Courage – Competence – Character : Cultivating Leadership Skills “On the Field”

The Outdoor Leadership Seminar is an annual event that presents HEC MBA participants with some unanticipated challenges. Over two days, rain or shine, participants take turns leading groups of their peers through a series of activities that range from building a bridge to getting a float across a river, though physical feats are only part of the puzzle. 

The seminar requires participants to apply theories learned in the classroom in a real-world context, however real-world it is for a group of business school students to rappel down the side of a building.

We sat down with two MBA participants from the January 2025 cohort to hear their reflections on their Outdoor Leadership Seminar experiences. 

Anhad Singh Bajaj, originally from India, is from a technical consulting background. He says that OLS has been a highlight for him in the MBA so far and has taught him to prioritize listening to his team when approaching a task or situation. “I realized that to achieve any objective, people need to be a major center of focus.” Anhad found it interesting how the different backgrounds of each team member influenced their analysis of a task.

Hailing from Ecuador, Kabia Narvaez works in tech. Also focused on the human side of decision-making, Kabia says that OLS deepened her understanding of team dynamics and the importance of leading with empathy. Both participants noted how OLS brought to life foundational concepts studied in the HEC classroom. 

Anhad and Kabia were both surprised by the experience. Anhad shares that the lesson “80% of the problem is solved by clearly stating it” was reinforced when his team dove into an exercise without realizing the absolute end goal. They became aware of their mistake and were able to fix it.

Kabia acknowledged the need to adapt quickly and collaborate effectively to meet each task. There were a few participants on her team that she had never met before the event, so there was the added challenge of working with a new group of people. She too spoke of having to work through some kinks. “By the end of the second day, our execution and teamwork had noticeably improved compared to the first day,” she says.

“Before OLS, my leadership approach lacked some of the frameworks necessary for effectively addressing complex issues,” reflects Kabia, adding that having empathy for her teammates and understanding what they expect from you is key to leadership success. “I had to overcome my fear of heights so we could finish all together, and I was genuinely surprised by how encouraging and supportive the team was during the height-related challenges.”

“I learned that I take on too much myself,” says Anhad, for whom OLS was a reminder to effectively delegate tasks according to the strengths of other team members. He reflects that leadership is a mix between listening to peers who may come to the table with more experience in certain areas, approaching the problem in a focused manner and finally, decision making.

Each year, the Outdoor Leadership Seminar highlights both strengths and areas of improvement for MBA participants, emphasizing the complex and necessary marriage of hard and soft skills. Having the opportunity to lead in unfamiliar terrain always results in a bit of self-reflection and that alone is the mark of a blossoming leader.