What is the purpose of acquiring an MBA? I am aware that some see the acquisition of an MBA as a means of promotion and job-changing, and I have no intention to refute that. As a matter of fact, that kind of motivation is strong in European and North American societies, where the cost-effectiveness of an MBA tends to be measured through the change in annual income after it is acquired. But at this time, I would like to ponder the qualitative meaning of acquiring an MBA.

First, I think that the purpose of acquiring an MBA is to “increase the ability to act.” A more thorough expression would be to “adopt an attitude of taking action with a long-term perspective while considering the organization as a whole.” Anyone can lose sight of the whole when chased by day-to-day operations, eventually becoming overwhelmed with managing the tasks in front of them. To avoid this, I recommend changing the environment a bit and practicing decision making with cases from other companies. Some might argue that the decision-making cases from other companies, unlike those of their own company, lack necessary information and therefore it is not possible to make a correct judgment after only a superficial discussion. However, it is also strange to think that a correct judgment can be made when there is sufficient information. The “power of imagination” can be put to work precisely when information is limited.

In my opinion, this “accumulation of the power of imagination” is the key to increasing the ability to act. Needless to say, no matter how fantastic an idea is, nothing gets created if it is not put into action. In addition, without action, no experience is created, and without experience, neither is passion. Without passion, nobody joins a cause. Hence, the starting point of everything is to “accumulate the power of imagination”; this, for me, is the true meaning of pursuing an MBA degree for those who aim to become business leaders.