{"id":173,"date":"2014-04-23T19:00:36","date_gmt":"2014-04-23T19:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.hult.edu\/en\/news\/blogs\/2014\/april\/one-class-can-change-how-you-think\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T14:29:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:29:47","slug":"one-class-can-change-how-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/one-class-can-change-how-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"One Class Can Change How You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the first Friday of Module B, I walked into a class where the professor knew everyone’s name by heart. It was scary at first, and something only one other professor had done. As the class moved on, it was clear that the professor was thoughtful and passionate. He also had a request: to challenge him and the theories he was teaching. This set the tone of the course; we had to think at a deeper level, and really analyze how we ask questions and shape our views.<\/p>\n

In class, no perspective was right or wrong, although it was important to back up our views with reasoning and facts. In schools today, students often learn theories that were based on assumptions from decades ago. They are never encouraged to consider the context around a theory like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the professor doesn’t also add: “Maslow thought this way because of a variety of factors rooted in the conditions of his time\u201d\u2014we are just told to accept theories and concepts at face value. Therein, I believe lies the Millennial generation\u2019s biggest weakness.<\/p>\n

My professor\u2019s fresh and creative approach to teaching not only gradually changed the way I think, but also my view of academia. In a more traditional environment, class discussions might evolve into something interesting, but without debate, they don\u2019t have impact. My professor required us to give our ideas weight and validity, and it turned out that this also required us to think creatively\u2014there was no other choice. If thinking creatively is so critical, why don\u2019t students get the opportunity to learn it just like any other \u201ccore\u201d subject?<\/p>\n

Instead, students are taught to follow \u201cthe rules,\u201d because they are safe, generate positive results, and make us productivity machines. But this only makes us more mechanical, which in turn makes our lives monotonous, which makes work boring, which doesn\u2019t challenge our intellect, and eventually leaves us frustrated. So we have to ask ourselves: what do we value most\u2014being productive or making space for creativity?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m convinced we need both. In my professional experience, I have been a slave to a work process that was about nothing but productivity. Any attempt I made to infuse a level of creativity in any process was not well received by my superiors. In my MBA program, however, my classmates and I are encouraged<\/em> to stretch the boundaries of our creativity.<\/p>\n

But encouraging people to \u201cbe more creative\u201d can also be scary because it means changing the way we\u2019ve been taught to think and approach our work. As humans, we generally don’t like change; we like those easy-to-follow rules that prescribe the actions and decisions we should take. Because if we don\u2019t use a standard set of rules, then that means we have to think of creative alternatives, which a majority of us are not used to doing.<\/p>\n

In the business world, leaders are motivated by financial results and profitability, which is a result (mainly) of high productivity and quantitative-based selling. Another way to put it: \u201ctime is money.\u201d Taking time out to explore creative approaches requires effort before we can translate new ideas into action. It means we have to take a dip in productivity. In today\u2019s day and age\u2014so traditional thinking goes\u2014why do we want to waste time thinking, when we can use that time to produce and increase profitability?<\/p>\n

Incorporating more creativity in our processes (at work and in school) doesn\u2019t just require us to step out of our comfort zones\u2014it may also require us to challenge our superiors from time to time. But when we back up creative ideas and solutions with reason, we make it easier to be heard, and for others to digest, and accept, our ideas.<\/p>\n

I will be finishing my MBA with a refreshed mind and some very valuable lessons, namely that a manager must always ask questions, question arbitrary rules, and think for himself. A true leader has to understand intercultural differences, barriers in communication, how to overcome them, and lead by example. I have also learned to seek advice if I don\u2019t know something\u2014and not be embarrassed to ask. Most of all, I have learned the importance of my Hult network, why new perspectives, ideas and exchanges are valuable, and why it\u2019s important to be true to myself. There\u2019s also one more thing: never again will I brush aside my streak to be creative.<\/p>\n

Vaibhav Rustagi Is an MBA student at Hult London, with 12 years experience in customer service, sales and hospitality. He uses photography and poetry as a form of expression.<\/em><\/p>\n

Picture courtesy of Filosofias filosoficas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kickstart your career with Hult’s undergraduate business school<\/a>. To find out more, take a look at our blog Poets & Quants ranks Hult 60th Best Undergraduate Business School<\/a>. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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