Athena School of Management’s MBA program prioritizes EQ for real-world success

An graduate programs empower students to face the corporate world and lead them toward new horizons of success. Qualities like working together in teams, building relationships, influencing others, and supporting and complementing the skills of others are vital for success. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the broad term covering all the traits mentioned above. 

According to the 2020 World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, emotional intelligence is in the top 10 job skills for the next decade. In addition, EQ increases the chances of securing a job and helps get promotions by 75%. 

Saumya Mandot is currently pursuing her MBA at Athena School of Management. She talks about her experiences at Athena and how the school keeps EQ as the focal point of their program.

The opportunity to do internships every semester was one of deciding factors for Saumya to join Athena, a Mumbai-based management school. However, as she progressed, she found that the program successfully prepared her to deal with real-life situations and effectively mitigate professional and personal dilemmas.  

It’s all about what you hear and how you listen

The Inductive Learning Model is at the heart of Athena School of Management’s curriculum. Students learn to adapt to new situations, colleagues, and organizational cultures by emphasizing observation and active listening.

At Athena, students engage in interactive learning with faculty and peers, gaining valuable self-awareness. Through mentorship and honest feedback, the faculty guides students in identifying their strengths and weaknesses. (02:27)

With great self-confidence comes professional success

In India, students can enter an MBA after completing their undergraduate studies. Thus, many MBA students have yet to gain practical work experience. 

Athena empowers students to become strong leaders without fear of facing professional challenges. This approach instills confidence in them, leading to greater self-belief and trust in their abilities. 

After completing her bachelor’s in commerce (B.Com), Saumya Mandot joined Athena’s Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM). Saumya explains that placements are vital in the program. They provide professional exposure and improve the educational experience. (00:52) 

Getting out of the comfort zone

With her natural interpersonal skills, Saumya was keen on pursuing a career in marketing. After joining the program, she started developing, elevating, and practicing a broader skill set. The faculty insisted she would do well joining a finance internship opportunity with the luxury hotel chain Taj Hotels. 

According to Saumya, choosing to pursue finance as a career proved to be a beneficial decision. It allowed her to approach things from a practical perspective through calculations. Her aptitude for observation and listening, along with strong communication skills, are an advantage for her. She had previously predicted that marketing would be a good fit for her, but she is happy that finance has worked out for her as well. (01:42) 

Leading the way

At Athena, students get the opportunity to do a lot of extracurricular activities. Through this range of activities, students gain practical presentation and persuasion tools to prepare them for business interaction. 

These extracurricular activities help students excel and increase their self-awareness and personal motivation. Students also learn how to enhance their empathy and build valuable relationships. For Saumya, the PGPM enabled her to manage her life and interaction with others and helped her to develop her leadership capabilities.

Saumya is the social media director of the Rotaract Club at Athena. The leadership skills that she had to exhibit in this role changed her as a person. She says, “When this responsibility of handling social media was presented to me, I believed in myself more than anyone else. I had stage fright issues and thought I wasn’t a good leader, but after these opportunities, everything changed.” (9:43) 

Athena School of Management’s emphasis on EQ helps students like Saumya Mandot to develop the necessary skills for real-world success. By participating in internships, extracurricular activities, and assuming leadership roles, students can enhance their self-awareness, empathy, and communication abilities. These qualities are critical in today’s competitive job market. As a result, cultivating emotional intelligence is a worthwhile investment for MBA students seeking to excel in their careers.
 

Curious to know more about Athena School of Management and its MBA programs? Go to the MBAGRADSCHOOLS Ambassadors’ page and contact past students directly.