Courses at McGill are so different from those back home. Obviously, it depends on what courses you take. If I was into accounting or finance, they might have had many similarities. It might not come as a surprise to you that I am not, hence I took strategy courses which mostly turned out to be inspirational ones. One of these classes is a class taught by David Lank: "Diversity in Entrepreneurial Leadership". The first few classes that I attended, I just had goose bumps all over. I don't think I have ever experienced someone teaching a class like he does. Imagine this: you are 26 years old, attending your first MBA course ever and the professor tells you that he is going to dictate something everyone has to write down AND that he is not starting until he sees everyone holding a pen. "What I will dictate now, is the fundamental underpinning of this course, write this down: "Everyone in this room, can do something better than I can"."
Each class he presents us a guest lecturer, a leader in his or her own way, and a guest host. The guest lecturers have varied from the first female president of the Canadian bar association, a Canadian astronaut, politician and engineer in one and a neuroscientist who used to be a rock star whose documentary I actually saw when I was in the plane coming from Holland to Montreal. They tell us the stories of their lives, how they got where they got, what inspired them, how they got over setbacks... That's not it. First class, our professor gave us a little booklet in which each and every one of the guest lecturers had indicated what book inspired them most and why. Have you ever been in the book store, thinking of what book would be nice to read next? I don't. Anymore.
Now if I were you, and had never attended this class, I would already be impressed by the above mentioned. But I'm still not done: Lank's assignments. Last week I handed in my first paper. Not just a paper. A reflective paper. In this paper, he wants us to reflect on three of our guest lecturers and the message of their lecture. Then relate this to our own life and two books we recently read. His exact words were: "Use life experience and other stuff from outside class." Have you ever had a professor telling you to reflect? On your life, accomplishments, failures? As an assignment? For a grade?
What was the most enlightening to me of all remarks made by guest lecturers was John Gomery saying he was not sure if he made all his choices on a rational basis. I found Daniel Levitin to take a similar perspective by saying not to take a too narrow view on what you are doing and that your goals can be flexible as new opportunities arise, as well as John Hobday with the muddling-through-perspective ("you just have to muddle your way through life") and not believing in career planning. Things happen.
The reason this attitude struck me, is that ever since I can remember I have the feeling I made my choices on a rational basis, I never permitted myself to have things to just happen. I believe the way I chose what I chose, is unsurprisingly and clearly linked to my upbringing. Being the child of two ambitious people, who moved from their country where they had everything they ever wanted and needed, to Europe in order to offer their child the life they could not offer her in their home country, surviving a war and a childhood with so much less opportunities than most of us had, formed me immensely. I remember my mother always telling me to choose a profession with which I was sure to be mobile. In the sense that she was always thinking of: “What if we will have to move again?”.
Even though I have spent many nights, talking to my parents about their experiences and their lives, and having heard so many stories that explained to me where this mindset comes from, I think I will never be able to feel what they feel, but I can understand. I never thought of this rational way of making choices as restricting me. It actually made my world a lot bigger. From the moment I dropped physics, biology and math (as it was too hard) and gave up a career in medicine, and the moment I dropped out of law school (because it was too hard) and gave up a career as a lawyer, I made myself forget about prestigious jobs that sound good to talk about when one has guests coming over, and started thinking about what path to take to see the world. If I was supposed to choose that profession that would assure me mobility, I’d better go and see what is out there. From starting my International Management Bachelor – providing me with vast exchange opportunities – to choosing France as my first exchange destination – few people in business administration speaking French said my mentor – to pursuing a Masters degree – minimum requirement by large corporations nowadays – to choosing Strategic Management as my concentration – not too focused on one area of business administration – to ending up in Montreal – where else can one leverage his multi-cultural background more profoundly? –, each and every step was taken with rational at its core. It all had to make sense, it all had to be useful.
There is not one decision that I regret. There is not one goal that I set for myself that I did not reach. For every step I took, I would look back and be happy I took the one before it, for that one enabled me to take the next. I thought.
And then I read Taleb’s ‘Fooled by Randomness’. Am I a fool of randomness? Am I seeing causality where there is none? Post hoc ergo propter hoc?
Enter: Daniel Levitin. “Nimbleness is necessary when your abilities do not match your goals”. And let that be what guides me on the rest of my journey.
Thanks Professor Lank.
since i could not find words to express how much i liked your post... i decided to post my own paper. it is strange, when i wrote it i got so emotional that i wanted to hide it from the world, but now you made me feel ashamed for it :)
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The most important leaders are much closer to you than you think. I realized this while I was sketching a “leadership chronology graph” during some exercise last year, and it hit me like a brick. When I was done mapping people I admired during my life, I came to realize that the most influential leader for me is my grandmother.
My grandmother was born in the 30s and lived through the poverty and horrors of the World War II in one of the most unfortunate towns. In 1941 Germans rounded up 7000 school boys and young men, and executed them in the city park. A lot of them were her schoolmates. After the liberation, she married a handsome war hero next door, my grandfather, who was much older.
Thirty five years later, he died, and (according to her) she started living the life she always wanted. It was not like she was sitting idle before that! She worked for a state military industry, in sales. Over time, her charm and intelligence got her into Arabic sales department, where her clients were characters like Colonel Gaddafi of Libya, to whom she personally sold rockets and underground bunkers. As the story goes, Gaddafi liked her so much, that he came to visit during one of the official state visits, and pitched a tent nearby. Her colorful personality and thirst for life really blossomed in the last 20 years of her life, when she seemingly knew everything and everyone, travelled around the world, took care of sick friends, organized elementary (!!) and high school reunions, listened to everything from Bob Marley to AC/DC, read books that made me blush, and discovered passion for speed.
“You paid so much money for this thing, and you are going to drive like a sissy? Show me what this thing can do!” – she said to my father when he took her for a drive in his new sports car.
But it was in the time of crisis and uncertainty when she really shined. The big smile would vanish, she would go silent in a reflection of her own life, and then she would give you a one-liner which would stay with you forever. It was never black or white, it was never easy, and it was always about integrity and being honest to yourself. When Dr. McGregor visited and recounted his life and the power of our inner compass, it was as if she was standing before us. She and I once discussed (over a glass of Bailey’s, naturally) how people seemingly adopt someone else’s compass, or a set of values, in order to reach certain goal. She wasn’t buying it. People’s true values and drives always pop up eventually, she said, you can’t go against yourself. One of the main pillars of my approach to life is that we continuously change, and that we should modify our actions accordingly. Tim Broadhead shared Einstein’s definition of insanity with us as “doing things the same way over and over again and expecting the same outcome”. I loved it, according to Einstein we are all partially insane! She would agree too, and then add that unless you are embracing change, you are probably a dreadfully boring person.
The only people who I automatically have deepest respect for are the ones who experienced the humanity at its worst, and faced the human despair at the bottom. There is no further perspective than that. We were asked to discuss three leaders, and my grandmother stands next to Dr. McGregor and Dr. Barakett as far as the impression goes… with a little advantage, of course.
Hey! Go start your own blog!! :P
ReplyDeleteThe urge to continue this trend is too great...as is the difficulty of starting my own blog...
ReplyDeleteThree things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. -- Henry James
I came across this quote, or I suppose I could say that it found me, in September of 2007, two months before my grandfather passed away. This is only important because, of all the things that I learned through his words and actions, I consider the necessity of kindness to be paramount. For that reason I will forever remember James’ lines. I have seen firsthand the fruits that kindness can bear, and I believe firmly in its power to promote harmony and cooperation across a variety of settings. Thus, it was surprising to me that while looking through my notes from all of our speakers over the first half of this semester not once did I write, or remember a guest speaking specifically, about the concept of kindness.
The revelation gave me pause. In my reflection I was reminded of a moment this winter when I was asked by my girlfriend’s uncle what I felt were the three most important things in life. After asking if he wanted to hear one of my favorite quotes (see above) and receiving a “no,” I quickly replied, “kindness, generosity, and honesty.” I was struck not by my sureness, nor by the ease with which the words came, but rather by my omission (revealed through my girlfriend’s answer) of another item: family. I asked myself – why? In digging I found my response to be that I assumed both that others would include it amongst their unspoken essentials, and that they would bestow the same belief towards my response.
The experience, I believe, mirrors closely that of our guests in that the kindness missing from my notes, although unspoken, is held close to their hearts and can be found through their actions. William Barakett has devoted his life in kindness to all the members of our society, be they social outcasts or insiders. Abdication of that responsibility, in his eyes, is not tolerable. Tim Broadhead has done the same with his life, selflessly extending a hand towards those that could use one. How he helps is less important in the end that the fact that he does help, adapting as he continues to learn. Patrick Kenniff demonstrated kindness not only to individuals, but to an institution – he walked away from an unfair (and unimaginable) situation silently, leaving an entire university standing and out of the mud. Indeed, I can easily find examples from each of our speakers, and if given the opportunity likely the ghosts as well.
I was left to ask whether it was sufficient to, as the old adage goes, let “actions speak louder than words.” Although ultimately it is not possible to communicate everything we intend given the limitations of language, I have learned that I believe we must not let our assumptions further limit our speech. Perhaps we must be more explicit about, or more in touch with, that which we feel is important.
Hey Nazanine, wat leuk dat je zo geniet van McGill. Ik ben me nu aan het orienteren voor mijn MBA en McGill staat vrij hoog in mijn lijst. Alleen jammer dat de MBA in Noord Amerika 2 jaar duurt. Goed, ik hoop dat je het goed maakt.
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