Program Spotlight: Havas NextGen

Paula: NextGen is a remarkable opportunity to not only network but also gain deep insights into yourself. It offers a platform to foster personal growth in leadership skills, expand your toolkit, increase confidence, and connect with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. It brings together amazing people from the network to explore innovative solutions with an open mind. 

Taimoor: The program provides meaningful training, mentoring, and coaching to help the next generation of leaders develop the skills and qualities required for effective leadership. Candidates are nominated because of the value they bring to their agency and the influence they have on the people around them. The curriculum explores new leadership topics through workshops, individual and team-based activities, and guest speakers. It’s an opportunity to invest in oneself and build long lasting relationships with colleagues from around the world. 

Taimoor: It was a mix of positive emotions… gratitude, excitement and determination, but also some nervousness and anticipation. I was eager to learn and grow, acquire new skills, gain valuable insights, and broaden my knowledge. I felt enthusiastic about the opportunity to meet and connect with other participants, mentors, and leaders in the organization. And I was immensely grateful to Havas Media NA CFO Michael Lelievre, Global CFO Cyril Joyet, and Havas Media NA CEO Greg Walsh for nominating me and believing in me.

Paula: I was filled with a mix of excitement and pride, but I also experienced moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I questioned whether I was as prepared as the other participants, but as the program progressed, I gained confidence and embraced the fact that I had earned my place in the program. I realized that I had a responsibility to my teams to grow and help them reach their full potential through my own learning journey.

Paula: It was an incredibly enriching experience, a unique opportunity to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. The knowledge and expertise of this group was truly inspiring and insightful, and it helped me believe that Havas is truly a global connected borderless network.

Taimoor: Our #Super60 (as named by NextGener Liz Lem from Havas Media Canada) is a diverse group of leaders from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Our diversity led to wide range of perspectives and ideas, and opened my eyes to different work styles and approaches to leadership, plus insights into international practices, challenges, and opportunities. We built a strong connection that has led to lasting collaboration, mentorship and support. It’s also amazing that we’re staying in touch beyond the program sharing updates, questions, and support via our WhatsApp and Teams channels.

Paula: Reframing is one of the key topics we learned about, it’s been instrumental in keeping me focused on innovative strategies for decision-making and problem-solving. I’ve also succeeded with new techniques for managing and leading change, and facilitated smoother transitions and minimized resistance within my teams. I am actively passing on these learnings to the new leads, ensuring that the positive impact continues to ripple throughout the organization. 

Taimoor: I returned home from Module 1 and applied a number of learnings to my own team, focusing on open communication, team bonding, building trust, collaboration and respect. The impact became real when my team showed a 60% improvement in engagement via the 2023 HAVASay Employee Survey. We were proud to be embracing uncertainty, developing a culture of collaboration, and taking on a learning attitude.