Personal Views on Obtaining an MBA: Opinion Essay

According to the obstetrician, my mothers’ estimated date of delivery for my younger twin sisters was 4 February – my birthday. My mother used to tell the story of how when she initially told me that the twins would be born on the same day as me, I promptly declared that they thus belonged to me and that she should hand them over once they arrived. Needless to say, she ended up having an emergency C-section 2 weeks before the due date but I did, however, continue to stake my ownership claim.

Ownership is a curious thing. More often than not, we desire things without being fully cognizant of the responsibility that accrues with said ownership. This is both true of material possessions as well as more abstract things, like leadership and power. I was in junior school when it dawned on me that being an older sibling came with a certain level of responsibility which in turn demanded accountability and unbeknownst to me, stewarding the twins from those early days had been my first foray into leadership. Much to my mother’s chagrin, they had begun to pick up some of my not-so-good habits and upon realizing that they had become quite adept at bending the truth and telling white lies, I had to consciously decide to become a better role model, which at 9 years of age, translated to being honest and hardworking at school. Enter - possessing integrity as a leader. TIE IN HOW LEADERS WANT POWER BUT NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH IT

Fast forward a few years later when I was selected to be a prefect in high school, I embraced the opportunity to lead fully aware that I bore a great responsibility to my teachers as well as my fellow students and I tried my utmost to discharge my duties honestly. This concept of being a leader with integrity stayed with me and was reinforced when I joined PwC and audited numerous companies which had collapsed or were on the brink of collapse due to leaders who lacked integrity and had made poor decisions, most of which were illegal, which had devastating consequences for the stakeholders. The management would assume no responsibility and would usually simply move on to other companies yet for the majority of employees, their lives would have been irrecoverably changed.

I have also witnessed how the effects of leadership which lack integrity can play out at a macro level. Having been born and bred in Zimbabwe, I have seen my country alternate between periods of great prosperity and great poverty. Both extremes can directly be linked to the government leaders we had during those periods and how their convictions influenced the decisions they made and how these, in turn, affected 16 million Zimbabweans positively or negatively. Over the past 15 years alone, Zimbabwe has undergone hyperinflation, become a multi-currency nation, and adopted policies that have chased out foreign direct investment. To compound this, Zimbabwe has high levels of corruption with perpetrators facing little or no consequences and this serves to further erode investor confidence. The majority of the leaders themselves are also mired in corruption and use their public offices in pursuit of their interests and enrichening agendas. It is only good governance and leadership with integrity at its bedrock that will save the sinking ship that is Zimbabwe.

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Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It speaks to being consistent in your actions and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to do the right thing for the right reason, whatever the circumstances and consequences. Zimbabwe currently lacks leaders with integrity – both in business and in government. I believe in Zimbabwe and I sincerely believe that sustainable change is possible. In 2018, the current administration launched “Vision 2030” – a national transformation plan to ensure Zimbabwe achieves upper-middle-income economy status by 2030 through focusing on economic, political, monetary sector, and institutional reforms. The rhetoric is good but successful implementation and execution of the plan will require individuals who not only possess strong leadership skills and the required technical capabilities but possess at their core, a strong sense of integrity and a commitment to serve and work for the greater good of Zimbabwe. I desire to be a part of this new crop of business leaders.

In my current role, I lead a team of 8 and I have managed to create an environment where trust and honesty abound. I seek to be a leader who above all else, can be relied upon and trusted. Over the past 20 months, I have seen my team grow from strength to strength with some of the members being promoted themselves. In my extracurricular activities, I work with partners who expect the highest levels of transparency and accountability and this has further helped to shape me into the leader that I desire to be. I have mentored high school kids on leadership at career fairs and this is an avenue I wish to pursue more intentionally.

Obtaining an MBA will enhance my leadership skills, refine my technical acumen and provide me with an invaluable network that will assist me as I continue to grow professionally and make an impact in my community. I envision returning to Zimbabwe equipped to join and add value to the senior leadership team of a parastatal. I also wish to share the knowledge I would have gained from my MBA and exposure to consulting work in the U.S. with fellow Zimbabweans through various channels including a leadership academy for young people so that I actively become part of grooming Zimbabwe’s next generation of leaders. I desire to be a business leader who can work with government leaders and shape economic policies that will benefit the people of Zimbabwe in the long term.

So as you consider my candidacy for the MBA program, I would like you to know that I am an individual who is eager to make a difference in my country. I am passionate about growing leaders and successful teams. I believe that we, as humanity, are at our best when we come together and work for a common good and lift each other. I believe in lifelong learning and that every leader must upskill themselves to carry out their mandate well. I believe that there is no substitute for commitment, hard work, and integrity.