Module 1 is Toast!

It’s been a hectic two weeks to say the least. Module 1 of the term is pretty much toast now and Module 2A with its accounting, finance, and strategy are about to begin. I’m burnt out to say the least, but I feel that I had a fairly successful first term. The last two weeks have involved 15-17 hours of work per day non- stop, and the lack of sleep is taking a real toll on my immune system. I’m still fighting bronchitis and the steroid pump that I was prescribed seems to be useless when I don’t get my sleep. I’ve cut back on the Halls; I seriously believe that I was becoming addicted to them ;)

The busy two weeks has really allowed me to make some real observations about how stress changes one’s personality. We recently conducted a self-assessment test in our “Manage Your Career” class called “Leadership Wheel.” In essence it tells you about what kind of a leader you are under normal situations and under extreme situations. I’m fairly well-versed in normal situations, but become polar North under stress meaning that I become very aggressive as a leader, with one and only one mission in mind; to get the job done no matter whose feet I step on. This was not a surprise to me and I know that both delegation and trusting my peers are key skills that I ought to work on especially when under the gun (also reflected in my 360 feedback). Anyhow, I found that many of my classmates have been acting a bit differently in the last couple of weeks likely because of the stress. I think a key takeaway here is that it’s always important to put yourself in the shoes of others when you find that they are acting differently; give them the benefit of the doubt and it’s likely that they’ll be their old self once the tough times subside.

I had a really rough couple of days early last week. Geeta was trapped in Ottawa awaiting our car to be fixed. Two transmissions later, and 10 days of mechanical work finally yielded a working car that seems smoother then ever ;) Unfortunately, under the spell of stress, the two of us ended up in a pretty bad argument early last week that just seemed to come at the wrong time. I was preparing for my final presentation and a final course exam, and didn’t appreciate the timing; not to mention that it hit me at a low point when I was tired and frustrated. I said a few nasty things (need to practice those crucial conversations) and Geeta wasn’t too impressed, and rightfully so! I was so upset that I embarrassingly walked off on a couple of really good friends after they tried to reach out to me the next day. I have a hard time reaching out to people, however I feel blessed to have met some really good new friends that care. Both of these people reached out to me in their own ways which was really touching. I felt really embarrassed about the whole thing, yet both of these friends made me feel comfortable. One person in particular went out of her way to put a smile back on my face (which couldn’t have come at a better time), and I feel really lucky to have her as a friend.

Coming from Nortel, one of my strongest beliefs lies in the power and emphasis of team work. Nortel has a highly team-oriented work environment and I’ve tried to carry some of those qualities into my own MBA team. One of those beliefs lies in the power to collaborate amongst team members and share information. My most favourite former boss always encouraged knowledge sharing and stressed its importance; I feel that this mentality is permanently engrained in my leadership style. As a result, I’ve tried to make a point of sharing some of my efforts with the team. Furthermore, our team has had open discussions on this and all agree about the importance of knowledge-sharing. We’ve made it a point as a team to spread this collaborative culture across the entire class and to other teams, and we are proud that it’s having a very positive effect. There are increasing signs that others are seeing the power of knowledge sharing; in fact in some capacity it seems to be unifying other teams and encouraging others to do the same. I believe that one’s success in not measured on an individual basis but rather on a team basis. I would like to see this class emerge as a unified team that will support each other and encourage each other’s success throughout our careers. This would be far more useful and powerful to all of in the long terms as opposed to competing for short term high $$ jobs, acting individually, and withholding knowledge that could be useful to others.

We’ve had some very interesting guest speakers over the last couple of weeks; the former Chief Medical Officer (who dealt with the SARS crisis); CEO of ING Direct Arkadi Kuhlmans, and Chief Editor of the Hamilton Spectator (newspaper). Listening to the former Chief Medical Officer made me realize how difficult a job it is to meet the demands of politicians and the media while upholding what’s right for the situation at hand. The CEO of ING Direct told a very compelling story of how his company is revolutionizing the banking industry. Who knew that ING Direct is now the #16 bank in the U.S? Wow! I felt that his presentation was somewhat of a recruiting mission; to stir up interest in working for his new-era corporation but I appreciated it all the same. Finally, the chief editor of the Hamilton Spectator provided a very interesting perspective on how to deal with media; a task that some of us maybe privileged to endure in the future. There seems to be a whole art associated to handling the media, and one has to be very careful not to piss them off; remember bad news stories sell….always be careful on what you say! Sticking to the facts is always a safe bet; talking to assumptions can land you in a pile of trouble.

There’s one professor here at school that has really struck a cord with me. He teaches our “Leading People and Organizations” course …..I describe him as a high energy, wake you up, inspire me to excel type of a professor. I like high energy, especially in the morning when I’m half a sleep. This professor inspires me to push the limits, to find the adrenalin within, and to make an impact. He cares about students and works long hours; a true passion for education and I respect him. No wonder he was voted the professor of the year last year. I know some students tend to dislike his cold-calling during class but in my opinion if you’ve got a professor that cares that much and is that passionate about seeing you succeed, you owe him the respect to prepare for his class.

Until next time,

Sacha