I’m gearing up to start year two of three of my MBA in Sustainable Development at Bainbridge Graduate Institute. I love the BGI experience for a couple of reasons. One, it quickly opened my eyes to the reality of what our economic system has done to the health of the planet while at the same time bringing together multiple cohorts of people determined to set a new course. Two, unlike the vast majority of MBA programs around the world that produce business graduates whose only goals is to perpetuate the destructive paradigm that has been established, BGI has given me enough wisdom, insight and the integrity to develop businesses that can profit without degrading the environment and exploiting people. Taking a quick look at the state of the world, business graduates will not be able to continue on the path to success without these invaluable qualities. Earn an traditional MBA - get the skills to externalize your waste into the environment and manipulate people for personal gain! (Needless to say I had little interest in pursuing a traditional MBA.) There’s my plug for BGI, now check out this video:
Fortunately not all MBA grads from other schools are quite as myopically focused on profits and growth as I have alluded to above. Mark Albion is one such graduate and prof from Harvard’s MBA program who has seen the light. He has teamed up with the good folks who produced The Story of Stuff to create a 3 minute movie called The Good Life (above). The movie gracefully illustrates typical MBA thinking and delivers a gentle wake up call. The wake up call is for all folks on the money treadmill, not just MBAs. It’s time to reconsider what you are doing, how and why you are doing it and if what you are doing makes sense considering what you genuinely want (hint: meaning) and what your community and the world needs. Enjoy!