How would you describe your experience in participating in this course? How has your
experience shaped your intention of how to participate in future MBA courses?
I enjoyed the format of this course compared to other courses. I appreciated that there were few
video assignments and instead there was focus on assignments that allow for some back-and-
forth conversation, such as these posts. I found that I was able to learn quite a bit from my peers
and look forward to interacting with classmates in similar ways in future courses.
What were some of the challenges you faced in this course, and how did these challenges help
you prepare for challenges in today's VUCA world of work? How do you think future courses
will help you deepen your ability to work in the VUCA world?
The greatest challenge that I faced in this course was being able to balance my schedule between
my day job and the time required to complete the course assignments. I have been working on
my MBA for about two years now and am finding that as I advance in my degree, I am also
advancing in my career, thus my responsibilities are increasing and free-time decreasing. This
certainly aligns with a VUCA world - to remain successful in my coursework and my career, I
must be creative and adaptable as I face uncertainty, change and complexity.
The fourth industrial revolution has introduced early advances on the internet of things;
artificial intelligence (AI); and the production of smart equipment that can analyse, diagnose,
and fix issues without the need for human intervention. How do these complex technological
developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style and behaviour?
I think that these advancements in technology further emphasize the need for human-focused
leadership. While smart equipment can make performing certain actions easier or can compute
data quickly, leadership must still focus on treating individuals with respect, dignity, and
compassion, and find ways that motivate them and get them excited about their work.
Considering those challenges, what do you want to learn to help prepare you to lead more
effectively? How will your future work in this program benefit you and the people you lead?
Something that I think it interesting about all the SNHU courses that I have taken so far is that
they always feature prompts where the student is asked to place themselves in the role of
executive management. While I think it is admirable to strive for executive management, I
personally, think it is much more realistic that I will end up in a supervisor / middle management
position. I think that middle management poses a unique challenge in that you must be able to
connect with both employees and executives. You need to be able to represent the ideas of your
department as well as deal with issues amongst your department. There are people issues,
technical issues, and administrative issues to contend with. While it has been useful to go
through the final project exercise for this course, I did find it somewhat unrealistic, and instead
got the most value out of the LPI Challenge questionnaire. I hope to see additional resources
like this in future courses as well.
How would you describe your experience in participating in this course? How has your
experience shaped your intention of how to participate in future MBA courses?
The aspect of MBA-530 I enjoyed the most was the self-assessment we did right off the bat.
This was a great reminder of my own areas of leadership that can receive extra attention. When
taking these skills in I was able to focus on in my work time using those leadership pillars that
do not come naturally to me. This course has given good feedback and allowed me to work on
skills in the work place in real time, and I hope that continues with the following course in the
degree path and I will give them focus they deserve as they already been greatly beneficial
professionally. f
What were some of the challenges you faced in this course, and how did these challenges help
you prepare for challenges in today's VUCA world of work? How do you think future courses
will help you deepen your ability to work in the VUCA world?
Some of the challenges I faced in this class were my own ability/inability to manage my time
and being clear and concise in what I was doing. Some weeks were better than others for time
management but others were trickier when I was trying to balance work, class, and family
obligations. There will always be conflicting deadlines and priorities in my work and this is a
great example of having to balance everything out. With everything being web-based being
clear and concise is even more important. I believe the future courses will be helpful in a VUCA
world as immersion therapy for getting better organized and being clear and concise.
The fourth industrial revolution has introduced early advances on the internet of things;
artificial intelligence (AI); and the production of smart equipment that can analyse, diagnose,
and fix issues without the need for human intervention. How do these complex technological
developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style and behaviour?
I believe while there are challenges resulting from this new wave of technology and ability it
will ultimately be a boon to leadership and manager. The speed in which data can be processed
and received is unprecedented but can deliver results that will ultimately make leadership more
effective. Also, it will force leaders to grow and remain indispensable. Stagnation or resting on
one’s laurels will not good enough anymore which will help management be more productive
and companies to flourish even more. f f f f
Considering those challenges, what do you want to learn to help prepare you to lead more
effectively? How will your future work in this program benefit you and the people you lead?
The resources provided in this course have shown the importance of interpersonal skills and
adaptive thinking when it comes to leadership. Flexibility in my work and leadership will allow
me to lead more efficiently and get the most out of my employees and help them maximize their
potential. So far, all the courses I have taken in the program have given useful skills and a new
way of thinking. The future courses will continue that trend and will allow for me to maximize
my abilities as a leader by doing the same for my direct reports.
The experience of participating in the ‘Leading People and Organizations’ has been extremely
enriching and interesting. It helped me learn the importance of leadership and the diverse skills
like communication, emotional intelligence, and analytical ability that leaders must possess to
lead individuals, teams, and entire organizations. The experience that I have gained during the
course has motivated me to work on my leadership skills and capabilities so that I can influence
others by sharing my vision and foresight with them.
I came across several challenges during the course that shaped my learning process. Some of the
main challenges were related to uncertainty, high diversity, and communication obstacles. By
facing these challenges, I understood that in the current volatile, uncertain, complex, and
ambiguous setting, there is the need to be adaptable and flexible. Individuals who intend to be
effective leaders need to tackle volatility with a solid vision, uncertainty with thorough
comprehension, complexity with clarity, and ambiguity with agility. Future courses will help
me to deepen my ability to work in the VUCA world by creating an opportunity to work on
diverse skills such as effective communication, cultural tolerance, etc. (Managing in a vuca
world: Thriving in Turbulent Times. Team Management Training from MindTools.com, 2021).
The fourth industrial revolution has given rise to a plethora of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data, and many more. It is a fundamental
necessity for leaders to adapt to the digitalized landscape by reshaping their leadership style and
behaviour. Leasers must use their unique vision to view the big picture and understand the
impact of technology. They must provide guidance and direction to their subordinates by
providing ample flexibility (Managing in a vuca world: Thriving in Turbulent Times. Team
Management Training from MindTools.com, 2021). They need to work on their adaptive
leadership skills as it can enable them to thrive in challenging environments. f f
To prepare myself to face such kinds of challenges, I intend to work on my adaptability and
flexibility skills so that I can act as an efficient leader in an unpredictable setting. My future
work in the program will be highly beneficial for me as it will create a pathway to work on my
current leadership skills so that my leadership skills can be more adaptable.
How would you describe your experience in participating in this course? How has your
experience shaped your intention of how to participate in future MBA courses?
My course experience has been mostly positive though some of the course nomenclature
seemed off. I have developed and used professional toolkits though they were structured very
differently. For example, the course toolkit didn’t seem like a usable tool, and it was difficult for
me to fully understand how a leader would use it in the workplace. I thought that the LPI
Challenge questionnaire was the most helpful and insightful part of the course.
The course subject matter is related to my position and past professional experience. I enjoy
learning new theories and perspectives and found a few things that I can use to develop
company programs in the future. This course experience has shaped how I intend to participate
in future courses for the MBA program by managing my work/student roles in a healthier way.
I work 55-60 hours per week and devote 30 hours per week to the MBA program. I work full-
time plus I am a full-time graduate student. For my remaining courses I intend to have more
harmony between these dual responsibilities by setting stronger boundaries.
What were some of the challenges you faced in this course, and how did these challenges help
you prepare for challenges in today's VUCA world of work? How do you think future courses
will help you deepen your ability to work in the VUCA world?
A challenge that I faced while taking this course was meeting all the reading and assignment
deadlines. This is also a challenge that I face, daily, at work. The key is to be organized and
manage my time well most of the time. The VUCA world that we live in is unforgiving and, at
times overwhelming. Having a deeper understanding of VUCA has helped. I expect that future
courses will have relatable VUCA content that can be used in both my personal and professional
life.
The fourth industrial revolution has introduced early advances on the internet of things;
artificial intelligence (AI); and the production of smart equipment that can analyse, diagnose,
and fix issues without the need for human intervention. How do these complex technological
developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style and behaviour?
The fourth industrial revolution has moved the world forward with a focus on rapid and near
real-time answers and results. For leaders, there are pressures to make swift decisions and
provide immediate results. As society becomes accustomed to real-time answers, it will likely
continue to add pressure to human leaders to perform at near unattainable levels. To stay in the
game, leaders will need to adapt their leadership styles and tactics accordingly.
Considering those challenges, what do you want to learn to help prepare you to lead more
effectively? How will your future work in this program benefit you and the people you lead?
I would like to learn and hone skills to have and facilitate intentional and quality conversations
(personally and professionally). Also, I would like to strengthen my skills in negotiation and
persuasion. By strengthening these, I believe that it will assist me personally and professionally.
Learning new theories and gaining new tools and resources in future courses will benefit me and
the people that I lead.
How would you describe your experience in participating in this course? How has your
experience shaped your intention of how to participate in future MBA courses?
My experience participating in this course has been positive. I believe I have grown
professionally and personally. I've learned how to use my professional life examples to drive
home my perspective. Dr. Parikh always gave excellent feedback that helped me go into the
next module. My experience in this class has shaped my intention to participate in future MBA
courses by providing examples, expanding on each section of the rubric, and networking with
classmates. I was a little worried when I first started to pursue my MBA. However, I've grown
to be more confident in everything I do. And I know I will be successful in completing my
MBA.
What were some of the challenges you faced in this course, and how did these challenges help
you prepare for challenges in today's VUCA world of work? How do you think future courses
will help you deepen your ability to work in the VUCA world?
Some challenges I faced in this course was not using examples and learning to expand on my
ideas. These challenges really helped me to dig deeper into what I was learning and apply them
to my classwork. These challenges will also prepare me to work in today's VUCA by being
flexible, understanding that one size does not fit all, and how to become a better leader in an
ever-changing environment.
The fourth industrial revolution has introduced early advances on the internet of things;
artificial intelligence (AI); and the production of smart equipment that can analyse, diagnose,
and fix issues without the need for human intervention. How do these complex technological
developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style and behaviour?
These complex technological developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style
and behaviour by growing and changing their environment. Whether we like it or not,
technology is here to stay, and if leaders are going to succeed, they need to be willing to learn
and grow. At one of the hospitals, I used to work at, we had a few billing coders who had been
there for 20+years. As time went on, the director of revenue cycle management wanted
everyone to obtain their Certified Professional Coder CPC certification. These people refused
to do so because they would have to take an 18 week or so course before taking the exam. Most
of the coursework would be strictly technology-based, and they didn't want to deviate from
what they were used to. Unfortunately, they were all let go because they refused new
technology and were complacent.
Considering those challenges, what do you want to learn to help prepare you to lead more
effectively? How will your future work in this program benefit you and the people you lead?
Considering these challenges, I never want to be complacent in anything I do. I want to continue
to grow and learn new things no matter what they all. I have come to notice that most of the best
leaders I know, know their jobs and the jobs underneath them very well. I strive to be that type
of leader. My future work in this program will benefit me and the people I lead by allowing me
to be a capable leader who is willing to actively listen, show empathy, and grow with my
organization.
My overall experience in this course was positive as I certainly learned about several topic, I
had no previous experience with. One aspect that I enjoyed about this course was the discussion
boards which provided me with valuable insight into other student's opinions on certain topics
and views. These are more valuable than I had originally thought and will be taking these into
account as I progress throughout the program. This semester was challenging for me both
content and personal wise. The content was both challenging and rewarding to learn and apply
to my real-world situations. VUCA has shown me that you must be agile as you never know
what the future may bring. It is nearly impossible to predict any of the future problems that you
might face and need to ready to move in another direction in a moment's notice. This is one thing
I have notices that my company does well even before learning about this in the coursework.
The fourth industrial revolution in my opinion has increased the need for organizations to be
aware of VUCA. Computers have only increased the rate at which technology changes. In my
own experience we can look to last few weeks, when the Log4j security vulnerability was
discovered. This is a huge event in the Cybersecurity world and required almost all
organizations to recognize the problem and fix as soon as possible. As a leader, uncertainty is
something that leaders need to keep in mind. Being able to adapt and communicate what needs
to change will become an important skill for the leadership in the company. While I do not yet
lead anyone in my organization, I look forward to the opportunity and believe the topics and
skills gained during this course will be extremely valuable to my success as a leader.
How would you describe your experience in participating in this course?
My experience in participating in this course has been quite interesting in terms of rounding out
an overall understanding of addressing the needs of the non-management level teams to ensure
a positive work environment. Such learnings are supported by data, such as employee
satisfaction surveys. There was also an enhanced adherence to communications, organization
wide.
How has your experience shaped your intention of how to participate in future MBA courses?
In terms of shaping my intention to participate in future MBA courses, my experience in this
course has been exceptional, especially in the areas of sharing in the discussion posts and
learning from my peers (and possibly future colleagues).
What were some of the challenges you faced in this course, and how did these challenges help
you prepare for challenges in today's VUCA world of work?
Some of the challenges in this course were truly not the course itself, which I found quite
enjoyable, rather the challenges I faces, and will continue to fax, is carving out time from my
work to focus on academics. f I have already affected my family life, in terms of time with them,
but as far as work my earnings, while I am focused on obtaining my MBA with a high GPA, my
work life remains my priority as it funds the caring of my family and our lifestyle.
Specifically, to the VUCA, in the current world of work, Uncertainty will be the biggest
challenge. Due to the Pandemic everyone has had to change their work styles. I am not a
proponent of work from home and would rather all employees/staff be in the office, the
Uncertainty of the attention to detail and work efforts produced has been the biggest effect on
me.
How do you think future courses will help you deepen your ability to work in the VUCA world?
It is my hope that the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity in future courses will
help deepen my ability by providing learnings on managing and evolving my leadership styles
and enhance my communications to my team and leadership alike to ensure that the issue, need,
and tone are communicated effectively and with great attention adhered to by the recipients of
my communications.
The fourth industrial revolution has introduced early advances on the internet of things;
artificial intelligence (AI); and the production of smart equipment that can analyse, diagnose,
and fix issues without the need for human intervention. How do these complex technological
developments challenge leaders to adapt their leadership style and behaviour?
Complex technologies, such as AI are both a positive and a negative in my viewpoint.
On the positive, the speed, accuracy, and overall understanding of areas of need, such as the
mass-production of a vaccine for Covid-19 was supported in all pharmaceutical organizations
who were focused on meeting the challenge to produce a vaccine for that would be for the entire
world at “warp-speed”.
On the negative, as AI continues to evolve and develop, the world will find a greater shortage of
jobs throughout the world.
Is AI’s evolution a good or bad thing, to me I’m at 50/50 split on this growth.
Considering those challenges, what do you want to learn to help prepare you to lead more
effectively?
To meet the challenges, what will help me to prepare to be a more effective leader is to continue
to round my understanding of the industry that I am in that time.
I believe if a leader has a rounded understanding of their respective industry, that will be better
prepared to address areas of need and communicate effectively and accurately.
How will your future work in this program benefit you and the people you lead?
It is my hope that my future work in this program will benefit me and the people I lead by
providing new learnings and leadership styles that I have yet to try. I’m hoping that this full
complement of courses with this MBA program will help with this “old dog learning new
tricks.”
References
Managing in a vuca world: Thriving in Turbulent Times. Team Management Training from
MindTools.com. (2021). Retrieved December 16, 2021, from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/managing-vuca-world.htm
