The Power of Communities

At the MIT Sloan School of Management, the sum is indeed more than the parts. On the surface it is a collection of buildings spread across the city, filled with the best minds using first-in-class managerial tools. Each part on its own is a star. Dig deeper and you find a close-knit web between the institution and the community. I talked to different people, from random individuals I ran into on the streets, to various businesses - and each time the feeling I got was the same – people were very proud of the institution and were keen to collaborate in any way possible.

In today’s hyper competitive world, this is refreshing. Instead of trying to claim as much pie for themselves, people were working together to grow the pie. Extra pie to go around means everyone is better off.

Subtly though not said, this level of collaboration also alludes to trust in the system. The more people collaborate, the more the gains, which leads to even more collaboration. Rinse and repeat. A solid reinforcing loop if ever there was one.

On a personal note, it has been an intense and rewarding ride - from multi-party negotiations on infrastructure development, to running environmental models that highlight the gravity of climate change on our planet. I even found out that marriage is a good example of an option (financial derivative).

From where I stand, it looks like a well-oiled juggernaut. The continuous collaboration explains the sustained excellence. But who knows what the digital age with its unpredictable disruptions will bring? There is still a lot to do. But now it is dark. And so, I rest.