Joining the rat race?

Chinese New Year begins on the 25th January, ushering in the Year of the Rat, which, as the first of all the 12 zodiac animals, represents the beginning of the day. In case you are no expert, it’s worth saying that, according to the Chinese Zodiac, people share characteristics with the animal that symbolises their…

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My year with Disney, in Germany

During my year abroad, I studied business at the University of Potsdam and then went on to do a 6-month placement at The Walt Disney Company Germany. Being able to combine both my passion for business and languages into one was a deciding factor in coming to Henley Business School. Ultimately, this was the ideal…

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What Should the Parties of the Centre-Left do Now?

This is not a party political piece. I am writing, as ever, about leadership since there are important leadership lessons here. They apply equally well to organisations, sports teams, political parties and others. In the face of failure, when the circumstances should have led to success, the critical next step is to learn but how…

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Challenge what the future holds

“Nobody said it was easy, no-one ever said it would be this hard…” As I was writing my latest assignment, I felt like either Chris Martin or Spotify could read my mind. Yes, doing the MBA is a real challenge, but challenging in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The content and teaching is thought provoking, the…

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A sad story

My nine year old came home from school today and said he was very upset.  He told me that a group of his friends had been having a party at the house of a very posh friend and a few of them had been telling stories when one of the group started mocking another kid…

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Ambition vs Gratitude

Dr Rebecca J Jones I have been thinking a lot recently about ambition. More specifically, where and how ambition can fit in with gratitude. In my younger years, I would say that perhaps my most defining characteristic was my ambition. I was hungry for success and had a laser sharp focus on achieving this. The…

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A 12 month Masters flies by

There are many reasons to do a full time Masters at Henley Business School, and one is that it packs all that learning into 12 months, meaning that you are soon ready to embark on the next stage of your life. One year passes really quickly though, and post-graduate study is a once in a…

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Leadership takes time

Dr David Pendleton; Professor in Leadership, Henley Business School I teach leadership and regularly discuss the satisfactions and frustrations of leaders as they navigate their roles in busy organisations.  There is a familiar pattern to several of these discussions. Organisations, rightly, seek to keep a tight rein on expenditure and staffing levels.  An unforeseen consequence…

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