Autorenprofil
Almost two years ago, in December 2020 to be exact, in the middle of my Executive MBA (EMBA) studies, I wrote in my previous blog for Frankfurt School that I participated in the programme because I am convinced you have to invest in yourself. I had specified that when I speak of investment, I meant not only the financial aspect but also the willingness to sacrifice free time and always be ready to continue learning to further your own development.
Time has flown since then, and I have successfully completed my studies in the meantime. During this time, many positive events have happened to me. I would like to go into a little more detail about some of these positive events in a moment. However, the fact is that in addition to the global pandemic, there have been wars, inflation, disrupted supply chains, and increasingly serious disasters due to climate change.
In these challenging times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), I believe my credo that the best investment is in oneself has become more important than ever. Having a solid education and training is the foundation to successfully navigate these challenging and dynamic times and build resilience.
Let us come back to the investment aspect. When you invest in something, you naturally expect returns. For many of my fellow students and me, the investment has paid off partly because we have taken new jobs in our industry that count toward the C-suite. I am convinced that without this programme, I would not have received the offer for those jobs. My conviction stems from the fact that after graduation, the number of enquiries for new jobs increased a lot, and the level of positions offered also increased. Before graduation, the offered positions were at the director level, so for me, a step on the same level. After graduation, the offers have increased from Director to VP level. Today, I hold the position of Global Head of Quality, which is equivalent to a VP position. The EMBA programme has increased the value of my human capital.
However, even though this is a very important fact, it is only one aspect of the payback we have received for our investment. Other positive events have also occurred as a result of participating in the EMBA programme. For me, the most important positive aspects that have occurred because of this programme are the wonderful people I have met and gotten to know. People who have enriched my life, both privately and professionally, and whom I would most likely never have met without this programme. People with whom friendships have developed or who have expanded my network. I would even say that they have broadened my horizons with their different experience, education, culture, and diversity.
The EMBA experience has also enriched me in that I can also say that my way of approaching issues has changed. On the one hand, I have learned to take a holistic view of the situation before making a decision. Furthermore, I can say that my approach has become much more systematic compared to before, when I might have made certain decisions and actions only by intuition.
The final thing to mention is that through Life Long Learning, I have the security of participating in a weekly seminar at least once a year, which gives me the opportunity to look at a particular topic in more detail and keep up to date. These include, for example, seminars on Hidden Champions; Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence; Merge & Acquisition, and so on…
Since I finished my studies, I have even been able to inspire some of my team members to follow the same path. I am convinced that they share my opinion.
So, get out of your comfort zone, take your destiny into your own hands, and make your personal growth happen.
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