A Multi-Disciplinarian Enrols for an Executive MBA – Esperanza Walsh’s EMBA story
With a magnitude of learning experiences, whether formal or informal, SP Jain EMBA alumni Esperanza Walsh believes in taking everything in her stride. Having a multifaceted background in Engineering, Banking, Art and community-based projects, she is an efficient professional with multi-disciplinary experience and education.
After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering, she graduated with SP Jain’s Executive MBA in Marketing and Finance in 2012. With over 25 years of expertise, Esperanza is currently the Director of Operations at Total Digital Inclusion.
What is it like to thrive in a business world today? We caught up with her to learn more about her directorial and leadership styles, their evolution in the last ten years and the importance that mental health holds in an organisational set-up. Read on to know more about her views.
Q. You have built multi-disciplinary expertise in diverse fields over the years. How has this helped you become a strong leader?
I believe that having multi-disciplinary expertise is very important. It helps bring about new ideas, have a broader understanding of things, facilitates better networking with different individuals and groups and gives a grasp of business on the ground.
Q. What is your leadership style? How has it changed over the years?
I’m an authoritative leader. I believe in pulling followers rather than pushing them. I also believe that everyone has talent and potential and these can be developed and harnessed to be beneficial to the organisation and the community. It’s about inspiring people and bringing out the entrepreneur in them.
I didn’t always do things this way. I used to be more autocratic when I was younger, but I’ve realised that people around me had so much to offer, and I was just burning myself out by taking all the responsibility.
Q. You are an experienced leader and a certified mental health awareness professional. According to you, does the global business world focus enough on its employees’ mental health?
Mental health is important to everyone. It helps us be resilient during challenging times. It keeps our relationship with others healthy and productive. Businesses, organisations and individuals have shown a lot of awareness towards the importance of mental health. However, a lot still has to be done and I see a vast improvement in global mental health in the next ten years.
Q. As an artist, how has your work helped sustain your creativity?
My work involves creativity and skill. I believe that this is similar to all other industries. There is just a variation in focus, but essentially, it is everywhere. Real-world experience contributes a lot to creativity as it helps us grow and learn.
Q. Technology has helped to ease every aspect of our lives. In the future, what advances do you think might emerge from the current changing scenarios, quick adaptation techniques, etc.?
I’m always open to the assistance that technology can offer, regardless of the situation. For the past year and a half, the changes and adaptation were accelerated due to the situation presented. Changes are inevitable. Thus, we always have to keep an open mind and be flexible.
Q. What do you think about the current working methods adopted in the industry? Where are we failing? What are some of the glitches, in your opinion, that should be taken care of?
I can’t really say that something is right or wrong regarding methods adopted in the industry. It’s about what works and what does not work. Again, flexibility is very important. When something is about to stop working, it should be caught ahead of time and modified accordingly to ensure continuity and a smooth transition.
Q. Do you have any advice for SP Jain’s EMBA students who aspire to become a multi-faceted global leader like you? How can they make the best use of the program before and after they graduate?
While in the program, students should maximise the opportunity to learn, network and, if possible, study on all three campuses. The experience to be gained from these are immense and, subsequently, the impact towards their success will also be immense in the long run.
After they graduate, they should apply what they’ve learned, not just at work, but also in everyday life. What I mean by this is, for example, consumer behaviour is treating everyone as a customer, including themselves. We always talk about customer service, but we often neglect ourselves. Treating ourselves as customers with the end being customer satisfaction creates joy and motivates us to become more successful. This encourages work-life balance.
Are you keen on enhancing your management expertise to thrive in the world of business today? Here’s where you can find out more about the Executive MBA program. Click Here!
Read more stories from SP Jain’s EMBA students and alumni.
