Savvy Advice From Military MBAs In The Class of 2015

Jacob Call, who spent a decade as a Navy SEAL, noted that he had always excelled at adapting to change and overcoming adversity. However, academics were his burden early on as an MBA student at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. “Saying I wasn’t armed with adequate test taking skills for the relatively rigorous midterms and finals during the first quarter is an understatement,” he admits. “Between taking nearly a 10 year break from academics and having a social science undergraduate degree, I had zero experience outside of the GMAT in taking timed tests. In quickly learning that even the brightest-and-best students often required quite literally the entire allotted time to finish, I was faced with a sink-or-swim environments unlike any I had ever faced up to that point in my life.” As a result, Call turned to his peers and school resources for help, eventually flipping his weakness with quant content into a strength.

KEY LESSONS: CHOOSE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY

At Fuqua, Tsang was touched by the importance of focusing on the long-term social good. “The biggest lesson I gained was business and fiduciary duty are not mutually exclusive from socially responsible conduct,” Tsang observes. “I now possess a business fundamentals framework from which to analyze decisions, explore new business opportunities, and manage people in a way driven by integrity and loyal to the communities we live in.”

For Call, business school was a reminder of the importance of including the right people on your teams – and your life. “It is all too easy to get caught up in low- and no-value add activities that quickly detract you from your goals and life purpose. Surrounding yourself with individuals who push and challenge you to break through self-imposed boundaries and to never accept mediocrity, make the journey to achieving success and your dreams at that much easier.”

Even more, Rey was struck by the uncertainty inherent to leadership. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is about how to deal with ambiguous situations, which are something that we tackle every day with every case. In most cases, there is no “right” answer. As leaders, we need to take the best information available, make explicit assumptions about what we do not know, mitigate risks as best we can, and make a decision.” In taking such actions, Merlino learned never to discount the human element. “Recognizing the cultural and relational pieces of a solution are as, if not more, important than the purely quantitative portions of a strategy or initiative is the biggest lesson I’ve learned at Questrom.”

BE “ALL IN, ALL THE TIME”

So what advice do these men have for future MBAs? Schmidt encourages them to take advantage of their time in business school. “So many [opportunities] are available inside and outside the classroom that you’ll never have the opportunity to do again. They might be disguised as social activities, but you’ll be surprised what you learn….I learned to take advantage of the opportunities given to [me] – meeting alumni, seeing speakers, learning about their unique path. It’s all about what you choose to do with the tools you’re given.”

For Tsang, students should fully commit to the business experience. “Find a school where you feel that you fit in with the culture and the value system. And also be “all in, all the time.” At the same time, he echoes Schmidt’s emphasis on getting involved. “Dive into those opportunities because you can relax when you retire. Business school is neither a “break” nor an “end,” it’s a wonderful beginning to a new life.”

Finally, Call reminds potential MBAs to remember the bigger picture. “Business school should not be considered just a means to an end for getting a job. You will be in the wrong and have wasted valuable years of your life if you go to business school without getting out of your comfort zone by exploiting your weaknesses and gaining knowledge to help you achieve your life-long goals.”

To read in-depth profiles of each of these military MBAs and the lessons they’ve learned in school, see the following page).