More Th an Money More Praise for “More than a master of business administration, Mark Albion off ers his read- ers an advanced degree in the meaning of life. His MBA is a Master of Blessed Att itude, and it suggests a course of personal development that will give every- one more than money—it will give them purpose, direction, and hope.” —A lan M. Webber, former editorial director and managing editor, Harvard Business Review “Dr. Albion has developed the tools for helping us fi nd our way in our profes- sional lives. While this book is writt en for MBAs, it will speak to anyone who has struggled to fi nd more meaning in his or her career. A compelling writer, Dr. Albion is open about himself, admits his mistakes, and through his own telling of how he learned from them, teaches us how to recognize ours and change the course of our lives for the bett er.” — Phoebe Higgins, Dominican University of California, MBA, 2007 “Th e basic messages of the book summon up, and resonate with, my own experiences as an MBA student, and I realize that I would have been one of the people this book was intended for. I’m reminded of some of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way since leaving my MBA program. Not only does More Th an Money invite us to question how success is really best measured, but it also off ers some practical tools for fi nding a more holistic return on an MBA investment.” — David Wood, Fisher Graduate School, Monterey Institute, MBA, 1993 “Before gett ing an MBA, read More Th an Money. Th is book revolutionizes business school education and will help any MBA student get more out of school. In his special way, Dr. Mark leads you to defi ne fi rst what you want to do with your life. He does so by guiding you not with answers but with crucial questions that help you connect with who you are and what you wanted as a child but deemed impossible. Now it is possible.” — Anton Arapetyan, Lviv (Ukraine) University MBA, 2006, Lviv Business School “More Th an Money reaffi rms that as human beings we fi rst need to love and be loved—before we are MBAs. Our MBA degrees, our positions, money, and assets are tools that can help us to love. For when all is said and done, on our deathbeds, love is the only thing that will have matt ered. Th ank you, Dr. Mark, for being that voice that speaks to our spirits, not just our heads.” — Tolulope Ilesanmi, McGill University, MBA, 2005 “Th is book has me thinking in a very serious way about my life, my place in the world, and how my strengths and talents can be of service. It has me remember- ing the best times at work and how good it felt to be working together toward common objectives with a common purpose and with passion. I’d like to fi nd that again. More Th an Money is really going to help me focus on doing so.” — Douglas Hammer, New York University, Stern School of Business, MBA, 1999 “We have all heard stories of business school graduates who took decades to realize the careers they chose right out of school were the wrong ones for them. Benefi t from the teachings in this book and start building yourself a sustainable career now, so you don’t have to undo your mistakes later.” — Erika Haas, Stanford Graduate School of Business, MBA, 1998 MORE THAN MONEY This page intentionally left blank MORE THAN MONEY Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer Redefi ning Risk and Reward for a Life of Purpose Mark Albion More Than Money Copyright © 2008 by Mark Albion All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distrib- uted, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior writ- ten permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650 San Francisco, California 94104-2916 Tel: (415) 288-0260, Fax: (415) 362-2512 www.bkconnection.com Ordering information for print editions Quantity sales.Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by cor- porations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the Berrett-Koehler address above. Individual sales.Berrett-Koehler publications are available through most bookstores. They can also be ordered directly from Berrett-Koehler: Tel: (800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626; www.bkconnection.com Orders for college textbook/course adoption use.Please contact Berrett- Koehler: Tel:(800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626. Orders by U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers.Please contact Ingram Publisher Services, Tel: (800) 509-4887; Fax: (800) 838-1149; E-mail: [email protected]; or visit www.ingram publisherservices.com/Ordering for details about electronic ordering. Berrett-Koehler and the BK logo are registered trademarks of Berrett-Koehler Publishers,Inc. First Edition Hardcover print edition ISBN 978-1-57675-656-0 PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-57675-983-7 2008-1 Project management, design, and composition by Dovetail Publishing Services. Cover design by MvB Design. To Joy, for thirty years This page intentionally left blank Contents ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Foreword, Liz Cutler Maw ix Preface xiii Introduction: Th e MBA Trap 1 Chapter 1: Who Are You? 15 Chapter 2: What Do You Want? 33 Chapter 3: What Can You Do? 51 Chapter 4: Where Are You Going? 69 Conclusion: From Success to Signifi cance 83 Resource: Th e Challenge of Money, Elliot Hoff man 89 Acknowledgments 97 Index 99 About the Author 105 vii