We now have several DBA cohorts underway at Trevecca. We have lost more students so far than I would have thought. I attributed it to COVID-19 issues. I should have known better. After talking to a number of students, I finally realized we have a “Doctoral Imposter Syndrome” (DIS) issue. I know this issue well and it is well-documented. I just don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier.

I heard from a DBA student this week who said they were having struggles focusing on their work in the midst of the racial unrest in America. Most all of us are deeply troubled by what we have seen and heard this week.

This summer I was asked to give a keynote address at an international conference on business. I asked the organizers what they wanted me to speak speak on. They said they wanted me to speak on the topic of work from a Christian perspective.  I have noticed there is increasing interest around a theology of work as well as thoughts on the role of Christians in the marketplace. To that end, I also spoke this summer in Spain and will be in Amsterdam next month talking about Christian professionals serving in global businesses.

Over my career I have worked with hundreds of MBA students. In recent years at Trevecca, we have onboarded hundreds of MBA students each year. As a trained social scientist and arm-chair anthropologists, this has given me a front-row seat on understanding why some MBA students flourish and others struggle. Here are some of the insights that seem most apparent.

I was recently contacted by the leadership of the National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA) concerning developing a student chapter at Trevecca. I immediately said yes and then backed up and said that I needed to talk with our Skinner School of Business and Technology Dean, Jim Hiatt. He was also supportive and so we set up a meeting with the two senior leaders of NAWMBA.

At times, I refer to myself as the MBA evangelist. For many people, especially those with a churched background, this sounds like an odd expression. Many are familiar with the evangelist in a church setting. An evangelist is typically a preacher who focuses on helping people to understand the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt the most famous evangelist in modern America is Billy Graham.