Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55943
this trait in our MBA students by sending them out on interna- tional projects during the Janu- ary intersession of their first year. During that time, they work on business problems within commu- nities in developing nations such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Peru. The ideal business student should also possess outstanding communications skills. What good is a brilliant business innovation if its creator is unable to describe it in a comprehensive and engaging way? Speaking well and writing well are all-too-rare talents, and the student who possesses both has a decided edge. A b-school would do its students a service by adding a required class in composition to the course load. This might be particularly easy to arrange at b-schools attached to universities with strong humani- ties departments. Another key attribute is leader- ship. The dynamic nature of today's business world requires people who are unafraid to guide the way toward an uncertain future. The ideal stu- dent would have experience as a leader who has made a beneficial impact in a professional or academic setting, or both. Admissions officers could weigh these experiences along with GMAT scores, GPAs, and per- sonal essays. B-school students could enhance their leadership capabilities in a number of ways—by guiding class projects, landing internships at top companies, and observing and learning from mentors. A grasp of ethical conflicts is also critical. Of course, we should expect our students to arrive for the first day of school with a strong sense of ethics developed much earlier in their lives—the cultural literacy, and the ability to communicate persuasively. dos and don'ts of moral behav- ior. But in our classes, they must learn to understand the types of conflicts that arise in business dealings every day. Once they are in the business world, our gradu- ates inevitably will be forced to consider taking actions that are not wholly ethical, even if they are within the bounds of the law. Will they possess the ethical frame- works to enable them to make these tough decisions? Many business schools already offer standalone ethics courses or integrate ethics themes into sev- eral classes. Thus, their students learn to recognize the risks posed by ethical conflicts and know that they must examine the repercus- sions of any actions they take. I believe that our management courses must teach students that the proper response is always the most ethical one, and not just because that choice will help man- agers sleep better at night. His- tory teaches us that corruption is the worst long-term strategy for any organization, whether that's a national government or a multina- tional corporation. Therefore, we must teach our students how to navigate a business landscape rife with ethical hazards. Finally, the perfect business student will possess optimism. I don't mean the kind of optimism that can't wait to make a killing on Wall Street, but the kind that sees business as an engine of positive transformation. The student lit by this personality trait understands intuitively that an innovative busi- ness method can do as much as a medical or scientific advance to create goodwill and progress in a needy corner of the planet. Dean Frankenstein has made an excellent head start on the ideal business student if he's able to craft an ethical, optimistic leader with intellectual flexibility, cultural lit- eracy, and the ability to communi- cate persuasively. I'd also ask him to throw in creativity, tenacity, a spirit of collaboration, and confidence. As the new century unfolds, the business landscape will con- tinue to shift in ways that might not have been predicted just a few years ago. It's up to business schools to make sure graduates are prepared to meet the challenges of the new century with assurance, openness, empathy, and hope. ■ z Yash Gupta is dean of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Baltimore, Maryland. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 63 Dean Frankenstein has made an excellent head start on the ideal business student if he's able to craft an ethical, optimistic leader with intellectual flexibility,