I was speaking at INSEAD a few days ago, trying to give an inspirational speech to the incoming class of 500 MBA students, who will spend their next 10 months on campus, aiming to become top managers and business leaders.
Reflecting on what they should OFFER to prospective employers, I decided to also illustrate the DEMAND side. I do believe that young graduates - those who will shape the future of tomorrow's corporate world and society - must be very careful in selecting their first job after the MBA.
Therefore, new graduates must demand three things from their employers:
The three L's - Leadership, Love and Learning.
By the way, it is valid for everybody...
1. Demand Learning: Upon graduation, all students have become learning sponges, sucking in all the knowledge from their university, day in, day out. If the learning suddenly stops after graduation, and the student enters a daily routine with repetitive work and zero learning, the depression will hit soon! Indeed, the biggest danger for an organization is repetition, e.g. the quarterly reporting which eliminates thinking, creativity, failure and thus learning. Believe me, once you stop learning, just quit.
2. Demand Leadership: When a job is void of decision-making, leading others, framing new strategies, inventing new ideas, changing the norm etc... then it is void of leadership. If a next job only consists in writing Powerpoint charts that no-one would read apart from your boss, or in filling spreadsheets with tons of data that no-one understands apart from bankers or accountants, don't take the role, it is a waste of your leadership talent.
3. Demand Love: It may appear strange to use the Love word here, but the employer/employee relationship is there to stay, like a marriage: Only the ingredients of Love will ensure sustainability of the relationship, i.e. mutual respect, appreciation, reward, recognition, support etc. With those components of Love, then one can find real joy in his/her job, and the desire to wake up every morning to go to work, to excel and to exceed expectations.
Even in times of crisis, do not just sell yourself and offer your talent to the market, but please demand the three L's from your prospective employer. If you find real Love, Leadership and Learning, you will shine at work, and hopefully contribute to make the world a better place !
