes” in elite team sports, examining what happens when teams collapse under pressure, and particularly scrutinising the role of leadership in this collapse, from a Bionian standpoint. Drawing on his professional experience in senior leadership and his background as a competitive elite youth footballer, the thesis will explore the “containing” function of coaches and draw parallels between elite sports and the business world, where teams are called upon to perform at the highest level.

Patrick hopes that the expertise that he is developing in this area will support the next stages of his career by creating opportunities for specialised consultancy, while also continuing to inform his current work as Country Director at an international firm. Indeed, he is very clear on the impact of the course on this role. From forging strong relationships to navigating major transformation, he credits the insights gleaned from “systems-psychodynamics” with his team’s growth and success. “I would have failed without it”, he states. “I’m indebted to the institution.”

And so what began as a “curveball” has become a cornerstone of Patrick’s professional life. “It’s a very intensive experience”, he adds. “You look at the world with different eyes”.