In an effort to help you understand the reasons Fuqua is the place to be for leadership development, I have put together this “unofficial” 5-step path that future Fuqua students can follow to become a leader of consequence.

#5 – Fuqua is a Student-Run School

Get ready to be overwhelmed with opportunities.

In my eyes, one of the biggest differentiators at Fuqua is that the school is very much student run. What does that mean? As a future student, you will have immense opportunities to shape the way the school operates and the experiences of your current and future classmates. We all have the chance to leave a legacy. Still wondering how? What if I told you that the admissions interviews and campus visits are heavily organized by student volunteers? What if I told you that this blog you are reading right now is written by students, and we develop many of the story ideas? What if I told you that in addition to receiving guidance from Career Management Center staff, all first-year students are assigned to second-year career mentors? We also receive intense job prep through student run clubs. In addition, the professional clubs hold individual symposiums to not only bring the best speakers to campus, but to also educate current students on new trends in the industry. Finally, the MBA Association (the MBA version of student government) also provides more opportunities to shape your Fuqua experience. The leadership opportunities at Fuqua are immense and very diverse — it is up to you to decide where you want to be a leader.

#4 – Lots of Opportunities

How do I know what is best for me?

I think you get the picture — there are lots of opportunities for leadership — but how do you know what is best for you? Well, it all begins the summer before you start at Fuqua. You will be asked to pass along a leadership survey to your former colleagues to provide anonymous feedback on your leadership, your strengths, and development areas. Using that information as a base, along with a month-long orientation in August, which includes a leadership and ethics class, you will be armed with the information you need to work on your areas of development. In addition, Fuqua provides each student with a leadership journal, and we are encouraged to reflect on where we are, where we want to go, and the steps we will take to get there.

For example, if your survey feedback says you need to work on mentoring, maybe you should take on a role as a mentor through Fuqua2Duke, which pairs MBA students with Duke undergrad mentees. Does your feedback say that you need to work on project management skills? Then maybe you take on a club leadership role where you will be responsible for managing work across multiple work streams.

By arming you with feedback and by teaching you how to approach filling the gaps in your leadership skills, Fuqua provides you with the opportunity to develop into a better leader.

I chose to get highly involved with the High Tech Club as a first-year because it was a deep area of interest and passion for me, and I wanted to meet other students with that similar interest. As a second-year, I chose to get involved as a COLE Leadership Fellow, which provided an opportunity for personal leadership development and the ability to coach first years to think about leadership.

#3 – School is Intense During the First Year

Who will guide and coach me?

As a result of the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE), each first-year student and team is assigned to a COLE Leadership Fellow. The fellow’s role is to help guide and coach each first-year team so they remain high functioning. The COLE Leadership Fellow meets with each team 5 times over the course of the Fall and Spring terms and leads discussions on feedback, goals, and other relevant topics. Read more about this in Sarah’s blog post.

The COLE Fellow also coaches each individual first-year student through using a Personal Development Plan (PDP). The PDP is a document that helps each student set very tactical and specific goals for everything from recruiting, academics, or life. By making the leadership development process a specific part of the curriculum, Fuqua provides an end-to-end leadership development experience.

While your COLE Leadership Fellow is one coach, you will end up with many coaches! You’ll have a Career Fellow, who is a second-year student dedicated to helping you with your career development. In addition, faculty and peers take on unofficial coaching roles based on your interests and passions. The Fuqua community is unbelievable in terms of the availability of people who are committed to your growth — it is up to you to express your interests and find these people!

#2 – I Crushed my Internship & I’m Back as a Second-Year

How can I become an even better leader?

In the Fall of your second year, you will come back to campus for CLEAD-2, which builds on the orientation you completed as a first-year. While the topics may be familiar, the experiential aspects allow you to use all the skills and experiences you have gained over the previous year. You’ll also think about how you will make the most of your last year of business school, and create a transformational experience. The 3-day CLEAD-2 event puts you in uncomfortable business situations dealing with conflict, ethical grey areas, and courageous leadership. Each experience is meant to push students to think about how much they have grown and how they can use the time they have left at Fuqua to continue their leadership journey. For many, these situations will be an opportunity to practice how they may deal with a difficult situation in a work environment and provides students a safe place to have deep discussions on a variety of topics. At the end of the day, this experience provides more opportunities to practice your leadership in a safe and protected setting, and to get feedback. Eventually, we all will be faced with difficult decisions in the real world, and it’s great to have the opportunity to practice while in business school.

#1 – My Fuqua Experience is Over …

Am I a leader of consequence?

There isn’t a certificate at the end of your Fuqua MBA that grants you “leader of consequence” status. However, the 2-year journey will provide a ton of opportunities to develop yourself and your classmates, so together you become better and more equipped leaders. At the end of day, it is up to you to decide if you want to take the leadership journey or not. In my eyes, Fuqua provides an opportunity to make your MBA experience truly transformational. You have the opportunity to diagnose your weaknesses, chart a path to overcome or build on them, and then practice these skills so they become strengths. The Fuqua experience has been a transformational experience for me. It has allowed me the space to identify my leadership style, figure out what I want out of my career in the short- and long-term, and allowed me time to think about how my activities impact my personal purpose. I hope you will also follow the path, and allow it to be a transformational leadership development experience for you as well.

While rankings, job stats, and location matter, I would encourage you to not overlook the campus visit and the admit weekend (Blue Devil Weekend at Fuqua is April 18 – 21) as a deciding factor when choosing schools. It made my choice of Fuqua very easy — from the minute I walked into the halls of Fuqua, I felt at home. I didn’t feel the same way when I visited other schools. This feeling grew even stronger during Blue Devil Weekend, when I met my future classmates and also my roommate. The campus visit also allowed me to get a feel for the city of Durham, and I honestly can say I love Durham. What’s not to love about a town where you have great food, no traffic, low cost of living, and a laid back lifestyle?

During my initial visit, I could envision myself roaming the halls of Fuqua, making a FuquaVision skit, living in Durham, and hitting the bars in downtown. These factors may be subjective, but they mattered a lot more to me than a few magazine rankings or job stats. I won’t remember those stats as an alumnus — but I will remember going to basketball games in Cameron, attending FuquaVision shows, and hitting the theme parties at Fuqua. These subjective experiences matter … don’t forget about them when deciding on which school you should attend!

Don’t believe me? Then I guess you will have to visit Fuqua and figure it out for yourself. I am always available for an “I told ya so” after you send in your acceptance deposit.

#5 – The Research Triangle is Legit

A number of polls and publications have ranked the Triangle area (including Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) as a top place to live and work. Raleigh was even voted America’s Best City by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, this may not convince you, but the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area sure did convince the leading magazine! Imagine 3 major, well-renowned universities, great weather, a low cost of living, and the highest concentration of PhDs in the county. It is a talent explosion, and it is happening here. Entrepreneurship and innovation in the technology space is being spurred by a number of venture capitalists, start-ups, and start-up accelerators that are setting up shop in the area to tap top talent. This may not be Silicon Valley, but it sure isn’t the high tech dessert. The resources are here for your disposal!

Eric Schmidt, former CEO and current Executive Chairman of Google.

#4 – Tech Executives Love this Area

Offices of IBM, NetApp, SAS, and data centers for Google, Facebook, and Apple are all within a reasonable distance from Fuqua. What does that mean? Tech executives get the value of the area and the talent that resides in it. Still don’t believe me? Well, I recently had the awesome honor to listen to Eric Schmidt, former CEO and current Executive Chairman of Google, speak at the Triangle Start-Up Factory. He spoke to an audience of less than 100 people about the value of the area, the amazing things he has seen happen in the area, and how he thinks this area is a model for the nation. Oh yea, Fuqua Professor Ronnie Chatterji, introduced Schmidt and I also sat about 2 feet from him in the intimate setting.

#3 – Tech Entrepreneurship at Fuqua and Duke

Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E)? Start Up Challenges? Venture capital and faculty support for great ideas and business plans? These can all be found at Fuqua and the larger Duke community. With access to amazing legal, medical, business, and engineering talent, Duke has the means to put together an amazing team of entrepreneurs to start an awesome venture. If you are interested in recruiting the very best for your venture, Duke and Fuqua will provide it!

#2 – Fuqua’s High Tech Club Rocks

Fuqua’s High Tech Club is probably one of the fastest growing clubs here. In fact, there was a 176% increase in membership alone over the past year! Tech is becoming a big deal and the High Tech Club puts on the right events to get you up to speed on the industry. Here is a just a sample of some the activities the club puts on each year:

• Annual High Tech Symposium
• High Tech 101 & 201 Sessions to get you up to speed on High Tech
• Weekly “Tech Talks” Education Series
• Internship experience sharing and recruiting advice
• Company visits (Seattle, Bay Area, New York City, Research Triangle)
• Interview workshops
• Networking / social events
• Case competition support
• Developer group

#1 – Tech Companies Recruit at Fuqua

Just name a tech company, and I am sure there is a Fuqua or Duke alumnus at the organization. While only about 12% of students pursue a high tech career, the companies they go to are impressive. In fact, take a look at the world’s most valuable company (Apple), there’s a Fuqua MBA at the top. In addition, all the big tech companies recruit at Fuqua. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, eBay, Facebook, AutoDesk, and a number of venture capital firms routinely take interns or full-time hires from Fuqua. Check out a list of recent hiring companies. The opportunities are awaiting you at Fuqua … it is up to you to take the initiative!

MBA Gift Guide

Themed Costumes – An MBA program isn’t really a top program without its share of theme parties. With each of these parties, there is a need for a themed costume. For the MBA in your life, here are a few themes that they’ll need costume for, in order for them to truly enjoy their MBA experience:

1980s – The ‘80s party is a tradition at Fuqua (and I am told at many MBA programs) and so be sure to load up on ‘80s gear such as baggy nylon pants, slap bracelets, and neon colored items. Need inspiration?

My '80s costume.

Halloween – Halloween is a big deal in most MBA programs and the MBA in your life wants to dress to impress. Take note of the most creative costumes and load your MBA up with awesome options, especially now when prices are not off the charts. Does this a-peel to you?

My Halloween costume.

Other Notable Themes: Nerd, Lumberjack, Ugly X-Mas Sweater, White Clothing, Santa Claus, Graffiti, and any other theme you can imagine. The more options your MBA has, the better off they will be.

Travel Gear – An MBA wouldn’t be an MBA without taking way too many global trips while in school. A few options for gifts could include guide books, backpacking gear (i.e. daypack, backpack, etc.), airline miles, hotel points, and anything else that can be used for traveling.

Technology – The MBA in your life wants the newest, sleekest technology. Therefore, consider a few options:

• Laptop – Small, sleek, and thin – consider a ultrabook or a Macbook air
• Smartphone – This is a necessity. Pick your poison on service provider, but MBAs must have a smartphone
• Multiple Phone Chargers – Your MBA will be spending a fair amount of time at school and may need an additional phone charger
• Tablet – iPad, Nexus, or Microsoft Surface may do the trick
• E-Reader – A lightweight Kindle or Nook may be the perfect companion for your globe-trotting MBA

Dress Clothes – Recruiting events, networking nights, and interviews all require some nice business clothing. While your MBA may have this covered, it never hurts to add to the portfolio. I would highly recommend investing in iron-free items which don’t require the drycleaner to look pressed and clean!

$$$ — Feel free to drop some money off to the MBA in your life. They are investing serious money into their education and many of the other things I mentioned above … Therefore, a kind donation from a friend or family member may be just the thing your MBA needs to plan that dream vacation or attend that awesome party or even buy a textbook for class!

Happy Gift Giving and Happy Holidays!

Question: The “Team Fuqua” spirit and community is one of the things that sets The Duke MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of “25 Random Things About Yourself.” As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire’s professional and academic background, so learning these “25 Random Things” helps us get to know someone’s personality, background, special talents, and more.

How to Answer: The Admissions team is taking a unique approach with this essay question, and I think a lot of prospective students are scratching their heads about how to respond. So, to help inspire your essays, I thought I would pass along my list of 25 Random Things:

1. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta—specifically Stone Mountain, GA. Stone Mountain is one of the largest pieces of exposed granite in the United States and also the fictional home of Kenneth from the sitcom 30 Rock.
2. I am a US citizen by nationality, an Indian-American by ethnicity, and a true Southerner by geography.
3. I worked for 5.5 years at Deloitte Consulting doing Human Capital consulting. If you have seen the movie Office Space, imagine the “Bobs” and you may get a picture of some of my work.
4. I have been dating my girlfriend for nearly 8 years.
5. My favorite television show in the entire world was Lost. I was so addicted to the show that my friends had a Lost viewing party with T-shirts for the finale.
6. I am obsessed with planning and being on time. I wouldn’t say I am OCD but I think 5 minutes early is late.
7. I never snooze. When the alarm goes off, I get up.
8. I have a nephew, Rushabh, who is the cutest person in the entire world.
9. I went to Emory University and graduated with a business degree in marketing and finance. I love Emory!
10. I studied abroad in London while in undergrad and I still remember those 6 months as some of the best moments of my entire life. While abroad, I backpacked through Amsterdam, Athens, Corfu, Prague, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, and Paris.
11. I once skipped work with my girlfriend to hear Mark Paul-Gosselaar (Zach Morris from Saved by the Bell) speak at my undergrad school. I’d like to think I just said “time-out” and no one knew.
12. If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be “goofy.” If I am not the goofiest person in the room, I want to meet that person because we will get along.
13. I had an internship this summer at Facebook. It was absurdly awesome. (Read more about it.)
14. I fully intend on winning the lottery one day, buying a private island, and reading books on a hammock while overlooking the ocean.
15. I love TV sitcoms and my favorite show right now is How I Met Your Mother.
16. I am pretty passionate about cookies. I love them, specifically chocolate chip and double-stuff Oreos. This fact is on my resume and was asked about multiple times during my interviews.
17. My hero is and will forever be my dad. He passed away in 2005, but I aspire to be 10% of what he was, every single day when I wake up.
18. I am a vegetarian and proud of it. As far as I know, I have never eaten meat or fish.
19. I love to do Karaoke but I am so awful that I have to get a private room to save everyone else’s ears.
20. I dig Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) and have been practicing it off and on for a few years.
21. I grew the most hideous mustache last year for Fuqua’s Stache Bash. It was disgusting, but I raised $900 for charity! (Take a look at it.)
22. My favorite guy movie of all time is The Rock and favorite chick flick is Serendipity. (That’s right … I have a favorite chick flick!)
23. I always take the day off on my birthday because who wants to do work on their birthday?!?
24. I try to always be positive and high-energy. I think I exhaust people at times.
25. I shuffle my feet when I walk so most people hear me coming (and run away … LOL).

Sam Allen, Chairman and CEO of John Deere, chats with Dean Bill Boulding.

I thought I would share some of the cool points I gained from listening to Mr. Allen:

Your Company’s Culture Should Complement Its Customers

John Deere’s main customers are farmers. These farmers are often known as some of the hardest working and humble members of our community. For John Deere to succeed with such a unique target market, it has to have a culture that prides itself on humility and hard work. The customers demand it and the John Deere culture must be one that reinforces these values.

Firing People Is Never Easy

Mr. Allen vividly described a moment he still remembers to this day – firing an individual. Mr. Allen remembered the actual date over 20 years ago (Valentine’s Day, 1983) when he had to let someone go and how that moment has stayed with him to this day. In addition, he narrated a moment in John Deere’s history where due to economic conditions, a large percentage of the workforce was let go. Once he became CEO, he made it his mission to build an organization where layoffs would, hopefully, never happen again.

Doing The Right Thing ALL The Time Is Hard

Mr. Allen discussed how expansion into emerging markets has been extremely difficult because different countries have different standards on ethics and transparency. However, he reiterated that John Deere is a place where they try to do the right thing ALL the time as opposed to judging each situation individually. It’s hard, but it must be done to set the right example in all markets!

John Deere is a big recruiter in the halls of Fuqua, and it was fantastic to learn more about this organization and Mr. Allen’s leadership.

At Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, CA.

When I last left you at the edge of your uncomfortable seats, I mentioned that I was interning at a high tech company this past summer. Coming into business school, it was my goal to pursue an internship in the high tech industry, and I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome experience than my internship at Facebook.

Some of you may have heard of Facebook … small company, recently went public … there’s a movie about the famous founder. Needless to say, it was an extremely interesting summer that really cemented my desire to one day pursue a career in high tech.

What did I gain?

Well, I have about 20 free T-shirts, so that’s awesome. However, I also gained a really deep understanding of the online advertising field from my work with the Media Solutions team. The team focused on the operational side of placing ads on Facebook, so I had a front row seat to learn about the online advertising industry. In addition, I had the incredible opportunity to make an immediate impact. There were so many things to do at FB and not enough people, so interns were a valuable addition. I was able to contribute right away, and see my work be put immediately into use — that was really rewarding.

At Facebook’s Analog Design Lab.

How did I get there? 

Passion, enthusiasm, and a bit of luck. I leveraged the resources of Fuqua’s High Tech Club, which provided training and information sessions last year that got me up to speed on the latest in technology news and also prepped me for interviews. I also relied on Fuqua’s alumni at Facebook, who helped me get my foot in the door, and they remained helpful contacts once I got into FB. From the High Tech Club to the alumni support, it was a total “Team Fuqua” effort that helped me land my dream internship. Thanks Team Fuqua!

Classmate Bee-Lian Quah and I rock awesome lens-less glasses as we party at Campout!

Why would anyone put themselves through this?!? The fortunate few that make it through all the check-ins are entered into a lottery for season basketball tickets. The odds are 50-50 that you get tickets. I made it through last year, but did not win tickets.

However, I redeemed myself this year. I won tickets!

You may wonder what we do all weekend while camping out in this parking lot?!? Well, it is one big party! Various clubs throw parties throughout the weekend. Fuqua’s INDUS Club always has its traditional Bollywood themed party one evening, and Latin American Student Association always has a fantastic Latin themed party. In between, students play cornhole, ladderball, or just socialize! It is a tradition at Duke, and something that I will sorely miss once I leave the grounds of Fuqua.

Jessica Caroe

This week the Fuqua community lost one of our own. Class of 2013 Daytime MBA student, Jessica Caroe, was tragically lost this week in a motorcycle accident. While I personally only met Jessica a few times throughout this last year, I am saddened by the loss of a member of our deeply connected community. The Fuqua community prides itself on the Team Fuqua perspective, and to lose one of our own is like losing a member of our extended family. My thoughts are with Jessica’s family as they deal with this terrible loss, and I can only hope that Jessica is now in a place of peace.

As news of Jessica’s loss still sinks in, it has provided me with a moment of reflection and perspective. With grand career and life goals, I entered the MBA program with a long-term plan. I wanted to maximize my two years at Fuqua, take a break from work, get an awesome job, and ride off into the sunset. However, is that really it? Is that really my plan? Professor Joe Leboeuf, leader of the COLE Leadership Fellows program, always brings up the idea of the DASH. I will be in school from 2011-2013 on paper, but it is really that “-“ (DASH) that will define and frame my time at Fuqua.

Do I really want these two years to be just a transactional opportunity to get that job, or do I want these two years to be a transformational journey that will define my life? Jessica’s loss only amplifies the idea that tomorrow is uncertain, and each moment builds our own individual DASH. In reviewing the last year, I made incredible strides in terms of the goals I outlined for myself. I bonded with classmates and made incredible friendships, I traveled and explored parts of the world I had never seen, and I landed an awesome internship in a new field. On paper that all sounds great, but is it really enough to justify my DASH?

These two years I have been given at Fuqua are a gift, and Jessica’s sudden passing reminds me that it is a gift that cannot be taken lightly. While the strides I made this past year were great, I am not sure they were enough. As I take this summer to reflect and recharge, I plan on coming back to Fuqua in August with a renewed sense of how and what I can do to build my DASH such that it lives up to a level that I can be proud of several years from now.

For those of you considering business school, I encourage you to think about these two years as an opportunity to try and fail a thousand different things, take classes you know you suck at, and make friendships you wouldn’t typically have. For those of you on the fence about business school, please know that it is an incredible opportunity to take an intentional journey of self-development. It’s up to each of us to make the most of that journey, and build a DASH we can be proud of.

Looking back, I should have been MORE targeted with my career search, and should have focused on high tech and general management. Without that focus, I ended up applying for too many companies and sometimes interviewing with organizations that weren’t the right fit for me. It was still a great learning experience, and will certainly make me a much better job searcher going forward.  So this may be something to keep in mind as you navigate the MBA career search.

Spring Term 1 was definitely one of the busiest of the school year. Balancing interviews, a full course load, and travel for second-round interviews is not a fun game. I had several first-round interviews on-campus in Durham and then traveled everywhere from Charlotte, Boston, Palo Alto, Seattle, and Buffalo for second-round interviews.

In the end, I decided that I wanted to try something totally different from anything I had done before … I am headed out to Silicon Valley to work for a growing high tech company! As a native southerner from Atlanta, I am excited to live in California and try out a whole new high tech world.