Saturday 16 May 2009

My comments re MBAs vs. Entrepreneurs: Who Has the Right Stuff for Tough Times? - Bill Taylor - HarvardBusiness.org

MBAs vs. Entrepreneurs: Who Has the Right Stuff for Tough Times? - Bill Taylor - HarvardBusiness.org

interesting article, thanks for this. 

Sadly this is how most of us in the world do these days, put people into various 'boxes'. 

Its true that we need some short hand to sift through people quickly.  

I network extensively worldwide, and have met Great MBAs (harvard, IMD, LBS, etc., mine from another elite school, Cass in London) but likewise, some people from some of same schools have no clues..

yes, they have the lingo. but quickly one knows they might not be at the same intellectual level.  

However, I can tell you personally, people speak to you differently when they see all your titles, mine are BEng(Hons), MSc, MBA.. and what happens? I was accused of being too 'intellectual', and that is the only comment my middle level contacts in Heidrick & Struggles was telling the head of consumer in Asia Pacific. 

Sadly, that 'label' stuck (in the middle manager's mind), if they had known me before and speak to some of the people I negotiated contracts with, they could tell them that I might also be a hard nosed 'deal maker'..  

My personal view/prefernce is try to understand/speak with people directly without agenda, this wil get to the bottom of who he/she is. 

As the labels become meaningless and its the experience/drive/personal skills/business skills that comes through that counts.  

I am not saying that there is no use, it might help you to put yourself above others, but realistically, its the trusted relationships that count.  

Entrepreneurs doing a part-time MBA could be a killer combination.  
Therefore, now, on my business cards, there are NO label/title etc.

@GarethWong

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