Our world is changing. Even a quick glance at the news headlines is enough to see that shifts in global power, technological advances, and environmental factors are drastically impacting how we live. For businesses, these changes are profound, often calling for swift decisions and effective leadership.
According to Prof. Michele O’Dwyer, Course Director of the UL MBA, innovation and entrepreneurship are the keys to success in this rapidly changing environment. Businesses that can adapt and seize new opportunities are more likely to disrupt markets, create value, and drive growth in times of change.
No matter whether you feel apprehensive or excited by today’s challenges, an Executive MBA can help. So, for those wondering whether now is the time for further study, here’s how the UL Executive MBA fosters the creativity and agility required to achieve success amidst uncertainty.
With its emphasis on developing strategic thinking and decision-making at an executive level, the UL MBA is designed to help you assess market opportunities. Students learn to identify emerging trends and evaluate risks, ensuring they have the skills and frameworks to approach issues with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Alongside academic learning, students explore real-world case studies and engage in interactive discussions with faculty staff and fellow students. As such, you’ll gain essential insight into successful business strategies and evolve a wider, 360-degree perspective so you can make truly informed decisions.
For many UL MBA alumni this extended skillset and entrepreneurial mindset has proven a springboard for innovation, whether reimagining their existing business or launching their own company.
Ideas come easy to me, but ideas don’t execute themselves. Thankfully, the MBA gave me the entrepreneurial skills to accomplish my goals and launch my own fashion business.
- Finula Crowe
To help you navigate a rapidly changing worls with confidence, the Executive MBA at University of Limerick features a core module on strategic leadership. Alongside improved critical thinking, this accelerated leadership path aims to equip you with enhanced situational awareness and essential soft skills.
In today’s dynamic workplace, where leaders must inspire diverse teams and foster a positive organisational culture, soft skills such as empathy, communication, and emotional intelligence are essential.
It helped me understand how others think and behave, so I could appreciate both the art of business and the science of business.
- Seán McGowan
After all, as an intelligent and proactive leader, with cross-cultural tools for improved communication, you will be able to empower and engage others, leading your organisation with resilience and confidence despite rapidly evolving conditions.
One of the significant benefits of any EMBA programme is the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals from different backgrounds. Collaborating with peers who bring different perspectives and experiences is a brilliant way to encourage creativity and innovation and this is certainly something the UL MBA works hard to achieve.
As such, University of Limerick is fortunate to attract a strong and varied cross-section of people, both from Ireland and overseas. With executives from industries as diverse as healthcare, IT, finance, and hospitality, students always learn something new from discussion with peers.
The experience was a great example of the cross-fertilisation and inspiration that MBA students can provide for one another.
- Suzanne Dunne
In addition to class debate, the UL MBA is also structured to facilitate group work, which means you will be engaged in joint projects, workshops, and networking events where you can exchange ideas, explore new opportunities, and even form partnerships for future entrepreneurial ventures.
In fact, the connections you make during the programme could well lead to new opportunities, additional resources, or even potential investors, all of which are crucial for entrepreneurial success.
Learning by doing is a key component of education. At University of Limerick, this experiential learning allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations in order to enhance practical skills and decision-making abilities.
Our Executive MBA course typically includes elements such as consulting projects, simulations, and competitions, as well as a popular international workshop, which means you will have opportunities to test new ideas, develop problem-solving skills, and adapt to changing market dynamics in a risk-controlled environment.
For many UL alumni, having the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to real-world business challenges is an important attraction. That was certainly the case for Tom Brennan and Patsy Carney, for example, who participated in an International Business Plan competition during their Entrepreneurship module – an event which gave them the confidence to pursue their plan after graduation and ultimately to establish a hugely successful pharmaceutical company.
We were already convinced that our plan could be successful, but the competition validated our idea and gave us the confidence to continue developing it.
- Tom Brennan
Inevitably, taking a hands-on approach encourages innovations. What’s more, with its 3-day release structure, the UL MBA provides a unique opportunity to put theoretical knowledge into practice from day one. By applying classroom knowledge to solve real-life problems or persistent issues in your current organisation, you will ultimately embed entrepreneurial thinking in your current behaviour.
So, by selecting a course structured to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, you can prepare yourself for an uncertain future, accelerating critical thinking and key leadership skills through collaborative, experiential learning that bridges theory and practice.
To find out more on how the UL Executive MBA programme can help you drive success in today’s shifting landscape, contact our course director, Michele O’Dwyer, for more information.
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