Business leaders guide their teams toward desirable futures every day. But, in our increasingly ambiguous world, what happens when individual desires are prioritized in the process?
Ivey’s visiting CEMS Master in International Management (MIM) exchange students explored this question on Monday with a Lego activity to kick-off the program’s Block Seminar – a week-long event designed to expose students to learning sessions and expertise not typically highlighted in coursework. This year’s seminar has brought together 35 students from around the world and emphasizes the importance of embodying purpose-driven leadership.
The Lego activity is one of many in a busy lineup. Seminar participants tested their skills in a mock crisis at the Byron Emergency Response Centre, explored creative experiential learning at the Soulpepper Theatre Company, attended a career path panel discussion at Salesforce, and experienced a hands-on workshop at the Deloitte Greenhouse. They also connected and networked with Ivey’s faculty and CEMS alumni and participated in classroom sessions.
Building leaders, brick by brick
Taking a literal approach to hands-on learning, students were placed into small groups and challenged to build a multi-layered structure using Lego bricks. The catch? They had to work collaboratively in complete silence, each with a secret goal to achieve. To complete the activity successfully, students had to understand the motives of their group members.
“Typically, in teamwork settings, the outcome of a project is predetermined,” said Mazi Raz, MBA ’05, PhD ’14, assistant professor of strategy. “The purpose of this activity is to ensure that each person’s needs are met without knowing the outcome beforehand. We want the students to move beyond concrete thinking and realize that they can only achieve their purpose when their colleagues also reach theirs.”
Kanina Blanchard, PhD ’20 (Western), assistant professor of management communication and general management and Ivey Academic Director, CEMS Alliance, who led the seminar alongside Raz, emphasized the importance of introspection during the activity. Just prior, the students had participated in various reflection exercises where they learned about the different lenses through which they see and understand themselves and others.
"We begin the seminar by guiding students to understand themselves because it enables them to better support others and drive positive change as responsible leaders," she said.
Embracing the challenge
While reflecting on the activity, Shruthi Ashok-Kumar, who is from the National University of Singapore, said the experience pushed her beyond her comfort zone – a key goal she had when applying to the CEMS program.
“It was difficult to complete the exercise without using words, but it taught us to collaborate by taking a moment to step back and observe our teammates before contributing to the project ourselves,” she said.
For Max Vossen, a student visiting from the Stockholm School of Economics in Stockholm, Sweden, the activity was an opportunity to navigate intercultural challenges.
“When you’re working with a group of people, you need to remind yourself that no one is approaching the task the same way,” he said. “We need to be mindful that different approaches of equal value exist.”
See photos from the week below.
Students getting ready to participate in an activity at Soulpepper Theatre Company
Taking on the stage at Soulpepper Theatre Company
Students getting ready to experience the Deloitte Greenhouse
A virtual reality activity at the Deloitte Greenhouse
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