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15 Nov 2015, 21:57
15 Nov 2015, 22:07
16 Nov 2015, 10:10
Updated on: 24 Nov 2015, 12:16
24 Nov 2015, 12:01
| FROM Ivey MBA Admissions Blog: My Hardest MBA Class – by Fahad Tariq, MBA 2016 |
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This piece was originally published on November 23, 2015 as part of The Globe and Mail’s MBA Diary series. “So do you feel transformed yet?” my friend asked jokingly. He was referring to a unique course that I’m taking at business school: Transformational Leadership. The course focuses on leadership of the self and on character development – topics that most academics and practitioners have neglected, instead favouring traditional strategic leadership theories. With transformational leadership, the thinking goes like this: Leadership is more than simply leading other people and organizations. It involves looking within, recognizing one’s values, beliefs, biases and, yes, even feelings. Effective leadership requires self-awareness about one’s character and morality. After reading the course outline, I was intrigued by what seemed to me a very philosophical subject. I decided to enroll. After all, how could I expect to lead others without a little bit of introspection about my own character and values? And in any case, I thought the class would be easy. Boy was I wrong. On the first day of class our ardent professor told us, “This will be the hardest course you take in the MBA program.” Her statement was not hyperbole; she was absolutely right. Reflecting on who you are as a person and remaining committed to your values sounds a lot easier than it is. Throughout the course, I had to think deeply about my failures, regrets, role models, motivations and aspirations. It was an exhausting exercise meant to make us aware of why we act the way we do. The end goal was to develop the positive character traits that every successful leader must embody, including integrity, courage, accountability and humanity. One of the highlights of the course occurred when Holocaust survivor Eva Kor spoke to us about how she forgave the Nazis for their crimes. Ms. Kor, now 81 and an American, lost most of her family in the Holocaust and was subjected to human experimentation at Auschwitz. Despite her harrowing experience, she found the capacity to forgive and to move on with her life. This to me was a clear example of resilient character. She could have been vengeful, and justifiably so, but she recognized she could have a greater positive impact by demonstrating magnanimity. As the course comes to an end, I’ve been trying to synthesize all that I’ve learned and I think the following quote captures it well: “Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” If I’m fortunate enough to be in a leadership role in the future, I’ll know to pay close attention to my beliefs and to align my actions accordingly, even when there are powerful situational pressures. In this way I hope to chart my destiny. I’ll know to tap into different character traits depending on the situation. Some situations will require confidence, others humility. I’m sure I’ll face ethical dilemmas regardless of where I work and so it’s imperative that I’m committed to my moral values. I’m convinced that courses like Transformational Leadership should be mandatory at all business schools. It’s a well-known fact that many of the corporate “leaders,” brokers and bankers who were responsible for the 2008-09 financial crisis were graduates of top business schools. Perhaps there was something fundamental missing in their education. The financial crisis, along with the plethora of other corporate scandals, perhaps could have been avoided if leaders had demonstrated courage, integrity and accountability, even in situations where they did not have an incentive to do so. On this point, U.S. ethicist Michael Josephson said it best: “People of character do the right thing even if no one else does, not because they think it will change the world but because they refuse to be changed by the world.” True leadership requires continuing introspection and strong character. So to answer my friend’s question, “Do you feel transformed yet?” I say: not entirely but I’m grateful to have started the journey. |
25 Nov 2015, 14:21
27 Nov 2015, 12:02
03 Dec 2015, 11:50
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04 Dec 2015, 22:27
05 Dec 2015, 08:32
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07 Dec 2015, 14:28
07 Dec 2015, 23:36
18 Dec 2015, 13:01
| FROM Ivey MBA Admissions Blog: Not Too Late to Apply for March 2016 Start! |
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It’s that time of year where many of our MBA candidates are wondering if it’s too late to apply for our final deadline of January 11th, to start our program in March 2016. The short answer is no – it’s not too late! Find out how our timelines work and what you need to provide to ensure you have the chance to join us this March. |
19 Dec 2015, 05:23
15 Jan 2016, 10:01
| FROM Ivey MBA Admissions Blog: Don’t Rush the MBA Decision: Not All Work Experience is Created Equal |
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This post by Sharon Irwin-Foulon, Executive Director of Career Management and Corporate Recruiting at the Ivey Business School, originally appeared in the Huffington Post Business Blog on January 14, 2016. We all know some things look good on paper but don’t always work in practice. And that sentiment should be taken into consideration when deciding if the time is right for an MBA. Just because you have the two years of experience that many of the world’s business schools require, doesn’t mean you are ready for an MBA. You should think more deeply about how to get the most out of your investment of time and money before applying to an MBA. We often see applicants rush this decision. At the Ivey Business School, we believe that a key question candidates should be asking themselves before applying to an MBA is: Does it make sense for me to get this degree right now? Here are some things to consider: 1.The admissions teams can help: The admissions team at Ivey is not in place to scrutinize or judge applicants. Instead, an important part of the team’s role is to ensure that you make the best decision possible, so you can get the most out of the program and contribute to the class community in a meaningful way. Where you are at in your own work journey before you arrive is a critical part of a successful outcome. Talk to us. We can help. 2.Quality over quantity: Be prepared to talk about the kind of work you have done. We are not interested in the length of time you have spent collecting a paycheque, but instead your ability to talk about the quality of work you have done. Tell us about the interactions you have experienced with internal or external clients and the projects you have contributed to. Bringing these kinds of experiences to formal classroom discussions is a critical part of learning in the case study classroom. 3.Failure is good for success: In the interview stage of your application, we are looking to hear about how you helped to move the organization or projects forward and the failures and successes you had on the way. Discussing failures is important because you can use them to explain why having an MBA might help you to do things differently if you had to do them again. Looking at the typical Ivey MBA class, the average number of years’ work experience is closer to four or five. While some students have less, this is the typical timeframe because it often takes that long to prove yourself at an organization and have the types of successes and failures that give you this depth of thinking. Reflect about what you have learned from your organizations and colleagues. This can make the difference between presenting as a moderate or a fantastic candidate. Assuming that the requisite two years of work experience is enough to get you into the MBA program is a sign that you may not be thinking about this investment of time and money in a critical way. Instead you might be merely seeing it as a credential. To get the most out of your investment, don’t rush the decision to get your MBA. |
05 Feb 2016, 10:01
| FROM Ivey MBA Admissions Blog: Secure Your Future: Take a Break to Earn Your MBA |
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This article, by Sharon Irwin-Foulon, Ivey Executive Director of Career Management and Corporate Recruiting, originally appeared on the Huffington Post Blog on January 28, 2016. It’s often said that the best companies do more than just survive a downturn; they also position themselves to thrive during the subsequent upturn by making investments that enable them to grow when the economy rebounds. The same strategy can be applied to your career. That’s why MBA admissions at Ivey tend to be countercyclical and we see an increase in applications during economic down periods. Many thoughtful candidates understand that applying to take a year out of work to invest in themselves and build new skills for their future careers is the best personal insurance they can have when the economy is uncertain. That said, it can be difficult to leave the workforce, especially when you have no assurance you can get back in. Knowing if the time is right for you takes some deeper thinking to ensure you feel confident in the investment you are making. Here are some things to consider: Are you sure you won’t be welcomed back? It is often surprising to me when high achieving MBA applicants, who are clearly doing well in the firms they are a part of, are reluctant or uneasy to speak with their managers and HR teams about the possibility of taking a break to do an MBA, with a plan to return to the same company. No firm wants to lose great talent. If you are thoughtful about planning the conversation, conducting it in a professional way, with a clear case on why this is a good time to step out for only a year, the conversations most often go well. Once at school, the MBA students work with career coaches at Ivey to manage the relationship at the company they were a part of, negotiate new roles and/or the terms for a return. It might actually be easier than you think! Is your professional development on track? In uncertain economies, some firms decide to wait out the storm and hold off investing in training and development. In some cases they might suspend planned promotions or movement of their people. If the company you work for is not investing in you, it might be time to invest in yourself. Taking the time to do an MBA ensures that you are still learning and growing, at a time in your career that has the potential to be transformative. Coming back to the market a year later also ensures that the skills you bring are even more developed. You will present as a stronger, more mature candidate than you were just one short year ago. Your new skills are what makes the economy grow. One year may not be enough time for the economy to recover. But, your new MBA will give you a refined skill set that may be exactly what businesses need to solve the complex people, operations, marketing, and finance problems they’ll experience if the market constricts for a longer period of time. The world’s best MBA programs prepare you to be part of the teams that will move companies forward, whether in cautious or growth periods. Applicants choose to do an MBA because they have clear goals of what they want to achieve and what they will bring to the market following the program. Doing a program like this, at the right time in your career, can help you take control of what comes next. It may be a better time to seize the opportunity than you first thought. Do you have the experience to make it work? Who should consider the MBA right now? People who believe they are ready for change and growth should consider the MBA during these economic times. But remember, stepping out for a year and investing in an MBA is a big commitment. Don’t rush it. Meaningful work experience will help you get the most out of your time and ensure the investment pays off for you. Talking with the admissions team will help you define when the right time is. They are here to help! |
10 Feb 2016, 10:01
| FROM Ivey MBA Admissions Blog: Left-brained People Can Be Entrepreneurs Too |
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This article by Fahad Tariq, Ivey MBA 2016, was originally published in The Globe and Mail on February 9, 2016. Being an accountant, I can safely say that I’m left-brained. That is, my thought process is (generally) based on logic, analysis and facts. Whenever I examine a business problem, I instinctively search for the numbers market size, revenue growth, operating margin, you name it. When I think about entrepreneurs, I imagine people who are right-brained – you know, the creative types. These are the individuals who come up with innovative ideas based on their superb imagination and intuition. These brilliant minds see the world differently than us left-brained folks, and they’re the ones best suited to become entrepreneurs, not us. But this is not accurate. At the start of my MBA program, I convinced myself to get out of my comfort zone and to try something different, preferably something related to entrepreneurship. Like most people I dreamed of running my own company one day, but I worried that my thought process didn’t match that of most entrepreneurs. I decided to take as many entrepreneurship courses as I could and to attempt to launch my own business coming out of school, even if it was something small. If this business took off, then I would pursue it and, if it didn’t, it would be a learning experience. By starting small, I was hedging my bets (of course this was my left brain talking). I had seen every episode of Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank and always wondered if my analytical thinking could prove useful in the world of entrepreneurship. What I learned after taking a number of entrepreneurship courses, developing multiple business plans and meeting with potential investors is that analytical thinking is extremely valuable, if not necessary, in entrepreneurship. Yes, creativity is required because you need to come up with a new or better way of solving a compelling problem. But ideas are only the beginning of an entrepreneur’s journey. The real challenge is execution. And when it comes to execution, a successful entrepreneur needs to be able to objectively evaluate the competitive environment, determine the segments and size of the market, develop revenue and expense estimates, and act according to this careful analysis. This requires a ton of left-brain thinking. Even idea generation can be thought of as a systematic process – a process of identifying a problem faced by a large enough group of people who are willing to pay for a solution, and then working through potential solutions based on feasibility and industry analysis. This analytical approach should be encouraged because it is less prone to failure. In terms of my own entrepreneurship journey, I’m working with a group of talented MBA students to launch a healthy, energy-boosting snack. Although at first glance this may appear a crowded industry, our detailed analysis shows that there is a particular segment of the market that is underserved. When we presented our business plan to a group of investors a few months ago, they were most impressed by our understanding of the healthy food industry and how we planned to carve out a niche, and not necessarily our base idea. We’re now in discussions with a prominent investor for seed funding, which is really exciting. Going through the process of developing a robust business plan has encouraged me, a left-brained accountant, to pursue entrepreneurship in some way. It’s clear to me that left-brained people are more than capable of becoming successful entrepreneurs and should not be afraid of going down the new venture path. The notion that all successful entrepreneurs are simply creative geniuses is false. There are plenty of successful entrepreneurs who developed and executed their ideas based on logical thinking and thoughtful research, with a hint of originality, and I hope to join their ranks in the future. |
11 Feb 2016, 12:33
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Hi Generic [Bot],
Here are updates for you:
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AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
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