12 Inspiring Female B-School Deans Share Leadership Lessons

Dean Isabelle Huault

emlyon Business School in Lyon, France

“Be audacious! I think it’s paramount in life – and especially in our professional careers. Many women (and I have been no exception for many years) tend to concentrate on doing their job very well – and do not project themselves far enough. Each new opportunity is a challenge – and we must have the confidence to seize it”

Where you’re from/place of origin

I was born and raised in Lyon (France).

Where you previously studied

I have graduated from emlyon in 1990, and obtained a PHD in management sciences in 1994.

Previous roles:

I have been Assistant Professor at the Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin, then I have become professor at the Université Paris-Est-Créteil Val-de-Marne, and from 2005 onwards, I have taught at Dauphine – PSL.

How has your business school adapted to the Covid-19 crisis, and what initiatives and innovations have you implemented?

We had already digitalized some of the training sessions over the years. That was an asset: both our professors and students were already familiar with the tools. emlyon business school was certainly well ahead of many business schools and universities in the digitalization process.

However, the impact of Covid-19 was difficult for many students, especially the first-year students, deprived of the quality and intensity of life on campus. For those who were deeply impacted, we have created an emergency fund (of more than 600 K€) in order to allocate direct support. We have also reinforced our Wellness Center call line, to answer the questions of students psychologically impacted by the isolation linked to Covid-19.

More generally, this crisis questions our internationalization model, the mix between on-line and face-to-face pedagogy, the very content of our programs and syllabi (environmental challenges, risk management), our business model…. In this context, our main objective is to promote -more than ever- knowledge creation and its broad diffusion to impact the transformation of the world and of our society. 

What do you feel are the most important skills needed for managing a business school through a crisis (couple of bullet points and why is fine)?

It’s a challenge to manage a well-known (and one of the most globally respected) French business school. This means setting the strategy for a lot of young people, allowing them to be prepared for a fulfilling and successful future. At the heart of the required skills, I would quote stringency, creativity and openness. Combining these skills is definitely necessary because one needs to be ambitious, far-sighted and flexible in this increasingly moving environment.

How has your career helped to shape your leadership capabilities, and your priorities for your role as Dean? Can you share an anecdote about a previous instance/moment in your career that you feel has left a lasting impact on you?

All my career has being built in the academic world. I have always had a passion for research, learning and for teaching. Moreover, I have taken, from a very early stage, responsibilities in the management of research lab, notably as the head of Dauphine Recherche en Management from 2009 to 2015. I have then become Vice-President of Dauphine – PSL in 2015 and was elected for President in 2016. I believe that this inner knowledge of the day-to-day life of academic world has given me the skills to manage today one of the leading French business school.

What do you see as the greatest challenges and opportunities for business education in the coming years and what is your business school strategy to tackle this?

As a business school, you are at the crossroads of the major changes occurring in today’s world. It can be both exciting and overwhelming! The main challenges are notably to keep our level of academic excellence, to determine the right mix of digitalization in the education process, to imagine new programs for tomorrow’s world in order to face grand challenges (including hybridization between different disciplines) and to ensure the sustainability of our model (for example, by supporting students of less privileged environment).

What would you say is your biggest achievement in your career so far?

I have been pleased to promote the access of the less privileged into the academic world through specific programs starting in high school. It’s a major issue in France today to have a more inclusive society. Moreover, I tried to systematically promote and infuse the CSR dimension into the strategy. I was part of the dynamic – and I intend to continue as President of emlyon.

If you could give one life lesson/piece of advice to your younger self/young female leaders, what would it be?

Be audacious! I think it’s paramount in life – and especially in our professional careers. Many women (and I have been no exception for many years) tend to concentrate on doing their job very well – and do not project themselves far enough. Each new opportunity is a challenge – and we must have the confidence to seize it.

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