By Ashley Cross
Development of critical thinking skills and intellectual challenge are highlighted in the new advanced management theory and practice class, taught in the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business by Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., Faith Power Ed.D., William F. Brandt, Jr. and Alan Wurtzel.
It is an honor to sit in this class every Friday and look around at my peers who hail from all corners of the globe, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Austria. Sitting in a class hand-picked by the faculty of the business school does more than challenge me intellectually, it prepares me for the future.
Participating in this class dares my classmates and I to strive for greatness. We address issues of leadership and organizational structure head on. Even though the class only meets once a week, we cover important topics in very close detail. The ultimate goal is to educate our class to use the knowledge gained in the classroom toward our future practice.
Dr. Faith Power, Ed.D., led the first class; she is a very successful businesswoman and is on the board of advisers for the Shenandoah University Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. She discussed with us what it means to be leader — that one’s knowledge, skill and attitude are all part of leadership. Another topic was the trust of leaders within an organization. Lack of trust in the workplace stems from decisions that leaders make with their own self-interests in mind.
Alan L. Wurtzel, former CEO and founder of Circuit City, discussed the rise and fall of the corporation and how the inability to change has great effects. When the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” came up Wurtzel quickly deemed that statement “wrong.” Wurtzel went into further detail and pointed out that it is not the resistance to change that affects a corporation but the reaction to change.
Not only has our class had the opportunity to have these powerful leaders educate us, but the president of Shenandoah University, Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, attended one of our sessions and discussed gender roles and their impact on leadership. Dr. Fitzsimmons is a strong woman who brought valuable lessons and insight into our classroom.
Our class has been lucky to be taught by so many educated leaders in only a few short weeks. We all look forward to the future and the knowledge we will continue to learn throughout the rest of this course.