Circuit Breaker
The “Circuit Breaker” song project came together as the result of several experiences that I believe are characteristic of an MBA year at INSEAD:
When Things Don’t Go the Way You Want
It might be strange to imagine the MBA as a place for failures when it’s usually associated with success. After all, many of us are hoping that forgoing a year of work experience, paying not only a tuition fee but the opportunity cost of lost wages, will be worth the career growth that results from earning an MBA.
The Capstone Simulation: A Project with Non-simulated Leadership
Our cohort is a special one, which makes for an unforgettable and meaningful MBA experience.
Although we are in lockdown, we are getting so much support from the school, professors, and students who are continuously committed to alleviating the negative impact on the learning experience at INSEAD.
A Fired Up Feast at INSEAD, Fueled by COVID-19
One never forgets the delicious taste of freedom. For me, it was in the form of pizza. Fresh from the oven, topped with salami, olives, and cheese.
Why pizza? Because that was my final dine-in meal, right before COVID-19 forced France into lockdown.
The Silver Lining of the COVID Lockdown
A handshake. Sitting in a classroom. Going to ‘Freddy’s’ bar. So many things we have taken for granted have now changed.
Finding “Gold” in INSEAD’s Abu Dhabi Campus Exchange
My only experience in the Middle East had previously been in 2014. I was heading to Europe for a vacation, and had stopped over in Qatar.
There, I saw the sun – a flaming ball of red – rising over an endless desert. The locals breezed by in long, flowing robe-like attires that are mostly in hues of white or black. A kaleidoscope of accents greeted me as I entered shops and restaurants, indicating that a huge number of foreigners worked there as well.
A Call to Leaders
As I write this, the 'circuit breaker' in Singapore has been extended to June 4, a big blow to the student and faculty morale.
Invariably, this will be another post amongst the 1000’s detailing the disruption COVID-19 has caused albeit with a focus on leadership. Specifically, I will touch upon the ‘act’ aspect of leadership from my perspective of the faculty and students.
Students
The Lockdown Project
The INSEAD MBA is an intense 10-month rollercoaster and the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to put a sudden brake at the very summit, jolting us back to an unfamiliar new reality.
But despite our self-administered physical fences, the unwavering support of our INSEAD friends shone through, reminding us that we were in this together.
The Strength of Strong Ties
The year 1775 in pre-revolution France was the best of times, and it was also the worst of times - at least according to Charles Dickens. “[…] It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us […]”
The Fierce Urgency of Now
The journey of the MBA class of December 2020 is probably not what we were expecting, when we started it. And yet, this year might turn out to be one of the most consequential times in our life.
As the class of December 2020 gathered in January, in steamy Singapore, I was first struck by the diversity, open and well-meaning of the class.
