SPJIMR-PGDM 2013 | Page 6

LETTER FROM THE DEAN ‘An open-arms approach' My dear MBA aspirants: I take pride in introducing SPJIMR as a values-based institution with a relentless focus on teaching management rooted in values and for a larger purpose, thereby opening up rich opportunities for long term success and fulfillment that extend well beyond the superior placement records that we are known and recognised for. Like most well known B-schools, we attract some of the best and the brightest students. You are one of them and I have no doubt that you bring your unique skills and qualifications coupled with superior academic performance to a field of study that at SPJIMR will not only be rewarding but also challenging and exciting. A good management programme will equip you with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable you to participate in modern day businesses in a world where the economic landscape is changing, competition is rising and expectations from business are growing. In this complex environment, you will be charged with negotiating the path and leading people, optimising processes and delivering results. It's a world full of challenges as well as opportunities, and management programmes open up the doors and lay out the path for you. But as an increasing number of candidates chase limited seats in select schools, an aura of exclusivity and elitism builds up and drives even more to these institutions. This brings us the incongruence of a bunch of bright youngsters who set out to be leaders by first becoming blind followers – members of a herd who rush without thinking about where they are going. Now is the time therefore to take pause and ask some searching questions: Ÿ Why do you want to join a management programme? Ÿ How can this qualification help you lead a successful life? Ÿ And more crucially, what do you regard as success? At SPJIMR, we ask these questions again and again. We teach that material success is important but it can ring hollow without an understanding of the deeper purpose that must guide your decisions and a spirit of service that must lead you to action. These are the very issues that business leaders are grappling with today. As trust erodes and people demand that businesses be held accountable for all their actions and impacts, only those that lead by a set of values to serve the larger good and a wide base of stakeholders will grow and thrive. 4