Beyond Borders with Olaf Groth Building a future together

Last month, Olaf Groth, Hult Professor of Global Strategy, Innovation, Management and Economics (Postgraduate), and Program Director (Executive Education) for Disruption Futures was featured in the Russian publication, Beyond Borders. Discussing the rapidly changing global business landscape, Olaf shares his insights on how students can stay ahead. How do you envision the world to look like in the next 20 years? How much will it change in your opinion? There’s only one thing certain and that is the fact that our world will exhibit more not less uncertainty. Much of this will be driven by technologies–such as AI, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing 0r genetic engineering–climate change, migration, terrorism, and cybersecurity or lack thereof. Geopolitical conflict will also stay with us and potentially escalate regionally. While this may sound like an increasingly unpleasant scenario, I do not see it that way. All of this volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) creates a tremendous opportunity for humankind everywhere to shape the future and create more opportunity. Rather than protecting old models that are under attack, let’s design new ones that lead to better lives. -Professor Olaf Groth For instance, automation threatens parts of many types of jobs. We don’t know exactly which or how many or when. But it’s safe to say that the impact will be felt substantially. Yet, rather than giving in to that possible impact, let’s get ahead of it and decide what future we want. What kinds of new jobs can we design? Are there new models of working, learning and earning? Can we increase the sense of passion, purpose and meaning people feel as they work, learn and earn? Rather than protecting old models that are under attack, let’s design new ones that lead to better lives. How should students prepare to be a future leader? What key skills will be in demand? You should prepare yourself near-term with foundational competencies that will last you a lifetime and with longer-term modular â€Å"up-skilling† that will help you navigate and pivot quickly as you hit challenges or roadblocks in life. The foundational competencies are hard (functional, technical) and soft (interpersonal) ones and many of them require in-person huddling and presence in the same locations with other people. On the â€Å"harder† side, those include strategic-, scientific-, design-, systems-, futures- and critical thinking, and creative problem-solving, as well as basic financial and data science literacy. On the â€Å"softer side† they include storytelling, team dynamics, cross-cultural management, negotiation and coaching, an execution mindset and the navigation of political organizations and processes. Then augment that foundation over time with smaller skill qualifications as you need to pivot in your career, e.g. nano-qualifications to provide know-how in certain technology spaces. Other nano-qualifications could include deep-dives into human psychology, group processes, or specific geographic or cultural identity issues. Both of these facets will help you position robustly for a future that will require you to exercise left and right brains together, i.e. bring both a healthy dose of creativity and analysis to your work as you design and execute projects for, with and through others and the machines. What are some of the challenges the new generation will face in the future? And how will this impact student learning?   The biggest challenge for young talent is the uncertainty and non-linearity of personal development paths and careers. Those uncertainties range from the impact of AI, blockchain, and automation on working, learning and earning; others include global geo-economic and geopolitical crises and the trends on fragmentation versus integration, yet others include climate change and migration patterns. Individuals, much like organizations have to reflect on the emerging picture often and then navigate flexibly. That means changing and upgrading oneself continuously in smaller â€Å"bite-size† chunks. -Professor Olaf Groth I’m also seeing the rise of the career portfolio. Whereby more and more blue chip professionals maintain an array of projects and professional relationships, without always having the security of a full time employment contract. This varies across regions but will likely increase with continued automation and the re-configuration of job profiles. Individuals, much like organizations have to reflect on the emerging picture often and then navigate flexibly. That means changing and upgrading oneself continuously in smaller â€Å"bite-size† chunks. How does Hult International Business School provide a competitive edge in the global education market? And what makes it unique? Disruption is in our history. -Professor Olaf Groth For starters, we have a large global network of campuses and an â€Å"insanely diverse† mix of students: some 3,500 students from 150+ nationalities across six locations during the year. They learn hard and soft skills with and from each other. Often, that creates significant sparks and conflicts. We help them manage through that in what I consider to be a huge learning lab. It’s a safe environment where failure doesn’t punish you, but leaves you with insights, sometimes not happy or positive, but highly valuable nonetheless. Many of us on the teaching side are scholar-practitioners, i.e. executives, consultants or entrepreneurs who have decades of experience in the real world and who are also good at teaching, coaching and mentoring. We research and publish, but we do so with a strong focus on what’s relevant for decision makers in organizations, not other academics in an ivory tower. There’s nothing wrong with the latter – we need people who create new knowledge for the sake of creating new knowledge. But that’s not who we are as a business school. We want to have tangible near-term impact that helps make this world more prosperous and better. We have also been experimenting with different types of competitions, simulations, digital games and virtual experiences. We need to and will do more of it, toward hybrid physical-virtual experiences. AI, blockchain, Augmented and Virtual Reality all hold great promise as we explore new educational horizons. 20 years from now, the prevailing model of 1, 2, or 4-year programs today will have given way to more flexible, modular, digitally intelligent and augmented education models. What better testbed for these new models than the biggest and youngest business school in the world? Disruption is in our history. Originally posted here. If you would like to learn more about our global business programs and Disruptive Nano courses,  download a brochure   Grow your leadership capabilities with an MBA in international business at Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog My Masters in International Business: Looking back on a life-changing year, or give your career a boost with our Masters in International Business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .