At this year’s MBA Congregation, graduate Zach Bradford delivered a powerful speech that captured the essence of our MBA program. His focus on empathy emphasizes how the MBA journey equips graduates to lead with both intellect and heart, qualities that resonate across industries and communities. We are proud to share his speech and celebrate the values it represents.
Friends, family, faculty,
I stand before you today humbled and full of gratitude as a citizen of a foreign country, giving this address in my native language, to a worldclass institution, to world-class people.
French Archbishop Francois FENELON once said, "The more you say, the less people remember. The fewer the words, the greater the profit." And so, as an MBA, it is my fiduciary duty to be brief. I will do my best, but it is difficult, given the myriad of lessons, incredible experiences and managerial truths we have gained along the way: "Money now is better than money later. Target market, barriers to entry and value propositions. Be on time to class!" Where should we focus? While these concepts are crucial knowledge, paramount to business success, I will aim a bit more broadly. Empathy.
Empathy is defined as understanding, awareness, or sensitivity to the thoughts and experiences of others. Put simply, it is putting yourself in someone else's shoes to assess a situation and the beauty is that, perhaps unlike many other skills, empathy does not need to be innate. It can be sought, studied and practiced. The rigorous academics of the MBA journey, taught by our cosmopolitan faculty in a truly cosmopolitan setting certainly activated our empathic thinking skills, but sharing the journey with classmates hailing from all over the world, from different professional backgrounds with unique mindsets and motivations, did not just encourage empathy, it demanded it. To both faculty and my classmates, thank you.
In a world that rewards judgment, certainty and segmentation, empathy reminds us to lead and operate with curiosity, possibility, and a broadened scope. It is only by asking the right questions, considering third options, and seeking unique experiences that empathy can be found. Once discovered, this intangible asset, though difficult to quantify, can lead to incredible incremental insights, outsized value generation and most importantly, lasting partnerships. I promised brevity, so on the note of partnership,
I will leave you with a line from my favourite film, the 1946 Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. In the final scene, after the protagonist George BAILEY has averted financial and personal ruin only by the help of his steadfast community, so often resented, his guardian angel reminds him of one simple truth: "No man is a failure who has friends." May we always have empathy for friends and competitors alike. And to all my friends here today, thank you, congratulations and good luck!”
Address by Graduate Representative
Zachary Taylor BRADFORD
Master of Business Administration