Can MBA Students Be “Commissioned” to Lifelong Leadership?

Can MBA Students Be “Commissioned” to Lifelong Leadership?

Business schools across the U.S. confer nearly 200,000 graduate degrees annually, making the MBA one of the most sought-after credentials. When marking this notable accomplishment, however, are students and institutions alike missing an opportunity to increase the long-term impact of an MBA? What if the transition from academic study to the business world were more focused on the expectations of what comes after earning an MBA? This would mean looking beyond the first few years of MBA students’ careers to consider leadership throughout the rest of their lives.

These questions have stirred my thoughts since my team and I recently visited the beautiful and historic campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point. We were struck by the fact that the approximately 1,000 cadets completing their West Point education each year are not merely graduated. Rather, they are commissioned, which connotes not only earning the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but also embracing the values and principles of leadership that guide how they conduct their military careers and personal lives.

The etymology of commission gives insight into its significance: coming from Middle English via Old French from the word “committere” or to “entrust.” West Point graduates are entrusted to protect the country, an expectation of both West Point as the institution commissioning this next generation of military leaders and from the newly minted officers, themselves, as a byproduct of their self-reflection.

In being commissioned, officers accept the unique privileges and responsibilities of leading others, often into battle. They take an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, its laws and interests, even using lethal force when necessary. Commissioned officers are expected to hold themselves to higher standards of personal and professional behavior, 24/7.  These higher standards, rare in today’s society, carry a strong imperative to live the values of West Point, transcending occupation alone to truly shaping the individual’s purpose. 

At West Point, commissioning has a further connotation that speaks to both institutional and personal legacy. Cadets become part of the storied “long grey line” (a reference to the color of their dress uniforms), and a history that dates back to President Thomas Jefferson who signed the legislation that established the U.S. Military Academy in 1802. As former President Barack Obama told the 2010 West Point graduating class, “We see your sense of honor - in your respect for tradition, knowing that you join a Long Grey Line that stretches through the centuries; and in your reverence for each other, as when the Corps stands in silence every time a former cadet makes the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”

The newly commissioned officers are expected to be on active duty for five years. For many, though, it is the start of a 20-plus-year career, for which they have been uniquely prepared to lead others, first and foremost by example. West Point provides a North Star for the officers to follow and aspire to, with the understanding that this path does not stop when an officer is no longer in uniform. It includes relationships and how officers are expected to behave in all aspects of their lives.  

What if earning an MBA carried the same weight? What if high expectations were not just the standard for two years of academic training in business school, but also in the decades that followed? That’s not to say that students who earn MBAs from well-respected and accredited schools aren’t already making a lasting impact. We know from our alumni network that our graduates go on to start, lead, and transform companies. But what if in being commissioned as MBAs, students committed to leading a life of purpose as they define it for themselves through self-reflection and greater self-awareness? What if commissioned MBAs held themselves to higher standards in their communities and organizations in the same way military leaders do? What if MBA graduates saw themselves as being entrusted to solve not only immediate business problems, but also long-term issues and challenges—with the understanding of their impact of their decisions and actions? To my way thinking, these questions are well worth contemplating.

Admittedly, there is no single path into leadership for MBA students as there is for those new second lieutenants who leave West Point to start their careers with the military. MBAs follow diverse career paths into large corporations, startups, philanthropy, and other ventures. Some may not even continue a career in business, but rather apply these leadership principles in fields as diverse as health care or non-profits. Even along these various paths, MBAs still could be commissioned to higher standards of leadership and lifelong learning, both in their careers and personal lives.

At Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, for example, we hold our students to a high standard of collaboration and teamwork. These two principles can be applied broadly, whether someone becomes a senior executive—or is active in a community group. Kellogg also teaches its students to attend to the needs of the “customer,” whether that means a consumer, a business, an institution, or another party. Having a customer-focus elevates the standard for engagement, by acknowledging the impact leaders have on the lives of others. One need only reflect on job satisfaction and the carryover into one’s personal life (joy or stress that’s brought home) to appreciate how interconnected and wide-reaching principles and practice really are.

Institutions of higher education have an opportunity to convey to graduates today and successive generations to follow the same respect and value for enduring traditions, as well as expectations for accomplishments and contributions yet to come. In embracing these thinking, schools would have their own “long line” in emblazoned with their colors, with each successive class committing to “pay it forward.” Just as second-year students help the first years, so alumni help graduates with networking and finding new job opportunities. Being commissioned into that long line means one’s MBA does not stand for personal achievement alone, but rather for being part of an ever-growing community of current students and alumni who share purpose, values, and vision.

As MBA programs evolve with the times, and as students and institutions reflect on the value of what is gained through a commitment of time, energy, and financial resources, let’s not lose sight of the possibilities that extend well beyond graduation. No matter what we call our commencement ceremonies, we are, indeed, commissioning leaders who are being entrusted to make a lasting impact in the public and private sectors, in all aspects of their lives.   

Mike Reilly

SVP, Chief Healthcare Innovation and Strategy Officer at Independent Health

7y

Congratulations! This was a great article. I love the concept. I received the title "certified health insurance executive " from AHIP in conjunction with Northwestern Kellogg school of Business and am required to do CE to maintain it. I have a pharmacy license and must do CE to maintain it. What if to have not only you receive an MBA but you must do CE to maintain a further credential like certified in business administration ?

Asif Ali

Offshore Customer & Donor Support Manager/Senior Business Development Manager/Human Resource Executive/Team Leader/Deputy Account Executive At McLean Intelligent Workforce/ASR-BPO/CNC-BPO/Stark & Wayne LLC/ISLAM NET OSLO

7y

Why is it that in majority I don't see much of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION graduates emphasizing on their own small BUSINESS instead of being slaves to someone else?

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Mahesh G Kulkarni

Senior Consultant - Cyber Security at LTIMindtree

7y

http://transformmaharashtra.com/submission/5647129569656832 We have participated in Transform Maharashtra organized by Gov. Of Maharashtra so please vote us so that our project will be review by their expert panel.

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Lakshman Fernando

now- Free Thinker, former- Information Technology, Management Professional & University Lecturer - Australia

7y

Insightful read.

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no - learning never stops(and experience keeps us ever re-adjusting

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