VIEW FROM THE TOP
For senior management who don’t have the luxury of time, an Executive MBA is the obvious answer.
Nearing the top? You still have a lot left to learn. “For professionals with substantial work experience and a specific career goal, an Executive MBA is a good choice. Most organisations can’t afford to grant long sabbaticals to senior executives so the intensive structure of an Executive MBA is a power- break that appeals to many,” says Solanki Ishita N, a manager at Global Partnerships, IIM, Ahmedabad.
There is a fine line that distinguishes the average worker from those destined for top management. It is this line that an Executive MBA helps traverse. The course curriculum aims at integrating three critical components of learning which include teaching management skills, knowledge of contemporary business techniques and imparting an understanding of social, economic and political forces that shape businesses. International expo-
“YOU NO LONGER NEED TO HAIL FROM A RICH BUSINESS family to get a top post. Firms instead value vision and leadership qualities.”
sure is also a critical part of most Executive MBA courses. The Indian School of Business ( ISB) sends all students enrolled in their programme away on a two week trip to USA and a one week trip to Brazil. During this period students get an opportunity to study at the Kellogg School of Management and Wharton School. These visits provide students with a much- needed global exposure which has often proven to be of great help in their later careers.
With an influx of foreign investment and capital in India, the need for visionary leaders and top management staff has doubled over the past ten years. “Unlike earlier, you no longer need to hail from a rich business family to get a top post. What you really need nowadays to impress most companies is a sense of vision, leadership qualities and possess an obvious passion for the work that you do. Why settle for being a senior manager when you can be the CEO?” asks Ratnakar Gore, 31, who completed his postgraduate in management from Indian School of Business, Bangalore in 2008.