What I learned from my MBA

What I learned from my MBA

I spent 2.5 years doing an Executive MBA. That’s the kind of MBA where you have to already be a manager/director just to get on the course. It’s tough. Juggling a really intense yet surprisingly long academic course along with a full-time job, family and social life is brutal. Really brutal. And unlike some of my impressively stoic classmates, I didn’t even have kids. I have no idea how they managed.

After grinding away through module after module, essay after essay, exam after exam, I reached the end. What did I learn?

I learned one thing.

“£20k of fees to learn one thing?”

Yes. And it was worth it.

I’ll tell you what I learned. And I hope that you’ll benefit from my words. But actually “learning” what I’m about to tell you isn’t enough. You need to “feel” what I’m about to tell you:

It’s ok to not know the answers. No one else knows the answers either. It’s going to be ok. All you need to do is take your time and work things out. 

That’s it. It’s probably not that profound reading it from a page. But to feel it deep inside yourself is everything. Because having that mindset makes you invulnerable. It means you could rock up to a meeting with a Prime Minister and still feel cool-headed. Or be landed with an incredibly challenging assignment, or be grilled by a menacing interview panel. Provided you had that attitude, you could hold your own.

It’s the ultimate remedy to imposter syndrome.

My MBA was my Socrates moment. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

It’s true. And it’s important. Because all growth ultimately comes from a deficit.

PS: Ok I did learn some other stuff too. It was actually a great course.