What my MBA is teaching me about strategy

When I started my MBA, I wasn't entirely sure what I expected.

What I did know was that I felt there was more to learn. Throughout my career, I had gained experience across leadership, hospitality, education, customer service, business operations, and management. However, I wanted to better understand the "why" behind many of the decisions businesses make and the factors that contribute to long-term success.

If I'm being honest, I think I was hoping the MBA would provide me with the Golden Rules of Business.

The formulas, the answers, the secrets that successful organisations seemed to understand.

What I've discovered instead is something far more valuable.

The MBA is not teaching me what to think. It is teaching me how to think.

One of the biggest surprises has been the impact of great educators. Throughout my career I have worked with many trainers, teachers, and leaders, but studying again has reminded me that there is a significant difference between a good teacher and a great teacher. A great teacher does more than transfer knowledge. They challenge assumptions, encourage curiosity, and help you see connections that you may never have noticed yourself.

As a result, I have found myself thinking differently about business problems. Rather than looking for a single answer, I now find myself exploring how leadership, technology, customer experience, finance, risk, culture, and strategy all influence one another.

The more I study, the more I realise that strategy is not about having all the answers. It is about understanding enough to ask better questions.

That has been one of the most valuable lessons of my MBA so far.

I was hoping to discover the Golden Rules of Business.

Instead, I am learning how to create my own.