What Female Deans Want MBA Women In The Class of 2017 To Know

mba advice women

Erika James, dean of Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business

Erika James

John H. Harland Dean

Goizueta Business School

To the women of the Class of 2017, what is the key piece of advice you have for those who seek to make their mark in business?

“Spend more time focusing on your points of excellence and less time on trying to sure up weaknesses. Trying to improve in areas of deficit will create mediocrity. But if you start with excellence and get better from there you are in line for long-term success.”

What are the hard truths or realities that aspiring business women should be prepared for?

“The hard truth is very rarely will your job present an opportunity for a hockey stick – perpetual, continued growth. Accept the fluctuation that comes with being in the business world.”

What advice do you wish someone had shared with you about being a successful woman in business?

“It’s about the people. Business is really about inspiring and leading people.”

What is your favorite quote or mantra that you live by and you’d like to pass on to women in the Class of 2017?

“Bet on yourself. I’ve seen many women in business take themselves out of opportunities because they didn’t think they were ready or capable. Trust that, even if you go into something without 100 percent of the knowledge, you will figure it out.”

mba advice women

Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze, dean of faculty at ESMT Berlin

Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze

Dean of Faculty

ESMT Berlin

To the women of the Class of 2017, what is the key piece of advice you have for those who seek to make their mark in business?

“Be ambitious. Aim for more than you think you can achieve and, with reasonableness, do not let go of the dream. ”  

What are the hard truths or realities that aspiring business women should be prepared for?

“If you think you found a shortcut, following it is probably going to have unintended side-effects. Think twice about taking it.”

What advice do you wish someone had shared with you about being a successful woman in business?

“I would say that, in my experience, the most important part of business are always the people. They will be your main assets, and they will usually bring your greatest challenges. Being aware of this and prepared to deal with it helps tremendously. ” 

mba advice women

Georgette Chapman Phillips, dean of Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics.

Georgette Chapman Phillips

Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean

Lehigh University College of Business and Economics

To the women of the Class of 2017, what is the key piece of advice you have for those who seek to make their mark in business?

“To the best of your ability, listen to your internal “true north.” Many people will try to make you over in a way that will feel inauthentic. Listen to what is said, but with a critical ear and adopt only the part of the message that conforms with who you think you want to be.”

What are the hard truths or realities that aspiring business women should be prepared for?

“The hard truth is that, until men start having babies, women will continue to shoulder a disproportionate amount of responsibility of creating a family. This starts with biology, but certainly doesn’t end there. Be honest with yourself about the importance of family (I think it is very important, but you owe it to yourself to come to your own conclusions). Yes, it is unfair  that men don’t have to make the choices. Yes, we should keep pushing toward gender pay responsibility/equality. But, in the meantime, we have to live our lives. Figure out the balance that works for you and your partner–not that works for your employer. Then go to your employer and try to implement that strategy.”

What advice do you wish someone had shared with you about being a successful woman in business?

“Not everyone is going to like you! I spent far too much time and energy worrying about likability. Really, no matter what you do, someone is not going to like you. Doesn’t mean you are a bad person. It means that you are making hard decisions that not everyone agrees with. As long as your decisions are not vindictive or mean spirited, you are doing fine. Notice I didn’t say you must always be fair. Unfortunately, sometimes you will not be fair, but you must come to that decision in an honest way.”

What is your favorite quote or mantra that you live by and you’d like to pass on to women in the Class of 2017?

“It’s one I have used for years: always live in beta. Meaning that you should constantly be working for improvement and the change that is often required for improvement. Beta means being comfortable with not having all of the answers and a certain tolerance for ambiguity. That’s the only way to actually move forward with impact.”