Pathfinders in Business and Management

Emma and Rafael were nervous about their upcoming extended essay, the biggest assignment of the term. Where to even start with the research and writing? Emma came across Dr. Bilal's Bamboo Method on Twitter https://bit.ly/bamboodrbilal . Bamboo is a type of grass, that first develops strong roots. In this period you can not see the plant grow. Once it has established its root system, it starts to grow exponentially , meaning its rate of growth will be ever increasing. Created with Bing Image creator 30 Dec 2023 At first, Emma’s daily commitments seemed daunting alongside schoolwork and activities. But she was willing to try anything to avoid last-minute panicking. Each afternoon for 25 minutes, Emma wrote notes on her topic without pressure to complete full thoughts. At first, her mind wandered but the process became instinctive. Rafael joined in when Emma explained her system. Together they rewarded effort over perfection with short breaks between focused sprints. As weeks passed,...

In 1992, I embarked on a long trip deep into the Costa Rican jungle to visit an indigenous Bribri community. This tribe was described by the Costa Rican anthropologist Dr. Maria Eugenia Bozzoli de Wille who studied their customs around marriage and death. The Bribri are also the only tribe in Central America who beat the Spanish occupiers, and hence afterwards the settlers left them mostly in peace. Tributary of the Sixaola River

I am looking back at my almost 40 years of career in education with happy bewilderment. In the 1980s I started unglamorously from a position as a cleaner at the Leyden University Hospital, and the high point of my career as a university executive as Vice-Chancellor (Rector) of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology for 2 terms from 2012 to 2018, a total of 6 years. In between for 10 years I was a professor of environmental economics and policy in Costa Rica, and for over 4 years director of research funding at Maastricht University, one of the top-10 young universities in the Times Higher Education Ranking. In the 1990s, as a doctoral candidate studying abroad at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy), I was eager to learn from professors at top institutions from all over the world. I had just won one of only two competitive national doctoral scholarships for historians. My own thesis supervisor seemed knowledgeable at first, but it soon became clear he struggle...

Introduction Creating positive change in the world often starts from learning how to make an impact, and then taking action. Several successful entrepreneurs discovered approaches for driving social progress through initiatives that addressed pressing needs in innovative ways.  Their projects not only solved problems but also revealed valuable lessons that continue furthering humanity. Their success is not measured in terms of profit but rather in terms of how many people are impacted. Examples of successful social impact projects Blake Mycoskie and TOMS Shoes When Blake Mycoskie witnessed children without shoes in Argentina, he sought a way to help through his business. He founded TOMS Shoes, pledging to donate a pair of shoes for every pair sold. Mycoskie learned the importance of creating shared stakeholder benefit. In addition to providing footwear for millions worldwide, TOMS generated profit as a sustainable social enterprise model. Mycoskie realized empowering communities ne...

As entrepreneurs know, time is one of the most precious resources. With countless demands on their attention each day, successful business leaders have learned to optimize how they study and gain new skills in efficient ways. Here are five unique approaches prominent entrepreneurs use to maximize their learning while managing packed schedules. Getting Things Done Time Management Legendary efficiency expert and author David Allen revolutionized personal productivity through his Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology. At the core of GTD is capturing all tasks and projects, no matter how small, and breaking them down into actionable next steps. Implementing GTD enables you to eliminate distractions and stay laser-focused on the most important initiatives each day. Freed from constantly trying to remember details, he gained considerable time to dedicate to acquiring new knowledge. Allen himself attributes his highly effective time management as instrumental to achieving his professional suc...

Maria was stressed with assignments and barely keeping up in her business management classes. One day, during a volunteer outreach, she met Lucia, a smart girl from a poor community who often could not go to school for taking care of her siblings, but longed to attend classes before anything else. Lucia eagerly listened as Maria described her lessons, asking many thoughtful questions. Maria started to take better notes in class and started noticing what her teacher did to make the class learn. She also showed Lucia the importance of always testing your understanding and doing the exercises given by the teacher as homework on time. Image from Bing Image Creator

This is a true story. When it was time for George to start primary school in Enga Province, in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, his village was engulfed in a tribal war. Many homes had burned and bridges were destroyed, isolating the community. Most families kept their children safely home. But George's father was determined to give his children an education, which he had never received. Despite the danger, he courageously carried George through sometimes raging rivers and embarked on the long two-hour walk to school each day. This showed George the power of perseverance in overcoming obstacles. Created by Bing Image creator