AI, robotics and Virtual Reality are rewriting the rules of work. The game has changed, but the need for adaptable, big-picture thinkers to bring it all together? That’s never been more urgent – and the MBA, one of the world’s oldest professional qulaifications, is once again delivering.
For over a century, the MBA has been a fixture in the world of professional qualifications. Born in an era of rapid change – as machines were taking over manufacturing and businesses were scrambling to find leaders who could adapt – the degree has defied critics to consistently deliver significant value to hundreds of thousands of graduates.
Fast forward to today, and AI, robotics and virtual reality are rewriting the rules of work – again. The game has changed, but the need for adaptable, big-picture thinkers who can bring it all together? That’s never been more urgent – and the MBA is once again delivering.
How does it achieve this feat? Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa, believes it is because it’s in the DNA of the MBA to constantly reinvent itself. Business isn’t static, and neither is the MBA
“The MBA holds a mirror up to management – a skill that is built around fluctuating requirements, and sometimes earth-shaking workplace shifts. The programme must, in other words, adapt, just as managers have had to adapt over the years,” says Foster-Pedley.
“The MBA was literally born into change at a time that businesses needed a new type of workforce formally educated in financial and management best practices. It is perhaps, therefore, uniquely equipped to help people navigate flux.”
Foster-Pedley explains that in times of transition, managers and leaders need to be able to rapidly update their map of the territory and a good MBA can help them do this. But not just by giving them the latest theory. “Although it does this of course, but it’s the combination of deep self knowledge and exposure to diverse colleagues and contexts where the real magic happens on an MBA.”
“That’s the MBA’s real advantage,” agrees Barry Van Zyl, Programme Lead for the Global MBA at Henley Business School. It doesn’t just teach theory; it rewires how you think and forces you to see problems from all angles, and tap into your authentic self. In a world where AI can do the repetitive tasks, the real superpower is human ingenuity, creativity, and the ability to work seamlessly in diverse teams.”
“That’s why learning on the MBA does not just happen in the classroom. It’s all about experiential learning, where the rubber hits the road. As Richard Branson has said, ‘You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.’”
If you want to be global, learn globally
Foster-Pedley agrees. “It is easy to gain access to theory in this day and age of online learning – but really it’s the learning of this in collaboration with others and application in real world contexts – the more diverse the better – that can help to develop the muscle of management,” he says.
“This is one of the reasons that the Henley Global MBA offers candidates no less than five international study visits over the 24-month programme, giving them an unrivalled opportunity to engage with businesses in contexts as diverse as Cape Town, Singapore, Helsinki, Johannesburg and London.”
Madhusoodhanan Sayeenathan, a graduate of Henley’s Global MBA programme who works at Nordic and US-based steel company SSAB, says that having the opportunity to meet and engage with diverse business professionals on the ground was enriching and thought provoking in ways he could not have anticipated. “I think it made me a more well-rounded and perhaps more humble professional, experiencing diverse businesses and listening to people from all walks of life,” he says.
“Diversity helps you understand your own biases,” agrees Tatenda Chikuku, Head of Analytics Strategy and Data Science at Clinix Health group in Gauteng, who is six months into the Global MBA programme. He adds that by getting beyond your own context you are able to see that everyone is going through the same challenges and problems, and also appreciate how others are dealing with these issues.
Lyneth Zungu, head of the MBA programme at Henley Business School Africa says that these deep cultural immersions help managers develop something intangible, “It gives them the confidence to make sense of new territory, and then the ability to act within that new context. This is crucial if you want to be effective on the global business scene.”
You don’t have to go it alone
Navigating new territory calls for a strong support system. A good MBA shouldn’t just show you where to go – it should help build a network that supports you on this journey, adds Zungu.
Michelle Grosle, a graduate of the Henley MBA and the owner of an office staff recruitment company in the UK, says that this was certainly her experience on the programme: “I met so many senior people and made so many great friends. The whole learning experience, and the support from colleagues, was fantastic – so many new ideas, especially around the management of processes and systems.”
Fellow alum Tom Lethaby, who started his own company bottling and labelling Chilean wines shortly after graduation, says connecting with others in an intimate learning environment was profound. “People on the programme – including me – opened up about aspects of their lives they hadn’t ever discussed with even close friends or loved ones: about their careers, their background and personal circumstances. There was a real, naked truth about some of the discussions – it made me more aware of the fact that we must be more accommodating of people’s individual lives and needs.”
Mastering the art of reinvention
These intangibles – personal development, a strong interior compass, emotional vulnerability and support – are a critical part of the Henley MBA, and part of the reason it is ranked among the top programmes in the world in both the Financial Times annual ranking and QS ranking of Executive MBAs, where it was ranked in the top 10% for Career Outcomes in 2024.
Global MBA graduate Graham Hutchings, COO of Profitability Business Simulations in the UK says that for him the degree delivered more than skills, it’s changed him as a person. “I learned the value of listening, and the importance of home life, family, health and exercise. And how to step back and aggregate other peoples’ views before making judgements. I’ve learned who I am as a person, and what I want to be.”
Van Zyl agrees, “It’s not about learning one trick, it’s about mastering the art of reinvention, embracing the not knowing, and finding your feet in flux. The MBA arms you for any path.”
“The world has changed, and it’s going to keep on changing,” concludes Foster-Pedley. “We don’t have a map in many instances for where we are about to go, but that shouldn’t mean that we are lost or powerless — we just have to keep on learning, unlearning and relearning. Even Zen masters say it: ‘When you reach the top of the mountain, keep climbing.’”