MBA Learnings - Real Life
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When I signed up for my classes at the beginning of the term, I wasn't sure what to expect from a course entitled "Entrepreneurship Via Acquisitions." Little did I know, it would turn out to be one of the best courses I've taken so far at business school - and not for the reasons you might believe.

The quality of any course can be measured by the caliber of the instructor. Such was the case with ES 516. J. Michael Davis, the visiting professor, is a banker by trade. He holds the position of President and CEO of National City Bank, Michigan. He is listed in Crain's "Detroit Top 40 under 40". Still, his accolades and his stature say little of his didactic prowess.

Here are my class notes for the last 30 minutes of the course:

MBA Degree - Q: High Risk or Low Risk?
A: The MBA degree is a high risk proposition because MBAs tend to adopt 'herd-like thinking'.

What does this mean? Basically, that MBAs are under the perception that by getting an MBA degree they will be immune to adversity in their careers. MBA students are in an environment that breeds conformity and risk averseness. The truth is that life is full of uncertainty. To be successful, one must find one's passion and pursue it enthusiastically.

Shortcomings of MBAs:
-They expect a high degree of structure
-They have a false sense of arrogance
-They have a sense of entitlement
-They underutilize the alumni network
-They often fall into the "Good Soldier mentality" trap

There are 35,023 MBA alumni in the Michigan Business School network.

Remembering The Opportunity We've Been Granted
-The University of Michigan Business School is a special place
- Getting an MBA is a luxury

Under any approach always seek to:
- Safeguard your reputation and integrity
- Accelerate any experiential opportunities
- Surround yourselves with good people
- Be engaged and focused

If only all courses incorporated this kind of wisdom into the class syllabus, I think all of us as MBAs would be better off.

*Oh yeah... Tomorrow I will be attending a Detroit Red Wings game with several of my ES 516 classmates. Why? Because J. Michael Davis delivered on his promise to give the National City box suite to all students who turned in the course paper early. I didn't turn my paper in early, but he gave me a ticket anyway. This is in no way correlated to the aforementioned comments. ;)

posted by Jake B. @ 8:07:00 PM