In the challenging environment of the Patagonian wilderness, Alex Hernandez and a team of MBA students from Berkeley Haas encountered an unexpected test of leadership. As they faced dropping temperatures and the need to establish camp quickly, Hernandez found himself overwhelmed until a teammate offered him assistance, highlighting a crucial lesson about leadership: accepting help is vital, especially under pressure.
This experiential learning approach is becoming increasingly favored in business education, moving beyond traditional classroom methods. Business schools are increasingly incorporating immersive experiences—ranging from outdoor expeditions and social enterprise work to corporate consultancy projects—into their curricula. These activities emphasize learning by doing and enable students to confront real-world challenges with direct consequences.
At Berkeley Haas, students take part in both simulated exercises and real-life treks in the Andes, where they must adapt their leadership skills in immediate, high-pressure situations. Hernandez noted that the immediacy of decisions and their impact in such settings made communication more straightforward and leadership less about words and more about action.
Similarly, New York University’s Stern School of Business has integrated experiential learning into its curriculum for nearly 25 years. MBA students engage in projects across various industries, such as collaborating with the Italian company Nonna Live. For Ana Sanchez Chico, interacting with local stakeholders turned a theoretical exercise into an engaging, real-life narrative.
In Barcelona, IESE offers a different immersion experience by pairing students with local peers in Kenya to solve social enterprise challenges, facilitating deeper cultural understanding and collaboration. This approach highlights the importance of relational dynamics in business solutions.
As global business challenges evolve, these diversified experiential learning methods aim to prepare future leaders for effective decision-making across varied contexts.
Key Points:
- Why this story matters: It illustrates the shift in business education towards practical, immersive experiences that prepare students for real-world challenges.
- Key takeaway: Effective leadership includes not only the ability to make decisions but also the willingness to seek and accept support from others.
- Opposing viewpoint: Critics might argue that traditional case-study approaches still provide essential analytical skills that direct experience cannot replicate.
