A challenging first month for our Class of 2016

It’s been an exciting, yet challenging start of the year for our full time and executive MBA participants. The first three weeks consisted in a unique, pre-MBA Foundation programme – covering all the basics to enable them to make the most of the year ahead. With Our Class of 2016sessions delivered by our One Planet MBA team consisting of academics and professionals, the focus was on the transfer of professional and study skills.
Our Speed Reading half-a-day session went down very well, and so did our sessions on digital learning and studying tools, helping participants organise and retrieve their thoughts through Evernote, Feedly and other multi-platform apps. The programme also included sessions on academic and business writing and provided opportunities for submitting their very first (non assessed) essay for friendly criticising.

Then the programme tackled big beasts: quantitative skills, but also some basic foundations in accounting and finance. By the end of the three weeks Foundation programme participants felt ready, and prepared for a much anticipated year ahead which kicked off with three core modules. Thursdays and Fridays on the One Planet MBA are “me” time – they focus on mentoring, career coaching and the development of authentic leadership skills.

Our Class of 2016The start of the programme is also a great opportunity to get to know each other. With participants from 17 nationalities, the world is in the MBA classroom. Participants learn as much from our academics and practitioners as they learn from their peers. The One Planet MBA is unique in the mindset it promotes among aspiring business leaders: one that is collaborative and inclusive, global and entrepreneurial – but also one that is reflective. The programme starts with a simple assignment: why an MBA, and why now? For many of our participants, the decision to study an MBA is a thought through and well researched one. The opportunity to transform themselves, to develop into a more rounded individual and authentic leader is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This assignment might sound simplistic, yet is a great vehicle to appreciate our motivations and approach our own transformation process.

Personal transformation was the definite keyword of the first few weeks of the programme – with a full MBA module entitled (you guessed it!): Personal Transformations. Bringing together leadership, professional and executive skills, the MBA’s very own White Space project and career coaching, the MBA’s Personal Transformations module enables participants to identify opportunities for themselves, develop into more senior roles, change career and direction. Some of our participants aim to create their own startup, and they will benefit from the services of the University’s Innovation Centre which hosts SETSquared, ranked once again best university startup incubator in Europe (for the third year running!).

The right mindset. For the right times.

What sets our participants apart is not just their skills and knowledge, but their mindset and aptitude. The One Planet mindset is one that will help our participants develop into authentic leaders, capable of leading and managing resilient organisations in the face of economic, financial, social, environmental and technological disruption. As we transition away from managerial capitalism towards a much more entrepreneurial and conscious one, our One Planet MBA participants will be equipped with the right mindset for the right times. No wonder why the CEO of Novo Nordisk was named Leader of the Year by the Harvard Business Review this month for his “leadership with a conscience”. Interesting times ahead, and ones that will further enhance the appeal and the value of the One Planet MBA and its One Planet graduates.

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