Mindsets
"A mindset is the lens used to evaluate a situation. It determines the questions to ask and the priority structure for weighing alternatives."
Ethical
Mays Business school strives to "develop leaders with a strong moral compass who have learned and practiced ethical decision making frameworks." Ethics is known to be the achilles heel in the world of business, but A&M recognizes that ethics needs to be an important value in order to be trusted and respected when conducting business affairs.
Entrepreneurial
Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset means to "be willing to face frustration, embrace ambiguity, seek innovation, take initiative, think creatively, work hard, expend time and effort for uncertain reward and take calculated risks." Having entrepreneurship skills in the world of business sets a person apart from his or her co-workers; it shows that they are willing to think outside the box and go above and beyond the task that was given to them.
Social Impact
Mays Business school defines the social impact mindset as "knowledge and practical skills to tackle complex social challenges while also returning significant financial value to their organizations." Businesses have significant influence on society, and men and women in business can choose to strategically use their influence to better the world around them.
Global
Mays defines a global mindset as exposure to the global business environment. It is important to be aware of the differences in business practices around the world, and it is to one's advantage if they know how to conduct himself or herself professionally in another country.
In this video, Toby Eccles shares his idea about the Social Impact Bond. It's an unusual bond that helps fund new social services -- especially those where a small investment could create a much larger societal benefit. This is an example of a business person having a social impact mindset.
Systems Thinking
Mays believes that a systems thinking mindset means to have the ability to evaluate data and interpret the output. In the world of business, there is high demand for people who can think strategically about issues, find strengths and weaknesses within systems, and find more efficient ways to do things.
Analytical
To be an analytical thinker, A&M students have been taught that they need "the ability to combine insights from analyses and business competencies with strong critical thinking to craft solutions to resolve complex problems." In the world of business, there is a high demand for people who know how to interpret data in order to make informed decisions.
Inclusive
This mindset emphasizes the importance of accounting for every individual within a team. Mays believes that successful business people work to maximize collaboration by considering every diverse background and opinion when making a decision.