Follow a leader through Help to Grow: Management – part three

Personal goals and company benefits

The course aligns perfectly with my personal goal of stepping into a more strategic leadership role.

My fellow Help to Grow business leaders with Lecturer, Marcin Wozniak outside Manchester Met’s Business School]

Help to Grow has given me the frameworks and tools to approach the business structure from a different perspective and to lead more effectively. For my company, I’ve already applied lessons from the course to improve internal processes and support strategic planning, leading to better team alignment and early performance improvements.

Practical tools for strategy creation

The module on strategy for growth was especially beneficial. Manchester Met provided practical tools that I could immediately apply in my role, particularly around getting the business core values and aligning teams around a shared vision. The real-world case studies made the content relatable and actionable.

The Business Model Canvas was particularly useful. It gave me a clear, structured way to visualize and refine my business strategy on a single page. Breaking down the business into components like value propositions, customer segments, and revenue streams helped me identify gaps and opportunities that I hadn’t previously considered. It also made it much easier to communicate our business model to franchisees, joint venture partners and team members. I plan to use the canvas as an exercise for my next management training day. It has become a practical tool I return to when testing new ideas or pivoting strategy.

Mentors that help with real-life leadership challenges

My mentor is a senior operations leader at a global tech company, with extensive experience in scaling teams and talent whilst driving digital transformation. Their experience in a fast-paced, high-growth environment gave me a broader perspective on managing change and leading cross-functional teams.

The mentoring relationship gave me honest feedback, career guidance, and a safe space to discuss challenges. My mentor helped me see blind spots, improve decision-making, and build more confidence in high-stakes situations. Their practical advice often bridged the gap between theory and real-life leadership.

An unexpected benefit

An unexpected benefit was the strong peer network I developed through the course. Collaborating with other professionals from diverse industries has led to ongoing knowledge sharing. Multiple views discussed from different perspectives – from CEO’s to people in similar positions to myself – gave us a deeper understanding of our challenges.

Find out more: Help to Grow: Management for business | MMU