OXFORD,
Miss. – The MBA class of 2010 gets out of the classroom and off the
ground, literally, for a day this week to experience hands-on
leadership and team-building exercises.
Managing people,
communicating persuasively and leading cross-functional teams and
organizational units are the most sought after “soft” skill sets in MBA
graduates, so nearly 50 Ole Miss MBA students will practice those
skills Friday (June 5) on the new Rebel Challenge Course.
The
course, near the Blackburn-McMurray Outdoor Sports Complex (also known
as the intramural fields) off Hathorn Road, had its grand opening April
24. It features 16 low elements and eight high elements designed to
create environments and scenarios that are challenging but possible to
complete with group collaboration and individual inner strength.
Business leaders often cite leadership as the key element they look for in skill sets for successful new managers, said Douglas W. Vorhies, associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration.
“In our experience educating future managers, we have found that to be a good leader, you need to know how to build, motivate and lead a team,” Vorhies said. “Our goal in running our MBAs through the Rebel Challenge Course is to get them focused early on building both leadership and team skills. Doing this in a nonclassroom setting allows the students to work on physical, rather than just intellectual, challenges as they negotiate the course obstacles.”
Being successful on the Rebel Challenge Course means the students must work as a team and demonstrate adaptive leadership skills.
Cellular South is sponsoring Friday’s activities.
“It’s very important to Cellular South’s shareholders and employees that we give back to the community, improve the quality of life in the area we call home, provide great employment opportunities and a superior customer experience,” said Beth Byrd, executive director of the Cellular South Foundation. “Our primary community focus is on improving opportunities for education. We’re very pleased to be a sponsor of the Ole Miss MBA Leadership Retreat and believe that developing our best and brightest talent isn’t just good for business – it’s also the right thing to do.”
For more information visit the Rebel Challenge Course Web site . For more information visit the School of Business Administration online .