What Makes A Good Leader?

A great professor recognizes the importance of adding variety to his or her teaching style. This keeps us engaged since we all know we won't pay attention if we're bored. (It's called "the chunking principle." Keep this in mind the next time you create a presentation! )

So, can you imagine if over 80% of your classes in one semester included C-Level Exec's as guest speakers?  One of my professors made that happen, and these were not CEO's of small companies, but of huge MNC's!

One of these illustrious leaders, Nick Shreiber, former CEO & President of TetraPak, recently remarked on what makes a good global leader, and his tips are both insightful & practical...

• Develop Strong Communication Skills: 
• Be able to express your ideas in a style that is appropriate and suitable to your audience.

• Listen With All Your Senses:
• Only a small percentage of what a person is saying comes from his mouth.
• Listen for the implied messages.

• Channel & Convey a Certain Level of Energy:
• You must be able to infuse energy into an organization, as well as inspire and motivate those around you.

• Understand Strategy and Be An Analytical Thinker
• Some degree of structure and analytics is a good thing.
• Though counterintuitive, we do need discipline to be more creative. 

• Maintain the Ability to Hold Two Conflicting Thoughts In Your Head Without Losing Your Mind
• Consider the information leaders must reconcile in order to be an exceptional decision maker.
• It becomes a matter of "Managing Paradoxes."

• "Trust, but Verify." - Ronald Reagan
• Seek out information from all levels of the organization, not just your direct reports.
• No one wants to give the Boss bad news, but bad news brings change and improvements.
• You must often look several levels below you in the chain of command to gain insight into your organization.

These traits not only describe greatness in business, but also in B-School, and in life.  An MBA entails group projects & teamwork every time you turn around, and life requires leadership no matter which roles you play.

So, you can see it is crucial that we hone & practice our leadership skills to develop into the individuals we want to see leading organizations and making a difference in the world!  

When the Going Gets Tough...

Quotes are a tricky thing.  What may be clever to someone is considered corny or cliché to another, so forgive me if these are cheesy!  But, I found these after the last post and believe they have some concise insights to impart, such as the last one, which is my favorite.  

I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process.
— Thomas Edison, when asked how it felt to fail 2000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb

One of the best ways to get through difficulties is to simply persevere day by day. Huge projects don't seem as daunting when we focus on one element ... completing that before we tackle the next phase. As Napoleon Hill said, "Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.
— Chelle Thompson, Editor of Inspiration Line

Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it.
— Gandhi

If you want to see something done, just tell some human beings it can't be done. Make it known that it's impossible to fly to the moon, or run 100 meters in 9.9 seconds, or solve Fermat's Last Theorem. Remind the world that no one has ever hit 62 home runs in a season or stuffed 18 people into a Volkswagen. Dangle the undoable in front of the world. Then, consider it done.
— Merrill Lynch advertisement

Revolving Doors & Safety Nets

It's that time of year again.  Nope, not holiday season.  End-of-semester crunch time.

While holidays are demanding enough, we grad students are fortunate enough to still have deadlines to dance around and schedules to tightly choreograph.  You know what I mean. That special way we very meticulously craft calendars outlining when a project wraps up and the window opens to begin preparing for your finals (or "cramming" as it is called in some circles).  It's like a Revolving Door of Responsibility, if you will.

I don't know about you, but during these few weeks, I toe the line between Responsible-But-Freaking-Out and I-Am-Over-This-I-Give-Up.  A mental spin cycle of "How Will I Do It All?"  "How Will I Do It All Well?" And, "Ugh, I Don't Care."  Sound familiar?

My friend, Julie, does the same thing... But in the second-to-last-minute, she realizes she really does care and kicks it into high gear to knock the socks off any outstanding assignments.  I think it's in the DNA of Grad Students to hit a personal threshold where the drive to (over)achieve kicks in, and adrenaline fuels those last four pages and the following four hours of edits.

Those of us who work or have children, I honestly don't know how you do it.  It's tough stuff! You really should get a Nobel Prize for the balancing act you do every day!

So, here's what the panel of experts suggest:  In times like this, lean on your friends and family.  Do not hole yourself up like a hermit!  It's called a Support System or Safety Net for a reason.  Whether you lightly lean against them or collapse onto them like a polar bear on roller skates, it's OK.

As a very smart man once said, "No man is an island."

Nine out of ten Grad Students agree: Doing this, you'll refresh your mental stamina, and you will get more done in less time using less energy.  And, you will still maintain a balance in your life and find joy during your time in B-School.  What's better than that?!

Take a break. Gain some perspective.  Enjoy the levity and laughter of those around you, then you can turn back to the project at hand with a renewed vigor and knock its socks off! Good luck!

'Tis the Season... part deux

Oh what a weekend! I just got back from seeing my entire family.

There were grandparents, great aunts, crazy cousins, cousins' friends, and cousins I didn't know I had.

Never have I known I had this large of a family.  Nor have I been regaled with so many tales of family history and shenanigans like I was this weekend.  It was awesome!

When I sat in my seat on the return flight back to Atlanta, I felt so thankful for my family and the laughter and the stories and the memories.  It was one of the best trips ever!  I was feeling grounded, loved, happy and finally... exhausted. 

This time of year, especially, we take time to acknowledge and appreciate truly significant, memory making times in life, but sometimes we can be most appreciative of the simplest, smallest gestures or sounds, like a voice saying "tall soy vanilla latte on the counter."  Basking in the glow of rapidly approaching due dates and deadlines (since time doesn't stop for holidays) and in the midst of recovering from the Thanksgiving Day Half-Marathon, I am filled with gratitude over one of the simplest Thanksgiving Day offerings: coffee.

Hope you enjoy a cup o' Joe with your favorite slice of pie today! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

'Tis the Season...To Be Thankful

Thanksgiving is almost upon us!

I can hardly believe it!  In the throes of exams and assignments, we are almost done with classes for 2011.

As I peruse friends' Facebook posts listing the things, memories and people for which they are thankful, it makes me think of all the things that have blessed and enriched my life this year.  Just think about all those things that get us through the "excitement" of B-school!

Here's one of the items on the list of things that fill me with gratitude:

• Friends & Family  
  Of course they top the list!  These are the people who...
• Celebrate your successes, like finally finishing a Marketing Analysis of Cannibalization in the Razor Blade market (A SERIOUS doozy!) ... 

• Listen as you lose your cool because you're frustrated by the aforementioned Cannibalization Analysis or because you're feeling overwhelmed trying to maintain a semblance of your Pre-B-School life while balancing class work (or class AND work) and managing diverse team member personalities.

• Send you supportive emails out-of-the-blue or surprises in the snail mail just to keep you going because they want you to know they believe in you, even when there's no big achievement on the horizon, no test that week, no interview... They do it just because they have faith in who you are as an individual (Thanks Mom!)... 

These people keep us going when the going gets tough and the tough don't feel like going much farther. (like revising that paper ... one. more. time.)  

So this is just the beginning of my list... What's on yours?  Write down a few things, and don't be surprised when you just can't stop writing that list!

Who Does Your PR?

At this stage in our careers, most of us do not have a PR team or an agent on hand to create buzz around our résumé or around our potential to be The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.

It is up to us.  We are our own PR team setting out to promote ourselves with grace and gusto as we audition for the next big promotion or the dream job.

With this in mind, I have to share what I stumbled upon while sitting through a class at 9:30 on a Thursday night.  (Yes, I probably should have been paying attention, but I couldn't.  I was amazed by the pizzazz of this mesmerizing resume!  Besides, isn't promoting our own personal brand a lesson in marketing management?  Let's consider this Real World Training, my friends.)

So there I was, spellbound by this innovative job application technique and technology.  Check it out immediately if not sooner!

Of course, we do not have to (nor should we) imitate Hanna's exact style or her animation or diction, but we can emulate the spirit of her présumé.

You are unique with your own distinguishing characteristics and individual "core competencies" (Thanks, MBA 8000), so consider how can you showcase your strengths and individualism to help the world see you as The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread?

You Are Not In Kansas Anymore...

Once upon a time, many semesters ago, when I was just getting adjusted to B-school and friends and family were adapting to this lifestyle choice I'd made, we would quickly glaze over the subject of how classes were going before really getting into the nitty gritty of conversations: what we did over the weekend, what was going on at work, who said this, who did that, who got engaged, who is having a baby, etc.  Most of the time the conversations simply revolved around daily minutia, things that had happened to us and the people in our lives.

Oh, how times have changed.  Let me just tell you how B-School will change your life:

- TV will never be the same again.  You will assess commercials very differently because you are now aware of what makes a good commercial or what doesn't and why.  You are an educated consumer at the very least, and one who is not easily fooled. You may actually not channel surf, but look forward to the time when the commercials are aired, and not just during the Super Bowl.

- Products like Baking Soda and Salsa will never be the same.  Once you've done case studies on these products (and more!), the associations and information you retained will wash over you like a tidal wave when you hear mention of these products in daily conversation or when you walk down certain aisles at the supermarket.

-  And speaking of the supermarket, that will never be the same again either. You will know why certain products are positioned where, why products are on sale, the supply chain organization that allowed the products to be in the grocery store in the first place, and how the grocer marked up the product and why.

-  The Airline Industry, Apple, Amazon.com and eBay will forever be changed in your mind because you know why they are pioneers, how they transformed their industries, how their capabilities became their competitive advantages and why Professor Palmer loves Herb Zimmerman (because he's great!  - both Palmer and Herb.)

-  Your friends will never look at you quite the same because you talk about core competencies and Blue Oceans at Christmas parties, and they have no idea what that means.  (Hint: either get different friends or don't talk about these things in social situations unless your friends are grad students.  It's lost on everyone else.)

These are just a few of the gradual shifts you'll see in your awareness, observations and intellect.

Toto, you're not in Kansas anymore.  That tornado whipped you into a whole new world, so get ready for the ride or just enjoy what's left of it! It goes by in a blur!

Everyone's Going Global

Everyone's doing it, and it's hitting home.

"Globalization" and "Going Global" are words we hear all the time and for good reason.  Not only are we a global economy, but the web we weave of relationships - both personal and professional - now transcends borders and barriers.  We no longer need to "phone home" to hear (or see) what's going on with those who matter to us.  Landline conference calls are passé.  With the internet and other technology, information exchange transpires in mere seconds!

Hello, World Financial Crisis.

We are a global community with a globalized economy.  It seems so obviously, doesn't it?  Yet, everyday, we are reminded just how intimately our worlds collide!

For example, last week, I read an editorial written by Thomas Friedman, the same author as our beloved Lexus and Olive Tree text from MBA 8000.  And guess where I found this column...  Not the Wall Street Journal, nor the New York Times nor The Economist.  (well, it might be there, too, but that's not where I read it.)  It was in the AJC!

Can you believe it?  I couldn't.  Who knew the local paper would feature someone who is not only a world-renowned economist, but someone I could recognize... (It's a miracle, you have no idea! I can barely recognize some celebrities, let alone world leaders in politics or academia.  Rest assured, I am terribly embarrassed as I write this.)

Well, after reading Mr. Friedman's editorial, it occurred to me... This globalization thing is not just in large American cities, or hubs for big businesses or even in emerging markets or even a theory in a Business School classroom.  Its everywhere.

Then and there, I realized I need to be more familiar with what's going on in the world - both my world and the real world.

So, after a little more reading and a few detours on Wikipedia and Google, I discovered I have a little bit of a passion for this Globalization In My Own Backyard project I took on.  For instance, I am fascinated by the financial plague that has hit two countries with life styles and cultures I've romanticized for years (hint: Opa & vino), and I am intrigued by both the positive and negative impacts of Westernization on the health and well-being of developing nations.  Now, obviously, I have not yet grasped the whole shebang of side effects regarding foreign bankruptcy and currency fluctuations, nor have I developed an air-tight argument against the exports of GMO's because of their contribution to disease in Africa... but I did realize that I actually cared about these things.

Here's the deal:  You may not give two hoots about Italy's financial future and its impact on France or about Ethiopian healthcare.  That's ok.  But you should give a hoot (or two) about what is going on outside of your day-to-day life and in your Glocalized world.  So, I gently urge you to find the topics, the countries, or the companies that impassion you, and then feed that hunger for knowledge.

Who knows, it could make you a star-student in your International Marketing class, or help you decide on your next career move or inspire you to roll up your sleeves and run for President.  You never know!

The thing is, we are the next leaders, and the world is constantly changing, and, no, we can't know everything.  But, it's the stuff that we care to know, the stuff that enlivens us to keep learning and impassions us to keep going that will help us be the change we want to see in the world when we finally get out there.


*If you want a jumping off point for your own Globalization In My Own Backyard, visit GlobalAtlanta.com to see how globalization rocks our world here at home.

Do You Present with Pizzazz!?

Here are some surefire ways to add some punch and pizzazz to your Power Points (courtesy of a very savvy PMBA student)!  

• Treat your Power Point as if you are getting dressed for a party. What do you want to be – Classy? Cool? Nerdy?
• Choose colors carefully with no more than three colors in your theme.  Keep to those same colors with your pie charts and graphs.
• Use good quality, high resolution pictures & use pictures with people to create a powerful connection.
• Only incorporate three points per slide (McKinsey's Rule of Three).
• Weave a story with your slides!

Sprinkle some of these tips into what you already know to really wow your audience, particularly her first and last nuggets of wisdom - simple but brilliant!

Fall Fun & Football!

The Graduate Business Association (GBA) hosted a tailgate at the 2011 GSU Homecoming Game! It was a perfect way to get into the swing of Fall & Football!

Check out the GBA and their upcoming events at www.gsugba.org

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Once I had finally decided on Georgia State & Robinson College of Business, I had to figure out my next step...  They certainly don't give you a road map in your Acceptance Letter!  So it was up to me to determine my ultimate goal.  What did I want to do when I grew up?

Truth be told?  I had no idea what I wanted to study or what I even wanted to achieve with an MBA.  Not exactly the groundwork for a strong trajectory in my professional career!  I was sure, though, that with the plethora of programs and concentrations offered at GSU, I could find one that would speak to me.  There are 19 concentrations in the Flex-MBA program alone!  Certainly, I could devise a plan before I was too far along in the program.

Once I did begin the program (I chose the Flex MBA after all), I realized that the curriculum that not only complemented my current work in Finance, but exposed me to other business models and schools of thought, as well as showed me diverse business and social cultures.  Frankly, the diversity of the student population appealed to me greatly and satisfied a void in my life.  Such an environment helped me think outside of the box and actually awakened my passions: Marketing & International Business.  Finally, I'd started to find my way!  

After two years in the program, I was fortunate enough to leave behind the full-time job that no longer fulfilled me in order to pursue an MBA full-time.  The transition from “working professional” to “full-time grad student” took a little getting used to, but being able to focus solely on my education has been rewarding and well worth the adjustment.  In fact, I now have a post-graduation road map! 

Now it is you who are starting a new stage of your life, and despite economic conditions, or a predetermined career path you've got your sights set on, or even complete indecision like I had, the world is your oyster!  Ask yourself: What do YOU want to be when you grow up?  And Go For It!

What Are You Looking At?

You're off on the journey to picking the fine institution that, for the next few years, will be your home away from home and your second (or full-time) career, and it's no cake walk, I tell you what!  So, as you look towards the road ahead, what do you see for yourself? What's your plan?  The goals you are setting for yourself could be goals for personal or professional growth - or both!  You may be looking at a few different schools (as well you should), but what are you really looking for?  

It took me a loooonng time to realize what I was going to do about the feelings I had around my own stagnant professional and personal growth.  It actually took me about three years of thinking about applying before I got on the ball and really started looking at schools.  

But, what did I really want from a grad school?  

Here's what I decided... 

I wanted a different experience and a stronger reputation than what my "local" undergrad University could provide, but I also knew I needed a program that was flexible (I was working full-time) and reasonably priced. Some programs seemed too structured and impersonal for my liking.   I absolutely did not want to just be an ID number, or a nameless face.  I wanted it to be real.  I wanted to throw myself into it, get to know professors, make friends, dive in and really get my feet wet! 

As compelling as these selection criteria may be, though, they were not why I chose to attend Georgia State University.  Honestly, it was because it just felt right.  I had found what I was looking for...  So, as you look ahead to where you want to be at the end of the road, what does it look like for you? What is your vision?  What are you looking at?

The Beginning of the Rest of Your Life!

So, you've decided to take the first step towards a graduate degree? Congrats!  The hardest part of the whole experience is embracing the decision to embark on the journey, at least it was for me, but now, I have almost reached the end of my "grad school days," and I can hardly believe it!  It just goes so fast!

Now you, too, are on the way to becoming a grad student! The whirlwind of the experiences, challenges, friendships, and even the lessons you learn that far outweigh the curriculum from the classroom will blow your mind.  Get Ready!  This is just the beginning of the rest of your life!