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    Jazz Drummer-Turned-Health Care Product Manager Acquired the Business Skills to Become a Better Leader

    Mike Gleichman with his wife and two kids
    • 28 Mar 2023
    Michele Reynolds Author Staff
    tag
    • Finance
    • Financial Accounting
    • Leadership
    • Organizational Leadership
    • Student Profiles

    Mike Gleichman doesn’t like idle time. In college, he did a dual program at Tufts University in quantitative economics and majored in jazz performance at the New England Conservatory to blend his passions for math and music. Averaging nine courses each semester and completing his five-year program in just over four, he got used to being overscheduled. He still likes it that way.

    Mike Gleichman
    Mike Gleichman

    Gleichman’s dad—a lawyer by day and drummer by night—spurred his son’s interest in drums at an early age, turning it into a lifelong passion. Gleichman started taking drum and piano lessons when he was seven and gravitated toward jazz. Music filled up his free time in high school. He won numerous competitions, including an international one during his senior year, allowing him to perform at the Panama Jazz Festival in Panama City.

    While in high school, a professional musician advised him not to pursue a music career and instead to choose a “day job.” Music felt like an unrealistic career path, given the unreliable income and taxing lifestyle with a lot of travel and odd hours. He turned to his favorite subject, math, but didn’t want to give up on his passion for music, so he applied to colleges that would allow him to do both.

    His family moved from New England to the Atlanta, Georgia, area when he was 12, but it never felt like home, inspiring Gleichman to attend college in Boston.

    During the summers, he needed to earn money. He got his first job and gained valuable skills.

    “My first summer job in college was at Costco, dragging carts and as a cashier,” Gleichman says. “My second job was as a quality control tester at [coffee company] Keurig. I was in a windowless lab pressing a button all day. I must have made 1,000 cups of coffee that summer. Both jobs taught me time management, humility, and empathy for others. No one should be above any job. I think everyone should work in retail at some point.”

    As college graduation approached in 2010, Gleichman considered his options. His classmates at the New England Conservatory wanted music careers, but Gleichman thought business might be a safer path. He was drawn to healthcare, yet there weren’t many opportunities.

    “I knew I didn’t want to do finance on Wall Street,” he says. “I wanted something more tangible, but there was a recession, so it was a tough job market. I ended up taking a job at Enterprise Rent-a-Car to learn business basics. The days went fast, but when my manager started talking about a branch manager role for me, I knew I had to make a change.”

    A friend who worked at the health care information technology company athenahealth convinced him to apply for a professional services role. He got the job and stayed there for more than three years. He loved working with doctors and health system administrators but wanted to break into product management.

    “I loved playing with LEGOs as a kid because I was fascinated by building things, so I thought product management would be a good fit,” Gleichman says. “I was right; I loved it. I wanted something where I could constantly be learning.”

    After working in several product roles at athenahealth, he was hired as a director of product management at CVS-owned Aetna, the second-largest medical insurance company in the United States. He quickly rose to executive director of product management, leading a team responsible for developing software applications.

    “I was leading a large team and realized I had gaps,” Gleichman says. “In my first budget planning meeting, there were terms I didn’t understand. I wanted something short of an MBA because I thought I had missed that window, but I needed some of the skills, so I looked for options and found Harvard Business School Online.”

    Gleichman enrolled in Financial Accounting to learn budgeting concepts and later in Organizational Leadership to discover how to lead large teams.

    “I had taken some online courses for product management, but the HBS Online courses were very different—far more engaging. You’re not just watching videos,” Gleichman says. “It was great to have a week to finish the work so I could fit it in without taking time off.”

    Gleichman says he frequently uses what he learned from HBS Online.

    “I was faking it before, but now I’m confident in budget meetings,” Gleichman says. “The cases helped material sink in by learning theories grounded in real companies. And the collaborative activities made it really unique.”

    Gleichman described a particular case in Organizational Leadership about General Mills that he could apply immediately to his new cross-functional senior leadership role.

    Organizational Leadership | Take your organization to the next level | Learn More

    “Someone from General Mills described doing a listening tour to get up to speed for a new job,” Gleichman says. “Although it would take a lot of time, it would be a great way to learn what was going well and what to do to add value. It ended up being a great week and investment of time. I never would have done it if it hadn’t been for the course.”

    Gleichman believes the skills he gained from HBS Online have helped him advance his career. He hopes to be a chief product officer and wants to continue filling up his days by learning, working, and spending time with his family. He still has a passion for music and plays drums when he can, but he’s happy he chose the path he did.

    Are you interested in learning similar business concepts that can help advance your career? Explore our courses in finance and accounting and leadership and management.

    About the Author

    Michele Reynolds handles brand marketing and PR for Harvard Business School Online. Prior to HBS Online, she led communications for TripAdvisor and Gazelle and has been widely quoted in national media outlets, including CBS News, Reuters, and The New York Times. Michele earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University. Outside work, she spends time with her teenage daughter, plays tennis, and visits her enormous extended family.
     
    All FAQs

    Top FAQs

    How are HBS Online courses delivered?

    +–

    We offer self-paced programs (with weekly deadlines) on the HBS Online course platform.

    Our platform features short, highly produced videos of HBS faculty and guest business experts, interactive graphs and exercises, cold calls to keep you engaged, and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant online community.

    Are HBS Online programs available in languages other than English?

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    We expect to offer our courses in additional languages in the future but, at this time, HBS Online can only be provided in English.

    All course content is delivered in written English. Closed captioning in English is available for all videos. There are no live interactions during the course that requires the learner to speak English. Coursework must be completed in English.

    Do I need to come to campus to participate in HBS Online programs?

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    No, all of our programs are 100 percent online, and available to participants regardless of their location.

    How do I enroll in a course?

    +–

    Certificate Programs

    HBS Online welcomes committed learners wherever they are—in the world and their careers—irrespective of their professional experience or academic background. To extend the reach of HBS Online, we no longer require an application for our certificate programs. (Applications are still required for our credential programs: CORe and CLIMB.) You can now immediately enroll and start taking the next step in your career.

    All programs require the completion of a brief online enrollment form before payment. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before enrolling in the program of your choice.

    Our easy online enrollment form is free, and no special documentation is required. All participants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

    Updates to your enrollment status will be shown on your account page. HBS Online does not use race, gender, ethnicity, or any protected class as criteria for enrollment for any HBS Online program.

    Credential Programs

    HBS Online's CORe and CLIMB programs require the completion of a brief application. The applications vary slightly, but all ask for some personal background information. You can apply for and enroll in programs here. If you are new to HBS Online, you will be required to set up an account before starting an application for the program of your choice.

    Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All participants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

    Updates to your application and enrollment status will be shown on your account page. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application for CORe and three weeks for CLIMB. HBS Online does not use race, gender, ethnicity, or any protected class as criteria for admissions for any HBS Online program.

    Does Harvard Business School Online offer an online MBA?

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    No, Harvard Business School Online offers business certificate programs.

    What are my payment options?

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    We accept payments via credit card, wire transfer, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. Some candidates may qualify for scholarships or financial aid, which will be credited against the Program Fee once eligibility is determined. Please refer to the Payment & Financial Aid page for further information.

    We also allow you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.

    In all cases, net Program Fees must be paid in full (in US Dollars) to complete registration.

    What are the policies for refunds and deferrals?

    +–

    After enrolling in a program, you may request a withdrawal with refund (minus a $100 nonrefundable enrollment fee) up until 24 hours after the start of your program. Please review the Program Policies page for more details on refunds and deferrals. If your employer has contracted with HBS Online for participation in a program, or if you elect to enroll in the undergraduate credit option of the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program, note that policies for these options may differ.

     

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