4 Schools shaping tomorrow’s Business Executives

09 Aug 2017

“Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” – Andy Warhol

In an era of constant change and adaptation, it’s easy to get swept up in the storm of obsolescence. A high-tech and increasingly competitive consumer setting can see entire products and services outmoded overnight, calling for a current, innovative approach to modern business that breaks through the traditional paradigm to keep ahead of the curve.

The future of global enterprise is both fluid and strategic, seeking more transitional corporate platforms that ride the constant wave of digital progression. It’s no longer enough to recreate models that thrived in times of old; instead, we must envision what is yet to come and embrace that ‘What if…’ possibility.

But what does it take to triumph as a leader in a vying business world?

According to the Leadership Lab Series by The Globe and Mail, there are two powerful leadership qualities needed to drive long-term future success:

“The first is known as contextual intelligence,” the publication notes. “This is the ability to sense subtle shifts in the environment, to become aware of those changes before anyone else, and to predict their likely implications.

“The second…is strategic intelligence,” it adds. “…the intuitive, penetrating understanding of what is actually driving the need for change and how it presents new opportunities for those who are open to them.”

While we may never be certain exactly what the future holds, data gives us the power to forge an accurate directional read of things that lie ahead. And the difference between an influential business leader and one significantly sub-par: the ability to change, conform and inspire as the fast-paced future unfurls.

It’s time for Managers, Directors and CEOs to take lead when it comes to igniting fresh ideas. Whether you like it or not, technology is the future and the future is now. As such, the most effective leaders of global enterprise will be those who understand how best to designate both man and machine, optimising innovation, entrepreneurship and productivity via the most appropriate corporate asset.

One thing we know for sure is that a visionary, future-focused business education will give you the tools needed to reinvent the realm of global enterprise. Have you got what it takes?

Here are 4 Schools that are shaping tomorrow’s leading Business Executives …

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS – UK

London School of Economics

The Department of Management is a world-leading centre for education and research in business and management, ranking second in the world for social science and management. The Department sits at the heart of the thriving academic community of the London School of Economics (LSE) in central London.

Driven by a mission to inform and inspire better understanding and practice of management worldwide, the Department seeks to extend and challenge traditional approaches in business education. Its position at the heart of a leading social science institution, gives teaching programmes a real-world context in the social, economic and political environment in which organisations operate across the globe. The Department has a tradition of innovation, breaking the conventional business school mould and developing fresh approaches to teaching through academic excellence, critical analysis and the latest research in the field.

The Department collaborates with businesses, third sector organisations and policymakers across the globe to inspire real-world change. Programmes here prepare graduates for careers at the forefront of innovation, leadership and success in organisations around the world. Students graduate with a unique understanding of real-world business, enabling them to face future challenges in the fast-moving global environment, and setting them apart in the workplace as innovative, agile and strategic leaders.

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION, STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS – SWEDEN

The Department of Management and Organization (DMO) at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) champions broad-based knowledge and far-reaching business competence. Serving to nurture students’ innate managerial and leadership skills, this school is ideal for any business-minded student, regardless of their respective future career.

Blending theory, practice, specialist skills and personal reflection, the DMO places students head-to-head with the most pressing business issues, allowing them to produce sound, informed solutions that improve daily business practice. Through a unique focus on hands-on Live Learning that links students with powerful industry figures, graduates leave already instilled with an understanding of what it takes to flourish at the head of a real-world corporation.

“The research at the department relies upon close cooperation with the Swedish business community and public sector,” the institution notes. “The research covers organizations and managers in various phases of development, from small start-ups to large established firms. The research is conducted in private, public and voluntary organizations,” it adds. “The focus of the education at the department is the challenges facing managers of all types of organizations [and] aims at being of value to students regardless of career choice.”

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ST. GALLEN – SWITZERLAND

St. Gallen’s School of Management (SOM) offers a holistic business education. Striving to be the top institution of its kind in the German-speaking world, the school adopts an integrated approach to studies surrounding management and enterprise, with 43 world-class professors leading the charge of success among tomorrow’s generation.

As St. Gallen’s largest school, the SOM is as connected as it is influential, equipping students with real-world corporate insights that help maximise their potential. Standing as an independent partner of fellow business schools in the region and the world, the SOM drives the cultivation of enlivened and confident entrepreneurs, spurring the development of innovative practice, while unleashing globally-recognised research and elite teaching methods.

Here at St. Gallen, not only will you revel in the knowledge that you’re receiving world-class teaching from one of Europe’s Top Ten business – as stated by the Financial Times – but you’re also guaranteed an experience to remember. Situated in the heart of Western Europe, this distinctly central location crosses borders of many different cultures, promising a truly universal education that serves students well as they progress through working life.

NOVA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS – PORTUGAL

With a growing population of 1,400 undergraduate students and 1,400 postgraduates, the Nova School of Business and Economics is among Europe’s leading business players. Ranked 14^th worldwide for its International Masters in Finance; as well as 17^th for its International Masters in Management, and placing in the global Top 50 for its high-quality Executive Education; this school produces students who are ready to reshape an increasingly complex global market.

“Our high-quality and innovative courses are geared to providing the knowledge and skills required, and are regularly reviewed to aim at best practice,” the institution explains. “Our teaching is rigorous, and benefits from the stimulus of a wide range of electives, international recruitment and exchange programs.

“We influence economic policy and improve business practice, through the provision of executive education, and consultancy services,” adds the Faculty. We conduct pure and applied research, which is scholarly, relevant, and rated internationally.”

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International