Back in 2008, I decided to pursue an MBA \u2014 to give my career a boost, and above all, to better understand the challenges my clients were facing at the time.<\/p>\n
A Master in Business Administration is often seen as the holy grail when it comes to building solid business skills: finance, strategy, marketing, HR… learning how to run a company from A to Z.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s true\u2014I learned a lot. I gained deep knowledge, met unforgettable people, and opened up new professional opportunities.
I learned a great deal \u2014 sharp knowledge, meaningful encounters, and without a doubt, valuable professional opportunities.<\/p>\n
But after several years of entrepreneurship and exploration, I\u2019ve come to realize that other skills would also have been useful for building and growing a business.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve discovered essential practices<\/strong> \u2014 human, structural, and deeply transformative. \n 1. Exploring New Ways of Organizing Work<\/strong><\/p>\n There are so many ways to structure and bring life to an organization. 2. Collective Intelligence: The Real Leadership Superpower<\/strong><\/p>\n We train leaders to be quick decision-makers, to influence and manage. 3. Creating Like a Startup<\/strong><\/p>\n Early in my entrepreneurial journey, I was drawn to the startup world. 4. Seeing Business as a Living Organism<\/strong><\/p>\n Today, I see companies as living beings. 5. Learning from Ancient Wisdom<\/strong><\/p>\n Taking a step back. Thinking in long cycles. 6. Innovating Through Nature<\/strong><\/p>\n Permaculture and biomimicry completely changed how I see systems. Permaculture draws on long-term, sustainable farming principles to create systems that care for both people and the planet. 7. A More Conscious Approach to Marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n In business, we\u2019re taught to sell\u2014and to sell more. I\u2019m now exploring a different kind of marketing\u2014more beautiful, ethical, and organic. 8. Making Decisions with Discernment<\/strong><\/p>\n How many decisions do we make each day\u2014often without even realizing it? Over time, I\u2019ve learned to combine rational thinking with intuitive intelligence. 9. Navigating Emotions\u2014Mine and Others\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n In my work life, emotions are always present. It also helps me hold space for other people\u2019s emotions\u2014whether they\u2019re colleagues, clients, or partners. 10. Getting to Know Myself Through Work<\/strong><\/p>\n They say our outer world reflects our inner world. To find some sense of harmony or success (whatever that means for each of us), I believe we need to move between discipline and surrender. Toward a New Learning Model<\/strong><\/p>\n What I see now is this: knowing how to run a business<\/em> is no longer enough. What if MBAs started including these<\/em> practices\u2014the ones our world truly needs?<\/p>\n
So if I were to rewrite my MBA today, here are the 10 areas I would include.
Lively, meaningful, and lasting learnings.<\/p>\n
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Learning about evolutionary, participatory, and distributed models has helped me better support change dynamics.
One source that\u2019s been key for me: the stages of organizational development described by Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Laloux in Reinventing Organizations<\/em>. He invites us to see companies as living ecosystems, always evolving.
This lens helped me better accept the type of structure I was working in\u2014and to understand that every organization moves at its own pace. You can\u2019t rush the process.<\/p>\n
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But we rarely teach co-creation.
In today\u2019s complex world, no one holds all the answers alone.
Learning how to bring out the best ideas from a group, how to truly<\/em> listen, how to facilitate a meeting\u2014these are skills I use daily. And I see just how powerful they are.
Collective intelligence is both a mindset and a toolkit. And it starts the moment two people sit down at a table.<\/p>\n
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Its energy, international outlook, and drive to build something radically new were incredibly inspiring.
That\u2019s where I learned about tools like the Business Model Canvas, MVPs, Lean Startup, Growth Hacking\u2026
They taught me how to structure an idea, test it quickly, and evolve it in real-time.
These tools aren\u2019t just for startups\u2014they change how we approach any<\/em> project.<\/p>\n
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They\u2019re born, they grow, they transform, and one day, they end.
They have their own pace, needs, and energy.
It\u2019s a more sensitive way of looking at business\u2014something I learned through collective intelligence practices, but also through more intuitive ways of connecting with organizations.
I highly recommend the book Vers des organisations vivantes<\/em> by Lu Buhan and Santini. I also offer a 5-session group journey to help people deepen their relationship with their company: Practeez – Se relier \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e2me de son entreprise<\/a><\/p>\n
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Drawing inspiration from the natural world. Exploring the unseen.
Today, I regularly turn to Taoist philosophy and indigenous wisdom traditions to see work and life from a different angle.
For instance, looking at a business through the lens of the 5 Chinese elements (fire, earth, metal, water, wood) to create balance.
Or exploring the 4 inner archetypes\u2014Visionary, Sage, Warrior, and Healer\u2014to cultivate a deeper, wiser kind of leadership.<\/p>\n
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By observing nature, we can rethink how we design organizations, products, and processes.
It\u2019s not just poetic\u2014it\u2019s a real innovation strategy.
Even if you don\u2019t master these approaches, being aware of them helps you bring in the right people at the right time.<\/p>\n
Biomimicry looks to nature for smart, efficient solutions.
Both approaches lead to systems that are fairer, more sustainable, and aligned with life.<\/p>\n
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The focus is often on results, with little thought to the means, the deeper intention, or the impact.
But in a world that needs less<\/em> waste, does that still make sense?
Is it respectful to our clients? Does it feel satisfying in the long run?<\/p>\n
Taoist principles like simplicity, interdependence, harmony, and spontaneity inspire me.
This is about daring to step off the beaten path and create marketing that\u2019s aligned with our values\u2014not just a conversion machine.<\/p>\n
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But were we ever taught how to decide well?<\/p>\n
Intuition is something you can develop, listen to, and fine-tune.
I now use tools like systemic facilitation, intuitive cards, body awareness, and visualizations.
I give a practical 4-session process to help leaders move forward with clarity.<\/a>
For inspiration, I recommend Wakan \u2013 Spirit in Business ane Life<\/a> <\/em>and Iris Intuition<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n
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Joy, of course\u2014but also frustration, anger, and doubt.
I\u2019ve learned to recognize them, move through them, and not let them take over.
It\u2019s an ongoing practice, but it\u2019s transformed the way I work.<\/p>\n
To me, this skill is just as vital as strategy or operations.<\/p>\n
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And that\u2019s been true for me.
My professional environment has become a mirror\u2014a place to better understand myself.
Self-awareness has become a cornerstone of my work life, and a rich field of exploration.<\/p>\n
To follow our deeper impulses.
To hear our inner voice.
And to be willing to regularly question ourselves.
These are skills that definitely<\/em> belong in an MBA.<\/p>\n
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We also need to understand how to be part of a living, human, sustainable system.
Being a good manager is no longer the goal.
We need to become facilitators of collaboration, guardians of purpose, and lifelong learners in the face of complexity.<\/p>\n