While an MBA may do little to improve your golf game in and of itself, that doesn’t mean that getting an MBA can’t have a direct impact on your golf game. Here are 5 ways that getting an MBA can have an immediate effect on your golf game – or any other hobbies or interests you might have – and yes, possibly even improve it.
1. Great business contacts can get you access to a wide variety of places – including the best country clubs
In the end, a business is nothing more than a group of people working together to achieve a common goal that involves other people. Whether that is inventing the next cell phone technologies for next-gen users or selling cell phones with current technology to consumers, all business is dependent on people. Therefore, getting an MBA is as much about learning how people operate and function as it is about statistics, facts, figures or numbers. Business contacts are one of the best assets you can acquire and those contacts can get you into a wide range of places you might not have access to on your own.
2. Some of the most important business doesn’t happen in the office
Regardless of how many attorneys may end up being a part of any business deal, in the end, many of today’s biggest business deals still happen on the basis of a firm handshake. Of course, there are always legal issues to settle afterward, but many of the initial agreements are made in far more informal locations. Getting out on the golf course (or tennis court or even volleyball court) is a great way to conduct business the old-fashioned way, which is still the preferred way for many. Spending time on a golf course gives you an opportunity to better get to know the person you are doing business with in the future. As the old saying goes, this is a person you will be “getting into bed with” so think of time spent hitting the links as dating before jumping into bed together.
3. Getting an MBA can help you learn from the best, on and off the course
The higher the level of education you have, the more proximity it gives you to the most elite in your field. People who are successful in one area of their lives are often successful in many different areas. Not only can getting an MBA give you access to some of the best and brightest in business, but it can also provide you with access to some of the best golfers as well if that is your passion. Even if it isn’t, you may discover a love you never knew you had by merely being around people who are also passionate about whatever they do.
4. With an MBA the clients you help will often help you just as much
In addition to having access to some of the best and brightest in business, many of your clients or your firm’s clients will be some of the best and brightest in their companies as well. In many cases, they can and sometimes will help you almost as much if not more than you support them. Whether it’s getting you access to the most exclusive resorts – just like your superiors in your field – or giving you anything from dating tips to fashion tips to advice on where to dine in NYC, your clients can often be a gold mine in and of themselves. There are reasons why client lists are often some of the most closely guarded secrets in business. Great clients do far more than just bring you their business; they also give you access to many of their most valuable secrets to their success.
5. An MBA might not only help your golf game, but it might also help you see the world
An MBA is not just a useful degree to have in the US. An MBA can often help you on an international level as well. As the internet expands the reach of businesses around the globe, more and more firms and companies are going global. You won’t just have reliable contacts in the US, but a global marketplace gives you the opportunity to make connections around the world and on a worldwide scale. Just imagine, with an MBA you might not only end up playing golf on some of the most prestigious courses in the US, but it might get you to the birthplace of golf itself and around on the crown jewel of all courses, St. Andrew’s itself.
Getting an MBA in and of itself will do none of the above all on its own, including helping your golf game. What it will do, however, is provide you a valuable foundation from which to spring forth into success in the business world. While having an MBA is not necessarily a mandatory pre-requisite for success in the business world (many of the world’s most successful businessmen and women don’t have MBA’s or equivalent degrees) it can still be an invaluable tool. While not every successful businessman or woman has an MBA, the numbers of those with them are vastly higher than those without them. Just like buying a lottery ticket will not guarantee that you win the lottery, you stand a far higher chance of winning the lottery by faithfully purchasing tickets than by never buying one at all.
Success in any field is far more dependent on hard work than on having a prestigious degree, but hard work in and of itself doesn’t always guarantee success either. Instead, success depends on a combination of hard work, a good education and a healthy dose of “street smarts.” Some of what an MBA has to offer you is taught in the classroom but far more of what an MBA has to offer is found from the invaluable contacts having an MBA. And who knows? It might even improve your golf game!
