My Candidates to Replace the MBA

My Candidates to Replace the MBA

In his post on this blog on June 22, 2006, business guru Tom Peters predicted the end of the MBA. Today he takes his predictions one level higher by suggesting some new degrees that should replace it.

I'm going to scrap the MBA. In an age of creativity-design-innovaiton, who wants to be a "Master" of "Administration"? Master of "Paper Pushing"? Computers do that.

Here are my substitutes:

MFA (Master of Fine Arts) - As my friend Dan Pink writes, "The MFA is the new MBA." (Hooray, Dan! I wish I'd gotten there first with that one!)

MMM/MM (Master of Metabolic Management/Master of Madness) - The big idea here is that the "metabolism" of enterprise - raw, pure hustle! - must be increased dramatically. The shorter form, MM, stands for . . . Master of Madness. Former Xerox CEO Paul Allaire famously said, "We are in a brawl with no rules." (Amen! Obvious!) And I say, [if ital] we are in a ""brawl with no rules," then there is only one plausible strategy: S.A.V. Or: Screw Around Vigorously.

MnML/WP (Master of non-Masculine Leadership/Women Rule) - We recognize that a new world is emerging, yet we continue to ignore half (slightly more than half, in truth) of our store of Great Talent. Namely: Women. I'll take my case that women's skills may be the perfect match for the New Economy's Leadership Requirements.

MGLF (Master of Great Leaps Forward) - If you can't beat the Chinese on cost, if you can't beat Wal*Mart on prices, then what's the option? Only one! INNOVATION! And ain't it a shame that the MBA Deans don't teach innovation . . . anywhere . . . as a . . . Core Course. Well, I'm gonna! It's that MGLR. We're going to attempt to induce people to play the Great Leap Forward Game! (Or die trying! O, more realistically, we'll all be killed - PROFESSIONALLY - if we don't.)

DE! (Doctor of Enthusiasm!) - Yes, in my little scheme of things, we're going to advance beyond the "Master's" level. Three cheers for enthusiasm! I'll take it over any other trait! So why not recognize it with the ultimate degree . . . A Doctorate?

Tom Peters, called "business's best friend and worst nightmare" by BusinessWeek, is one of the preememinent business gurus of our time. Used with permission.