Self-awareness is important if you want to be a good general manager

25 Apr 2014

Self-awareness is important if you want to be a good general manager

Re: Xue Yuan (MBA 2014)

Topics: Education-Business Education Society-Civil Society or Community

Ken Yuan (MBA 2014), who came to HBS from the city of Guangyuan in the southwestern region of the People’s Republic of China, discovered that the School affords him the opportunity to have an impact on other people’s education. “We’ve had a lot of case studies that are about China, and sometimes [classmates] talk to me and ask me questions about aspects of China,” says Yuan. “It’s hard to get a holistic view of the country by reading articles or watching TV programs. I try to give them a 360-degree view of China.”

As career vice president of the HBS Greater China Club, Yuan has carved out a role that is part ambassador, part recruiter. “I will pay attention to job opportunities in the Greater China area,” he says, “and pass the information along to the club members and also coordinate when people from China come to campus, to host information sessions.”

Yuan’s undergraduate degree is in environmental engineering and his graduate degree in advanced polymer chemistry, but he wants to go into general management, a direction an HBS class in authentic leadership development solidified: “It helps you discover your true north, what motivates you,” says Yuan. “I think self-awareness is important if you want to be a good general manager.”

(Published April 2014)

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Xue Yuan

MBA 2014

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Xue Yuan

MBA 2014

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