I started my career in finance and in the middle of that stint, I decided to go back to school, and that led me to the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, where I pursued a year-long Business Leadership programme. I must say, it is probably one of the best decisions I have taken in my career.
So when I speak about my learning from management studies, it is a bit different, since I attended it after spending many years in the corporate world.
Off the top of my head, let me jot down for you the three benefits of the executive MBA.
Continuous Learning
To start with, it taught me to re-appreciate the importance of continuous learning. At the start of my career, being a young soul, I was eager to learn and acquire knowledge and experience that helped me deliver at work. Over time, my existing education, coupled with relevant skills that I acquired helped me move ahead in the corporate ladder. And then I reached a stage when I inadvertently felt that I knew it all and that I did not need any further education. This could have been the start of my downfall had I not taken the plunge and applied to IIM-C. This experience helped me appreciate the importance of continuous learning and I snapped out of my so called know-it-all attitude.
Second, the experience opened my mind to possibilities. During my years at college, it was about “how much I can remember” and “solve problems based on fixed set of questions”. And most of the times, my answers were either right or wrong; there was only black and white with no room for grey.
The case study-based approach of learning at IIM-C helped me understand the ‘art of possibilities’. I learnt that in the real world, there may not be only one right answer to a problem as it depends on the place, situation or circumstances at that moment.
Introspection
Third, I started to truly introspect and reflect on my actions. In our busy life, we seldom get a chance to ponder over ‘what’ we do, and ‘how’ we ought to do it. Many days we spend almost mechanically not being able to get an opportunity to think. During the time that I was away attending the one-year MBA programme and away from my fulltime job, it gave me a chance to think, introspect, and discover myself through and gain perspectives that I had never thought of.
For instance, I remember attending a lecture of a very senior management guru, who called himself a student of management. I was so pleased to hear someone of that stature actually say these words. It was a humbling experience.
Let me summarise by saying that the onus of developing ourselves is completely upon us. Organisations will give us the opportunity to learn, but the responsibility of making oneself a better individual and professional solely rests with the individual.
Acquiring an MBA in the middle of my career reconfirmed my belief in continuous learning and the importance of investing time on improving myself. The experience helped me enhance my net worth as an individual and as a professional.
To read more from the My MBA Lessons section, click here .