Nearly a decade ago, in the thick of the global financial crisis, I was asked by a reputable hospitality firm to present my views on how to build a brand during the credit crunch. It so happened that a delegation of executive MBA students from a renowned university in the United States were visiting Dubai as part of their field exercise, and my client was hosting them for a day at an iconic, “ultra-luxury” property that is one of Dubai’s global landmarks.
True to my protagonist posture, I titled my presentation “MBAs are rubbish” and went on to explain the irony of how I, a non-MBA professional, was imparting business insights to those clearly more qualified than me. I will stick to my guns here, because so many people consider MBAs as a fast-track up the corporate ladder and it simply isn’t the case.
I went on to share my views based on principles my mother taught me while I was growing up – and was amazed to be applauded for content that seemed like common sense.
Given my limited educational qualifications and in the interest of self-preservation I have diligently applied these rules in my life and here are some of those for you to ponder over:
Turn notes into cash: Be diligent about making proper notes because memory will fail you. If it’s written, it will get done.
Clip your nails and polish your shoes: Pay attention to how you present yourself because people will judge you on your grooming.
Do or learn something new every day: Look over the fence and remain insatiably curious.
Time flies, even if your career doesn’t: Be punctual, divide your time, never your attention and ensure you get the best out of every minute.
Take brisk steps: Be energetic and think before walking, no point running a mile if it’s in the wrong direction.
Pick your battles carefully: Learn when to walk away, without prejudice or judgement.
Good is never enough: Passionate work will never be mediocre. Laziness leads to losses.
Every CEO should know how to make a decent cup of tea: There’s dignity in humility and actions that serve a greater good will always yield results.
Stars don’t work for idiots: they work for other stars. Act like one if you want to attract great talent.
Say what you mean and mean what you say: Be honest, don’t over-promise and don’t under-deliver
Save everything: Whether it’s time or money, ideas, paper or files – prudence is profitable.
Yes, you’re to blame: Take responsibility as you delegate; trust, but make sure you verify.
The foundation of a decent education is key to harnessing technical and hard skills relevant to your career, but common sense, critical thinking, creativity and, most importantly, the ability to communicate in a coherent manner are the cornerstones of building a great career.
People do business with people they like. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, the fact is if you’re not able to build interpersonal skills then you can pretty much kiss your career goodbye.
Divas and mavericks don’t belong in boardrooms. They kill culture and polarise people, which dilutes focus and distorts priorities. Great people need other great people to collaborate with, immaterial of your role within a company.
From campuses to corporations
Here’s a thought: What if you could only apply for an MBA course if you had successfully completed a minimum of five years in a full-time role? Let’s face it, what do you really know about the real world of business in your early twenties? Do you yet know what you are good at or what you enjoy or hate? Might just be an absolute waste of your glory years getting equipped with academia that might not warrant any value or relevance in your life?
Here’s another thought: What if your MBA degree was only valid for 10 years and you had to take a refresher course to keep it current? Today, you apply for a new driving license every ten years or so, pilots need to be airworthy with regular tests, so if you go down this route then why don’t CEOs refresh their knowledge with a degree of formality to command their positions of authority.
There is no substitute for experience and what’s more valuable in the founding years of young adulthood are great life experiences. Gap years are highly undervalued and youth should be given all the opportunities to explore the world, interact with different people, cultures and interests to discover what they are actually passionate about. Then spend a good few years learning from those in the same vocation before mastering business administration.
The genius of innovation is an irreverence to rules and originality of thought. The true outliers are the ones who always have the ability to surround themselves with smarter people and focus purely on their strengths and skills. Fearless, resolute and imaginative people can always find smarter talent to complement their skills.
Countries and corporations need to collaborate to create opportunities for the young to unleash their talents and it cannot be at the expense of bankrupting parents or burdening students with loans, all for an educational qualification that might not be worth anything in a rapidly evolving world.
Gaurav Sinha, CEO & chief strategist at Insignia Worldwide, a destination design, strategy and brand experience company.
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