Module 6 ended a little over a week and half ago, and now just catching my breath to write about it.
Module 6 was a little different than the other modules, as we had to finish all the work by the end of the last day of class. Usually, we had two weeks after the module to finish our finals. But since we were graduating the day after the last class, everything was condensed and intensified even more.
The classes for module 6 were:
-Integrative Course-New York Residency: Where the Risk Hits the Fan
-Leadership 1a-Leadership and Transformation: Choice, Cost and Commitment
-Leadership 1b-Leadership of Teams and Organization
-Corporate Social Responsibility
-Capstone Course-Managing in a Global Economy
The New York Residency was fantastic. Our fabulous logistic and program manager, Megan, negotiated to get us to stay at the Four Seasons in New York. It created the mood of elegance, extravagance and also put us in the hub of the action in New York. Sleeping in New York is difficult. The city is penetrated with movement, energy and all I wanted to do was just play in it, bath in it, thrive in it. Besides our professor being top notch with his academic lessons of financial management, strategy and risk mitigation, he also took us to experience different firms. We went to the New York Stock Exchange, the United Nations, CitiGroup, RBC Capital, TIAA-CREF, and Jetblue.
At the United Nations we heard about trade sanction with North Korea. During our entire site visits, I am always cognoscente of decor, atmosphere, office layouts, and overall architecture. I walked in to the UN, and felt at peace, flower images, peaceful colors on the wall, etc. With a kind of flowery, watery landscape motif. However, as soon as you walk into the board room, the mood drastically changes by the art work on the walls. The table and chairs are typical. Nothing extravagant, or noteworthy. White walls. But the paintings. Dark blues, blacks, greens, with a flow of conflict, abstraction, no order, or peace. You felt like you went from calm seas in the office, to storms in the board room. I don't know if that helps them to create moods of allowing for discourse, or just creates unnecessary anxiety. The other board rooms I have seen are usually ego driven if anything. Pictures of management, or founders or some inspirational person for the company, or even articles of confirmation that the company is a success. Or some, just have very large windows for light. With no paintings, mild whites or yellows. No one painted board rooms with dark colors on the walls. No dark blues or dark reds. I love color. I actually looked into getting a Masters in Color Chemistry (I decided obviously with this program, but color effects and chemistry is so fascinating to me.) The effects of color on our life is astonishing. One of my favorite activities, is just to observe what people choose to color themselves with, what colors people choose around them and then observe their mood, and see if it seems congruent with the colors or not. My initial findings is that primarily they are in alignment. Specially when people go into a coffee house and have their pick of where to sit, they sit in the mood, sort of speak.
JetBlue was one of my favorite site visits. We got over 3 hours of their top financial management team's time, including their CFO. They discussed their financial strategy as well as their risk management approaches. The biggest expense for an airline is fuel. Before the module started, each of us had to create power point presentations to evaluate their firm and to discuss their risk management approach and potential recommendations. Each of us, I think after crunching the numbers, feeling like we were drowning as we were all over our heads (expect for the banks and finance people in our group). But struggling with something, understanding it, gets me to feel a bit intimately invested and sparks curiosity, therefore, what might have seemed like a boring financial presentation to me in the past, was fabulously interesting. Above all else, I realized something else too during that site visit, just how important the right culture is. I knew this before, but watching how they joked with each other, how much ease there was between them, how intelligent the entire team was, and well respected by each other, validated the magic of a great culture, and how work is suppose to be fun. Also, I got a high five from their CFO when I told him I flew to New York from Seattle on Jetblue and enjoyed my experience. I asked him when I should buy tickets, like how far in advance. He said "as soon as you know you are traveling." I understand his response. I still think there is a bit of a game-2.5 to 3 months for me is always my sweet spots with great deals.
One other cool thing about the Finance class-we were suppose to have a quiz one day in class, my teacher had the test printed out, in his hands ready to pass it out. First though, he introduced two strangers in the room, both videographers doing a documentary on Bitcoins, and they wanted to interview him on his perspective on Bitcoins. I immdediatly, asked if he could please teach us as well. Bitcoins, if you don't know, is basically a virtual currency, that a group of IT techies are trying to get adopted in the shared economy conversation. (google for more information if you are curious). Anyway, the teacher agreed to present to the class, and to cancel the quiz. My classmates have never been happier with me. I got a round of cheers, and even some people stood in gratitude clapping. One of my lovely mates told me later that he wanted to pick me up like they do in games when someone kicks in the winning goal, or whatever, and have me on his shoulder. I thought that was really cute.
After New York, we headed to DC-Georgetown Campus. Traveling around the world, it felt great to start back at our beginning. It felt great to be "home".
The last week of classes-well were good. We had a lot of assignments due, and most of it, to me felt like busy work, with my heavy duty senioritis kicking in. I just wanted to soak up my friends for one last week with out having to write or prepare or present. Looking back on it now, it wasn't that bad or awful the assignments, they could have been worse. I have definitely done more tedious work in previous modules. I even watched a movie on Margret Thatcher (the documentary) for my leadership class. It wasn't that bad. ;) One thing I did love about Thatcher's leadership style is her phase "get on with it." To not wallow or complain, just do what you have to do, and carry on. I liked that as a personal approach to difficult situations that may seem hard.
Leadership to me is fascinating. In very basic, simplistic terms, I boil it down to three types. 1) There is the one person (or small group) leading and everyone following. 2) Everyone leading and walking together (example democracies) 3) Leadership provides (but not controls) the nutrients and resources for the group, so that each individual can do what they need to do. I call that approach empowering stray cats. I am sure there are more, but I like to observe people and see how they fit into one of these camps. Some have the philosophy that people don't want to lead themselves, and by default puts them in camp 1. I don't hold that truth to be real. And therefore, always examine other possibilities to empower people. I find as a core to great change, which change is the duty of leadership, is the ability to observe, analyze, experiment, adapt and discern, you know, the ability to apply the scientific method. Side note, I wish the public's scientific literacy was higher. We would have much better discourse in our society if it was. What do you think would increase our public discourse, and end such polarization in the world, or just in congress? What do you think makes a great leader?
Well I think I will stop there... for now. Next post is on links and pictures of graduation! :)
Xo
L
