New-Age MBA must need to reach beyond business, engage their heart

Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett reckons business schools should teach only one thing – case studies of businesses that have failed and succeeded. He warns against any formula that you cannot work out in your head, and especially anything that contains a letter from the greek alphabet. Buffett is the most successful investor of modern times, so his views need to be treated with great respect. But despite his scepticism, in South Africa an MBA qualification is still regarded as a way to turbo-boost one's career. But even the MBA is no long just about business. In this piece, the CEO of Regenesys Siegie Brownlee (right) argues for a more holistic approach, especially in SA. Not sure Buffett would approve. Then again, he lives in Omaha, not Johannesburg. – AH

By Siegie Brownlee*

In a country where the economic landscape is constantly shifting the role of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree is becoming increasingly important.

It's one of the only business degrees specifically geared towards making people more effective, specifically in business – and effective leaders are exactly what South Africa's corporate environment needs to keep it moving forward.

National studies and analyses have shown promising results in terms of MBAs delivering increased productivity for individuals and higher turnover growth – in the region of 15% per annum – for organisations. In a recent survey undertaken by Finweek and MBAconnect.net, 90% of the 1 597 MBA graduates who participated felt that having an MBA made them more effective in their jobs and made them more effective leaders.

It's clear, then, that the role of any MBA qualification is not merely to earn its holder a higher salary, but rather to promote and enable a definitive mindset shift in graduates. One that results in more responsive individuals with the intellectual and emotional capacity to be flexible, adaptive and leadership-oriented and a passion to tackle the complexities, challenges and opportunities of today's modern business environment.

This is especially relevant in South Africa, where a lack of jobs has created a dire need for a strongly entrepreneurial spirit that will ultimately foster success, economic growth and sustainable employment creation. And MBA graduates can, and should, be at the sharp edge of this entrepreneurship arrow.

There is a clear opportunity, particularly in South Africa, for MBA degrees to evolve beyond the traditional concept of simply being 'higher business education'. Rather, organisations are seeing the MBA qualification as a means of enabling 'business with a wider positive impact'. This paradigm shift is required across all MBA stakeholders – from degree providers to students and the business environment as a whole. As future leaders, MBA graduates are fully empowered to effect positive change, not just for the businesses they lead, but also for themselves and for all South Africans.

A holistic approach has proven highly effective in shaping well-rounded graduates who recognise the bigger purpose their degree represents, and the opportunities they have to unlock their full potential. It is this type of attention to detail that is most likely to lead to game-changing success.

By engaging both the minds and the hearts of students, institutions are able to offer graduates the best chance of entering the world of business inspired and transformed, and with the positive attitudes and values that characterise genuine leaders who are able to manage their own destiny and truly lead.

* Siegie Brownlee is the CEO of Regenesys Business School, a Sandton-based education business and leadership institution founded in 1998.