Why MBA students should be generalists, not specialists

Fortune 500 has fewer women CEOs | How female board members affect mergers | Study: Board diversity tied to higher CEO pay Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version] June 8, 2016 [Â] [Forte Foundation SmartBrief] News to get ahead and get connected [SIGN UP] ⋅ [FORWARD] Top Story [Fortune 500 has fewer women CEOs] Only 21 female CEOs lead Fortune 500 companies, down from a record of 24 last year. The shift is partly the result of a few high-profile departures. Carol Meyrowitz left her post as CEO of TJX Companies, and Ellen Kullman retired from DuPont. Still, the numbers have improved significantly since 1996, when there were no women on the list. [Quartz] (6/6) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] Women and Leadership [How female board members affect mergers] Mergers and acquisitions become rarer when company boards that previously had no women add female directors, according to a study from the University of Notre Dame. "Having more women on the board changes the dynamic of the board's interactions," said Craig Crossland, a business professor and leader of the study. [The Washington Post (tiered subscription model)] (5/24) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Study: Board diversity tied to higher CEO pay] Companies with more gender-diverse boards tend to offer larger CEO pay packages, according to a study of 100 large businesses. The companies with the greatest gender diversity on their boards in the sample paid their CEOs an average of $15.7 million last year, whereas the other businesses paid $13.6 million. [The New York Times (free-article access for SmartBrief readers)] (5/27) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Leadership lessons from powerful women] High-powered women such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Ambassador Samantha Power shared lessons this graduation season about dealing with loss, being authentic and coping with doubt. "A healthy dose of self-doubt is a good thing -- it is the sister of humility," Power said, adding that the key is not to let that anxiety "hold you back from pursuing your path." [Fortune] (5/25) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [How data, technology can help fight gender bias] Companies that wish to eliminate bias need to really study the problem and use data to come up with solutions, author Iris Bohnet said. "There are a number of companies providing tools that allow companies to ... blind themselves to [applicants'] demographic characteristics, or anything else that they would like to blind themselves to," Bohnet said. [Knowledge@Wharton] (6/2) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] - [Twitter's Cuoco: The importance of protecting your personal brand] Forte Foundation (5/16) - [Research: Women penalized for verbal assertiveness] The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (5/30) MBA Outlook [Why MBA students should be generalists, not specialists] Hiring managers say they're looking for business-school graduates who are generalists and not specialists, according to a new study. Tulane University researcher Jennifer Merluzzi says an emphasis on specialization among MBA students especially gives them "less bargaining power" and makes them "easily substitutable." [Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model)] (6/2016) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] [Summer-prep programs can help new MBA students] Some business schools offer summer-prep classes to help incoming students get acclimated and sharpen their quantitative skills. These classes and workshops may cover topics such as accounting and career management. "Having exposure to the faculty, having exposure to the professional staff, having exposure to your classmates for several weeks can only have very positive outcomes," said Michael Stepanek, MBA program director at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. [U.S. News & World Report] (6/2) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] - [International experience a plus for MBA applicants] U.S. News & World Report (5/27) From College to Career [Why good questions can make networking more meaningful] To become better at networking, professionals should ask deeper, more thoughtful questions when they meet people, some experts advise. "People not only love talking about themselves, but love talking about what lights them up," notes Kate Gremillion, founder of Mavenly and Co. [Forbes] (5/30) [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] Growth is an erratic forward movement: two steps forward, one step back. Remember that and be very gentle with yourself. Julia Cameron, writer and teacher [LinkedIn] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Google+] [Email] Learn more about Forté: [Become a Free Forté Member] | [Job Opportunities] [Events] | [Forté Sponsors] About Forté Foundation Forté Foundation is a consortium of leading multinational corporations, top business schools in the U.S. and abroad, and the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Forté has become a powerful change agent directing women towards leadership roles in business and enabling corporations to more effectively reach and retain top female talent. It is the only organization that provides a national infrastructure for women at all stages of the career continuum to access the information, scholarship support and networking connections they need to succeed in business careers. 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