Max Anderson - The MBA Oath

Summary

Max Anderson reflects on his career journey, from working as a consultant at McKinsey to leading a team at a global hedge fund. He shares his experiences at Harvard Business School during the 2008 financial crisis, including his role in creating the MBA Oath, a pledge for ethical leadership in business. Anderson highlights the importance of responsible management and the potential of business leaders to create meaningful, transparent, and ethical change. His story illustrates how faith, purpose, and leadership can intersect, particularly during times of crisis.

Takeaways

• 😀 Max Anderson reflects on his unique career journey, starting as a consultant at McKinsey and transitioning to roles in television production, strategic partnerships at Google, and leadership in a global macroeconomic hedge fund.
• 😀 Despite his initial interest in theology, Max realized that he was more drawn to the entrepreneurial and managerial challenges of church work, which led him to pursue a dual master's degree in public policy and management at Harvard.
• 😀 The 2008 financial crisis deeply impacted Max’s perspective on business, leading him to question the role of business schools in fostering ethical leadership.
• 😀 Max and his classmates developed the 'MBA Oath', a pledge of ethical responsibility for business managers, inspired by the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take to 'do no harm'.
• 😀 The MBA Oath emphasizes integrity, transparency, and responsibility in management, urging managers to prioritize the greater good over their own interests.
• 😀 At graduation, two-thirds of Max's Harvard Business School class signed the MBA Oath, a moment he considers one of the proudest of his education.
• 😀 The MBA Oath garnered significant media attention, including a feature in the New York Times, and sparked interest from other business schools globally.
• 😀 The MBA Oath spread across hundreds of business schools worldwide, with thousands of students from diverse countries taking the pledge.
• 😀 Max attributes the widespread success of the MBA Oath to being in the right place at the right time, particularly during the financial crisis when ethical leadership was in focus.
• 😀 Max believes that the quality of leadership in business is more crucial than ever, as business leaders have immense power to shape the economy and society, and ethical leadership can create long-term prosperity.
• 😀 Ultimately, Max views his involvement with the MBA Oath as a way of living out his faith and contributing to creating a better world through ethical work and leadership.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Max Anderson's career journey as described in the script?

Max Anderson discusses his career journey from being a consultant at McKinsey to working at Redeemer, managing investors at a global hedge fund, and ultimately creating the MBA Oath to promote ethical leadership in business.

How did Max's early career at McKinsey influence his thoughts about faith and work?

Max was attending Redeemer Church while working at McKinsey and was inspired by his learnings there, which led him to consider a career as a pastor before realizing his passion for management and leadership.

What led Max Anderson to create the MBA Oath?

Max felt that business schools were not adequately preparing students for ethical leadership, especially in light of the financial crisis of 2008. He created the MBA Oath to encourage graduates to commit to acting with integrity, transparency, and responsibility in their careers.

What was the MBA Oath intended to symbolize?

The MBA Oath was a symbolic commitment for business school graduates to pledge to act ethically, manage responsibly, and not put personal interests ahead of the firm or society.

Why did Max believe that the financial crisis of 2008 played a role in the MBA Oath's success?

Max believed the financial crisis created a perfect storm of awareness about the need for ethical leadership in business, making the MBA Oath more relevant and compelling to students and the media.

What did Max's involvement in Redeemer Church bring to his perspective on management?

Max's time at Redeemer Church, particularly through the Center for Faith and Work, deeply influenced his view on work, emphasizing that work could be a means of renewing creation and contributing positively to society.

How did the media respond to the MBA Oath and what was the impact on its visibility?

The MBA Oath received widespread media attention, including coverage in major publications like The New York Times, The Economist, and Newsweek, which helped spread its message globally and sparked interest from other business schools.

How many MBA graduates signed the MBA Oath and what was the significance of this number?

Two-thirds of Max's graduating class at Harvard Business School signed the MBA Oath, which was a significant achievement as it exceeded the initial goal of getting 10% of the class to participate.

What does the MBA Oath emphasize about the role of management in society?

The MBA Oath emphasizes that the role of management is not just about profit, but also about creating value and prosperity for society, acting with integrity, and making decisions that benefit the broader community.

How did the idea of the MBA Oath spread to other business schools around the world?

The MBA Oath gained traction as students from other schools heard about it and expressed interest in adopting it at their own institutions. It has since been embraced by thousands of students from hundreds of business schools globally.