Executive MBA: the answer on leadership and personal growth

When questioning what came next in his career, Blair Barr decided the Executive MBA was the answer and the next logical step to moving beyond a career solely focused on numbers.

When I began the Executive MBA at Strathclyde Business School in September 2023, I was 18 months into a management role in the UK oil and gas sector. As a chartered accountant, I’d spent several years focused on the technical side of finance. But after settling into leadership, I started asking myself what might come next. I was already engaging with a lot of finance, economics, and business media, so formalising that interest through an MBA felt like a logical step for personal growth and career development.

The programme was thoroughly enriching. It helped me move beyond being solely focused on the numbers and gave me a set of guiding principles that will shape how I lead in the future. One of the strengths of the MBA at Strathclyde is the breadth and depth of its modules. Each one is designed to reflect the realities of today’s fast-changing economy. The combination of self-study and in-person seminar weekends worked well, with the weekends offering a chance to connect with classmates, engage in lively discussions, and apply what we’d learned.

A personal highlight was the “Managing in Europe and Beyond” module at Toulouse Business School. The opportunity to study abroad was a major draw for me, and the five days in France were unforgettable. Alongside classroom learning and group work, we visited the Airbus manufacturing facility at Toulouse airport. That experience, along with the friendships formed during the trip, created lasting memories.

The experiential elements of the MBA added real value. Seminar weekends often featured Global Practitioners—industry professionals who brought current, real-world issues into the classroom. The variety of assignments also kept things interesting, with a mix of individual work, timed assessments, reflective portfolios, and group projects. I was fortunate to work with an outstanding team throughout the programme. What started as a group of four grew to six, and those teammates have become close friends. They were a huge part of what made the MBA so rewarding.

Balancing full-time work, study, and life wasn’t easy, but it was manageable. It required a personal commitment to carve out time for lectures, self-study, and seminar weekends. Like most worthwhile things, it involved short-term sacrifices for long-term benefits, and that trade-off has always been worth it in my experience.

The MBA helped me develop a growth mindset and a broader perspective. I’ve learned to stay curious, build a professional network beyond finance, and appreciate different viewpoints. More importantly, I’ve gained the ability to apply new concepts to real business challenges and make informed decisions that add value.

To anyone considering the Executive MBA at Strathclyde, I’d say this: if you’re wondering what comes next in your career, this programme could be the answer. The past two years have been some of the most rewarding in my professional life. Be ready to commit, stay open to challenge, and embrace the learning process. The journey is demanding, but the rewards are lasting.

About Blair Barr

Blair Barr is a Financial Accounting Team Leader with a background in finance transformation and leadership development. A recent graduate of the Executive MBA programme at Strathclyde Business School, Blair is passionate about building resilient, high-performing teams through inclusive leadership and continuous learning. He brings a strategic mindset to finance and is committed to driving meaningful change in complex environments.