You can be “born” with a leader’s abilities, but you can also “make” yourself one through training and practice. This article is about how an MBA can strengthen the power of integrity in the leaders these new times demand.
That includes answering the questions that may arise if you are looking for a postgraduate qualification in business management: MBA — fashion or necessity? General or specialist? Still current, or obsolete? Is it worth the investment?
To address them, I have divided this article into two parts:
- The abilities today’s leader needs.
- MBAs and the capacity to respond to change in how companies are run.
The company as a living organism
Over recent decades, management specialists have concluded that companies are living organisms, because the people who make them up are people, and among them complementarity and interdependence arise in meeting the company’s goals.
Organisations are also permanently adapting: change is generated not only in processes, through continuous improvement, but in each colleague, who experiences changes in themselves that bear on daily operations.
The challenges facing a team leader
Thinking about productivity and results without taking account of the emotions and the degree of satisfaction of each member of the organisation is practically managing blindfolded.
Beyond all this, there are also the rapid changes we have seen in the environment — innovative products and services, new business models, emerging markets that make the business landscape more competitive and more interesting, new ways of communicating with customers and suppliers, and so on.
We are a long way from the old, traditional view of organisations, and a team leader of integrity therefore has to learn to manage within complexity of this kind.
The power of integrity lies in the leader
A leader without integrity is a leader without credibility and, consequently, will be neither a leader of influence nor one of impact. In fact they will not be a leader, but just one more person. (Núñez, M., B&H Publicaciones)
I loved this statement when I first read it, because nothing could be truer. What is a leader? Someone with the ability to influence others and inspire them to follow, and to have a positive impact on them. For that, thought and action must be consistent.
Leading is not the same as giving orders
A leader generates trust and motivation. A boss without integrity or credibility will never be seen as a leader. When a boss gives an order, they are obeyed. When a leader inspires, they change lives and win followers, thanks to the power of integrity.
And today we speak of much more: the need for leaders of integrity who act responsibly.
The real power of integrity lies, then, in the transformation of a responsible leader.
At CMI we have a decalogue of the responsible leader, which I share with you here: Do you know the traits of a responsible leader?
Now to the second part of the article: how does an MBA help you become that leader with the power of integrity?
Why an MBA is relevant
This is as complex as it is fascinating. If you are a team leader with a view to responsibility and sustainability, you have to be prepared for it; if you want to stand out within your group and be considered for promotion, you have to demonstrate the abilities of the contemporary leader. And if you want to enter or return to the job market with a competitive edge, it helps that your future employer should see you are equipped to manage at the level today demands.
What sort of characteristics and content should an MBA teach in order to answer all this complexity? Have MBAs lost their relevance?
What the figures say
I like to speak on the basis of evidence, and in this case I turn to the figures in the Infoempleo Adecco report on postgraduate study, which states:
In more than half of cases, MBA training is what opens the door to a new job… In the case of MBAs it is best to have previous work experience. Knowing at first hand how a company operates, and being able to compare theory with lived situations, allows far more to be gained from these studies.
In this respect, vacancies for more senior positions are the ones that most often require such qualifications. For directors and middle managers, programmes providing management and leadership knowledge are valued above all — and it shows in the offers for management roles: 45.7% of them require an MBA.
Which does not prevent recent graduates from considering this training as a way of finding work directly in business management or, why not, of getting their own business model off the ground.
Indeed, I came across this article on the importance Amazon attaches to training in business management and administration when selecting the people it hires:
An MBA, the best passport to working at Amazon
So one of the questions may be settled. MBAs remain relevant and remain a qualification valued by organisations, and by entrepreneurs starting or consolidating a business.
Do all MBAs prepare you for today’s challenges?
MBAs have become widespread, and more accessible to anyone wanting to study business administration and management.
So much so that there is now such specialisation that there is almost an MBA for every need. Here is an initial list of those specialisms:
- International MBA: focused on managing international business.
- MBA in operations and logistics: building the skills to lead several operational projects and tasks at once. Oriented towards managing teams and resources.
- MBA in finance: specialising in effective decision-making that takes account of the economic environment and market dynamics.
- Responsible MBA: aimed at providing advanced knowledge and developing the management competences and skills needed to exercise responsible leadership, and to create and run organisations in harmony with society and the environment. Leading innovative, sustainable companies and foundations with integrity and by example.
- MBA in corporate communication: as the name suggests, tailored to the field of business communication.
- MBA in sales management: aimed at managing a company’s entire sales and commercial process.
What should you weigh up when deciding?
Every MBA includes a basic cycle of training in business management, so you should look not only at the specialism but at those that strengthen the power of integrity in you. You might bear the following in mind:
- That it trains you to propose and carry out different, effective solutions to the new challenges of management, including the balance between the social, the economic and the environmental.
- That it makes you grow as a responsible, conscious leader of integrity — a sensitive manager, an inspiring human being who drives your personal development.
- That it gives you a global view allowing you to analyse the national and international environment, and in turn to tackle successfully the complex problems contemporary leaders face.
- That it keeps you up to date with the latest knowledge and technological advances in the digital age.
- That it trains you in managing entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.
- That it leaves you feeling capable of creating and running your own company from scratch.
So just answer the question: which MBA strengthens the power of integrity in you? What kind of leader are you, and what kind do you want to become? And there you have your decision.
Until soon…
Further reading:
Corporate social responsibility: beyond volunteering and philanthropy
