University of Chicago Graduate School of Business - The Booth School: The Executives-in-Residence event

Few Alums including me were invited to attend the 3rd annual Executives-in-Residence event for alumni and Executive MBA students on Monday, May 19th 2014 at the Asia campus in Singapore - the last one here in Singapore.  This event offered free and unconditional access to students and alumni’s to my knowledge, experience and wisdom.  We were required to provide mentoring and coaching in a small group environment. 

After initial discussion on personal introductions, the focus shifted to my personal journey, my experience at UChicago, on the job and the general management roles and responsibilities. I provided guidance and shared tactics used to navigate to a senior level position and be successful or fail; overcome failure and/ or be modest and humble while being successful. I also discussed how passion, engaged people and  teams, attitudes and behaviors make a difference and how much of a family support is essentially to be successful. I also shared experiences on my journey at U-Chicago, aspirations and goals; we  freely shared our frustrations and good times on the ever changing corporate and business environment. Never a boring moment, time well spent!

The session offered me with a wonderful opportunity to revisit my personal and professional journey; the experience at the school and recalling what I had learned, unlearned and put to practice!

Besides learning finance, entrepreneurship, business management and skills at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago; a few of my best experiences that shaped my persona and confidence at the school.

• Comparing myself with others and my peers - how much better or worse? What and how can I do to bridge gaps if any? The results of comparative analysis with my peers provided me with a clear goal to achieve and bridge the gaps, increased my level of confidence, and seek newer opportunities. 

• The privilege to be associated with brand U-Chicago was a great morale booster. 

• The humility and friendliness of the Professors, Admin Staff, Peers and Alumni's made me think humanely. 

Learned a number of skills but some of the traits that learned and will carry with me intuitively which I think are also essential for everyone in any role:

• Being curious, analytical, and a risk taker! Thinking with an open mind without any bias and preconceived notions. Analyse facts, circumstances and learn from mistakes, success stories, human behaviors,  history and geography. 

• Avoid stereotyping people based on their culture, history, education. Respect diversity and inclusiveness in gender, thought, lifestyle, religion, and beliefs. Valuing collective wisdom. 

• Imbibe a culture of inquiry and innovation but respect the choices and decisions of others. 

• Engage in a vigorous dialogue, challenge, and question conventional wisdom. Provide an honest unbiased opinion and fair assessment. Provide objective advice, regardless of its benefit to oneself. 

• Help one another; pay it forward; what goes around, comes around - remember the boomerang!

• Recognize the good in others and also expect the best from others.

• Recognize that one can learn and unlearn from others in all circumstances. 

• It is not only the results, success or failure, that matters. What also matters is - why you achieve ? how you achieve ?  did you do it right ? what was the process and how it happened ? is it sustainable ?

• Challenge, rethink and re-engineer keeping the people, human and the customer in mind. Human behaviour, instincts and backgrounds matters in decision, instincts, and choices that people make. This is openly evident in all economic, financial and emotional decision making - financial, advertising and media uses this effectively.  

• Engage, communicate, listen, dialogue, challenge, create insights, learn and unlearn - all are the bedrocks of creativity, innovation, high morale and high performance!

• Strong sense of ethics, conduct and fairness. Reputation matters a lot!! 

• Setting an example by serving the society and doing the right thing. As social beings we cannot think or live on an island! 

See my other post at 

http://gopulshah.blogspot.sg/2013/09/invest-in-yourself-gopul-shah-axp-3-on.html