Back in 2017, I got this book “Hostage at the Table” from
IMD Business School, Lausanne with my admission confirmation. It was my MBA application phase and I was
trying out all my next level choices after getting a #rejection from my first choice
school: INSEAD. I was also dealing with
major imposter syndrome to think I could really make something out of doing a
full-time MBA with six years of law firm experience. This was reinforced by conversations with
recent #lawyer-MBAs or just MBA grads in general involving difficulties finding
jobs in the UK during Brexit, procuring a visa in Europe for a
Non-European, dealing with student debt and the prospect of having to start another
career path at a junior position along with various personal considerations. Looking back, I don’t think all of these were
really valid objections in themselves as I can certainly refute each of them
now with very carefully crafted arguments and examples learnt with the wisdom of
age (and #Linkedinstalking) but sometimes gut instinct excels in creating so-called
logical arguments.
I digress. Going back to George Kohlrieser’s Hostage at the
Table, invites from some top-notch business schools in UK and Europe and my
head trapped in a “hostage situation” as per the classic explanation from the
author: “any time you feel entrapped, powerless and helpless, you are, in fact
a hostage”. This #metaphorical hostage situation
was only broken by applying and getting accepted to be a part-time MBA student
at NUS Business School while continuing to work full-time. I loved living in Singapore. I was (and am) bullish on Asia. On the other hand, it was nothing like I had ever
imagined my MBA journey to be. That is
both a positive and a negative statement just as the best oxymorons tend to be.
I completed in April 2020 and so much has happened
since. Not even counting the Covid Blip. I am still working primarily as a lawyer so
many people ask me what I “gained” out of the MBA? I always flip it back to say
– what does anyone gain out of most things in life? Just experiences, memories and certain
unmeasurable intangible benefits. I hate
justifying life choices and I will not pretend that I have not questioned and
examined myself tediously on the same question. Do I regret declining IMD and the others who
had graciously offered me a spot and a chance at a different life? Maybe. But as I completed reading Kolhrieser’s (incidentally
a professor at IMD I missed learning directly from) master-piece, one quote
jumped out at me and still does: “you have the right to choose to do whatever you
want”. So simple yet so powerful. And today as Singapore celebrates its 57th
Birthday, I celebrate my first as a permanent resident here. Knowing that any other choice would have led
me away from this exact moment which is perfect in its completeness and its
incompleteness. Majulah Singapura.
