Do I require an MBA?

What is common between Bill Gates, Dhirubhai Ambani and Karsanbhai Patel? All of them are great leaders and moreover they do not have any formal Management qualification.

When you look at the above towering figures, you be lured to say that MBA is a fad and we need not require MBA qualification to reach in leadership position. But my analysis is quite contrary and I still strongly believe that a formal Management qualification will certainly boost-up your chances to become an Effective Leader. I accept there are some exceptional leaders without any formal Management qualifications and indeed they are exceptions. They are the legends that with out any formal Management Education itself, they are practicing the Management concepts and applications that are taught in the best of B-Schools in the world.

Majority of us would require a structured way of learning things and that’s how our pedagogy is designed from Schooling itself. Usually when we ask about The MBA edge, the routine answers are Career progression, promotion, high salary, change in vertical, better job opportunity etc…but these are all outcomes. The real value-additions you can derive out of an MBA program is given below:

1. Scientifically designed Pedagogy: Just like any other professional programs, the curriculum is structured and scientifically designed. The progress would be in a structured format and else it is a cumbersome process to accumulate the scattered Management concepts and practices.
2. Managerial Skills: Knowledge imparted in MBA program provides you with concepts, policies and techniques applicable for effective and efficient management of business and moreover, candidates will be able to identify business problems and develop optimal solutions using a systematic, analytical approach.
3. Business Expertise: Should be able to apply Management tools in real business situations.
4. General Management Perspective: Adopt a general Management perspective while using their analytical, problem solving and decision making skills to deal successfully with issues in finance, marketing, manufacturing, human resources, information technology, strategic planning, and international business.
5. National and International Perspectives: Will be able to understand the workings of the domestic and international market place and become sensitive to other cultures and capable of working in international teams. It helps to become comfortable with and capable of Managing diversity.
6. Critical Reading: Acquire the skills of critical reading and continuous learning. Critical readers recognize not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter. They recognize the various ways in which each and every text is the unique creation of a unique author.
7. Equality: Another beauty of MBA program is candidates from diverse back grounds like Engineering, Commerce, Economics, history etc are able to start from an equal platform and end of the day they all will be able to speak in same language called MANAGEMENT.

Basically, it boils down to this: you can choose to whine about your lack of an advanced Management degree and live your life accordingly, or you can get your booty off the couch and do something about it. Now it’s your prerogative to decide whether you require an MBA or not!!!!

Mr. Renjith G
Sr.Territory Manager
IFEN – Kerala.
(Views expressed are those of the author)

For information on ICFAI University Flexible MBA Program aspiring Professionals may contact:

ICFAI Group  – Trivandrum

Phone:  9961776636