Finishing MBA in one day
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Cover of “MBA in one day” / Courtesy of Gimmyoung Publishers
By Yun Suh-young
The title of the book, "MBA in One Day," can sound misleading as it is impossible to complete an MBA in a day. You may scoff at the title, but the author confidently states in the prologue that this book is a comprehensive overview (for non-MBA holders) of what you will learn, or a recap of what you have learned, in the MBA program.
Author Ben Tiggelaar, a noted Dutch business management researcher who has researched leadership for 25 years, compiled the content shared during seminars he has held for 17,000 leaders over the past 10 years. This book is a condensed result of those seminars, which were especially popular in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Germany.
The book introduces the basic rules of management. Tiggelaar gathered the problems and challenges business leaders face in real life and researched certified and credible models and theories to provide solutions that can be useful. He summarized theories, teachings and advice from more than 40 of the most prominent management thinkers in the world and has held annual seminars based on his research. The seminar grew into the largest-selling one day-seminar in Europe and was too good to remain unpublished. The seminar was held for the first time in Korea on Oct. 20 and the author was invited to speak.
The book is categorized into four chapters _ leadership, organization, strategy and execution _ which introduce the philosophies and lessons from each of the great thinkers with expertise in their respective fields. Peter Drucker, Stephen Covey, Philip Kotler and Kaplan & Norton are a few of the names that have chapters dedicated to introducing their ideas.
In the leadership chapter, the author writes that a leader must be someone who can influence and inspire others and have the ability to contribute to the success and efficiency of their organization. A good leader must help members of the organization exceed their individual limits. Peter Drucker says a good leader must be in control to lead others and Ken Blanchard says leadership requires the ability to extract potential and talent from the members of the organization for a greater cause.
Moreover, a leader must have a strong vision, deliver that vision, and be consistent in materializing that vision. To do that, a leader must acquire trust. A leader should also continuously develop, the book says.
In the execution chapter, the author writes that there must be certain amount of fear and urgency to bring about change. There is a need for an adequate level of stress for people to keep moving forward. Also, a leader must help others see what they have failed to see before and get them to enthuse over the introduction of new ideas.
The book will be an intriguing and efficient guide for those who seek an insight into business management and leadership but with little time to search for courses or academic publications. Dedicating a day to reading the book will give you an overview of what you will learn in an MBA course.