It’s not just a title, a degree, a certification. An international MBA is an experience capable of changing the lives of its students and giving them renewed direction.
Studying for a Master in Business Administration brings you into contact with expert teachers, key companies in a variety of sectors and international work groups. It is a chance to combine the professional development of the leaders of tomorrow with a vast array of life lessons, both big and small, which will complete the skillset of any manager.
Every story is unique. At the end of an international MBA, each student will have built up a wealth of personal experiences and memories, yet it is equally important to share these with those at the start of the journey, unknowing of what to expect.
That’s exactly what international MBA alumnus at MIP Politecnico di Milano Luca Nardone did in a speech he gave at Graduation Day to an audience containing many new students. Nardone shone a light on the key motivational lessons and values he had learned during his years on the course and that have served him well in his professional life.
It wasn’t just about brand-new ideas, but also old memories which suddenly took on greater significance.
The lessons Nardone learned during his international MBA actually had their roots in his childhood, but took on renewed importance as he acquired new skills during the programme.
During Nardone’s summers in Ischia, where he grew up, the local kids and tourists spent their days playing together in the city streets. Up on stage on Graduation Day, Nardone told a story about Valentino, a skinny boy from his childhood summers. His slender frame meant he was an extremely nippy runner, so he would always end up on the winning side in their long games of Cops and Robbers, even if there were no sporty children or fast runners on his team.
When, at the end of summer party, the children did battle in a tug of war, Valentino’s team helped him to victory, using the strength in their bodies to repay the favour and make up for his skinniness with the solidity of the team.
This experience, combined with his time on the MBA course, taught Nardone that:
Nobody can go it alone
Everyone – even the most individualist, ambitious professionals – needs a trusted team they can turn to and a strong network to discuss issues with and draw support from. Travel companions met over the course of life, and especially during an MBA, are the most valuable legacy of all for every alumnus.
Celebrate diversity in order to grow
It doesn’t matter how well trained you are. Nobody will ever be 100% prepared to the extent that they can be completely self-sufficient. Anyone who has studied for an MBA knows that diversity is an asset and that we must all use our skills to help each other in order to achieve a shared objective, without stepping on each other’s toes. It is only by each member giving 100% in their own specialism that a heterogeneous, balanced team can triumph.
Take risks to be successful
He who dares, wins – as they say. For Nardone, this is especially true in the world of business. Being daring, launching yourself into a challenge, giving it a go and taking risks is a mark of courage and shows that you’re following your instinct and investing in the future.
