For Jiayue Zhan, AMBA ‘24, one of the highlights of her Accelerated MBA experience was the International Study Trip to Brazil, where she came to understand what being a great global leader is all about.

“I've lived on several continents, but South America was a brand-new experience for me. Seeing the way of life there, the similarities and differences, and immersing myself in a country that I've never been to before gave me a sense that being a global leader meant walking with the people you aspire to positively impact,” says Zhan, Manager at Canada Revenue Agency.

“It’s an experience that will stay with me forever and will continue to inspire me to be the change I wish to see in the world.”

Going beyond textbook learning to witness the realities companies around the world are facing, getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing how businesses function in other cultures was “another dimension” of the Ivey program she hadn’t expected.

“Leadership requires cultural awareness that transcends borders. We had to learn the local cultural norms and meet with Brazilians to understand how these norms applied, how people interacted with one another, and what diversity means around the world,” she says.

It’s a hands-on approach she also appreciated with Ivey’s Case Method of learning, which was one of the things that drew Zhan to Ivey in the first place.

“The framework is very helpful, especially with classes on Negotiations, or Power & Politics, where you learn different strategies to influence people and propel change,” she says.

“It gave me a practical toolkit for when you’re in a pressure-cooker situation; a conceptual model that you can take and apply in different situations.”

When it comes to negotiations, Zhan says her Ivey courses helped transform the way she thought – moving from a win/loss mindset to understanding people’s motives and effectively managing complexities.

“It's driven by the innate curiosity to learn something new about the other party that you didn't know before, to uncover an unspoken truth, or challenge previously held assumptions,” she says.

“And it's this discovery process that allows you to connect with someone through an interest-based approach. I use it almost every day in the work that I do in the public service, where we can all rally around the common interest of improving the lives of Canadians.”

For anyone considering an AMBA, Zhan says: “Invest in yourself and just go for it.”

Since the AMBA allows students to work while they study, she adds, the course learnings and simultaneous work experience build on each other to create an even more enriching experience.

“It's a program that gives you knowledge and experiences that you can apply in your personal and professional life long after you graduate.”