After making the decision to take the leap towards IMD, I was left with one really haunting question. How do I hack this thing? Or as I put it so very politely to the various alums that I talked to – How do I navigate this program? And by that I mean, how do I turn myself into a super leader with sound business acumen in 11 months while staying on top of my fitness and mental regime and getting a really great job that would top what I just walked out of ? Phew!! The alums, while recounting their own awesome experiences and helping me out in my reasoning, gave me the same answer every time- Figure it out. Lol.
Guest entry from 2018 candidate, Parth Reddy.
It’s not like I haven’t been thrown into all kinds of soups in my career. There was a time in 2009 when I decided to take a gap year and volunteer for an NGO in the Himalayas. It sounds really cool and hip but take away central heating and insert perilous treks as part of the job description and what you get essentially is a very dangerous and uncomfortable job. But I had one hell of a time. How did I navigate it? I decided to challenge myself – physically. By the time I finished my gap year, I had become very adept at trekking up and down steep inclines. I hope this holds well during my time in Switzerland.
And then there’s that year (2013) in Libya where I willingly volunteered for a year in one of the toughest locations in the world. I remember looking up the British Embassy’s site in Tripoli in the hope of finding any tips for incoming workers. It had a polite warning for us which otherwise read as “Are you kidding? Seriously?” But again I survived. Mostly because I challenged myself – mentally. By the time I had finished my year in Libya, I understood basic Arabic, enjoyed solitude, was able to finish tough and chaotic projects and survive on a steady diet of omelets .
So here we are. Its not the civil war of Libya, nor is it the harsh conditions in the Himalayas. It’s scenic Lausanne and one of the best MBA programs in the world. Still. How do I navigate this program? By challenging myself to achieve what’s beyond me.
And also by being a little goofy. In both the above instances I survived on a healthy dose of music. I intend to do so at IMD as well. It doesn’t have to be all somber and serious, maybe if we take the process a little lightly, we might end up getting what we want and have some fun at the same time.
I’d like to open the year with a goofy soundtrack like the one below.
Parth Reddy
The IMD MBA blog will resume in January, 2018.
We wish all of our readers a happy, healthy and successful year to come!
