[27 February 2009]
SMU MBA boosts its leadership training in partnership with Center for Creative Leadership

Singapore, 27 February 2009 - The SMU MBA has brought in the Center for Creative Leadership Asia-Pacific (CCL Asia-Pacific) to conduct a ‘Leadership and Selflf-Development' programme for its MBA participants. It is the first time that a MBA programme in the Asia Pacific is working with the US-headquartered CCL to introduce leadership and self-awareness training into the MBA curriculum. CCL is ranked No. 8 overall in the 2008 Financial Times worldwide survey of executive education.

The ‘Leadership and Self-Development' component of the SMU MBA programme is aimed at equipping participants with self-awareness tools and enhancing their leadership capabilities. It incorporates some key elements of the CCL's renowned flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP) ®, and customises it into a format which is suitable for the SMU MBA participants – many of whom are mid to senior level managers. It includes the very essential one-on-one coaching for individual participants to personalise the learning and master new attitudes, approaches and behaviours. The programme is a joint effort between SMU and CCL-Asia Pacific faculty, applying key CCL research and their signature teaching methodologies.

During the programme, participants will benefit from experiential learning such as:

• Feedback exercises
• 360-degree assessment
• Discovering leadership styles and personal management
• Increasing self-awareness
• Psychometric tests
• Individual one-on-one coaching

This component by CCL-Asia Pacific – which imparts critical ‘soft skills' –complements the substantial ‘hard skills' of the other academic components of the SMU MBA programme such as Finance, Accounting, Process Management, Strategy and Marketing.

Teaching leadership and self-awareness dovetail with the SMU MBA, which is an unconventional offering focussing on leadership, communication and business ethics, with a strong grounding in management knowledge and concepts. It is designed to produce leaders and entrepreneurs for Asia who can make an impact on the complex global economy. The rigorous curriculum brings to the forefront some of the most essential training relevant for today's services-driven economy traditionally left in the shadow of other MBA curricula.

Professor Howard Hunter, SMU President, says, “The SMU MBA is a specially designed programme with a strong emphasis on leadership. We are thrilled to partner the Center for Creative Leadership to further enhance our offering and create a more holistic learning experience for our students. Our MBA curriculum, with its blend of management and leadership training, is a highly valued area of expertise expected of middle and senior level managers, and much sought after by CEOs and industry head honchos. It is even more pertinent in these turbulent times.”

Mr John R. Ryan, CCL President, says, “Given the increasing demand today and the need for more effective leadership amidst uncertainty, the SMU MBA Program is a great opportunity for us to partner with an institution dedicated to shaping Asia 's future leaders. The concept of offering leadership inside an MBA is a first for CCL in the Asia Pacific and we are proud to work with SMU on this."

Ms Doris Sohmen-Pao, SMU MBA Programme Director, says, “Our innovative curriculum marries the ‘hard skills' with the ‘soft skills' which ensures the SMU MBA produces leaders with the cross-cultural sensitivities required by a global economy. Introducing this new element in our programme meets our goal of producing business leaders for Asia.”

Looking forward to the new addition, Mr Ken Lim, a SMU MBA student, notes, “Leadership starts with knowing oneself better. I am excited about this unique journey of self-discovery offered by the SMU MBA. I believe that it will go a long way towards helping me maximise my strengths, as well as charting a clearer career path that will allow me to lead with passion and fulfillment.”

Mr Paul Tham, a SMU MBA student, agrees, “Every part of the SMU MBA course has been geared towards improving specific leadership attributes: how to communicate effectively, how to see issues from a global perspective, and how to use your own talents and abilities successfully.”

About the Center for Creative Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL ®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that develops better leaders through its exclusive focus on leadership education and research. Founded in 1970 as a nonprofit, educational institution, CCL helps clients worldwide cultivate creative leadership – the capacity to achieve more than imagined by thinking and acting beyond boundaries – through an array of programs, products and other services. CCL is ranked No. 8 overall in the 2008 Financial Times worldwide survey of executive education. Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., with campuses in Colorado Springs, Colo.; San Diego, Calif.; Brussels, Belgium; and Singapore, the Center annually serves more than 20,000 individuals and 2,000 organizations across the public, private, nonprofit and education sectors from more than 120 countries. Its work is supported by more than 500 faculty members and staff. www.ccl.org

About the SMU MBA Programme

SMU launched its MBA programme under the Lee Kong Chian School of Business in January 2008. It is delivered in either a flex-time (16-month) or a full-time (12-month) format. The SMU MBA is the first accelerated programme to be offered by a local university focusing on leadership and management. It draws on SMU's wider expertise in business education, law, social sciences, economics and information systems. Both groups of MBA students will complete the programme at the same time in December 2009.