Faculty Seminar Spotlight: Business Strategy Professor Discusses Making an Impact

On April 27th, Professor Jasjit Singh met with the 2022 Aspire Leaders Program Cycle One cohort to deliver a seminar on Pursuing Impactful Careers. Singh is a Professor of Strategy at INSEAD, one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. 

Singh gathered for an interactive seminar on Zoom with over 200 Aspire students, beginning with an important question: “20 years from now, what does success look like to you? How are you making an impact?”

“Imagine a world in which you are not involved,” he prompted. “And now a world in which you are involved. Is the world different?”

– Professor Jasjit Singh

He explained his own personal path, articulating how he’d found a career that allowed him to follow his passions without ignoring the reality of affording to live the way you want. He encouraged students to rethink their notions of what careers and opportunities make an impact.

“We normally think of the world of impact and the world of business, but the way we should think about it is the overlap between the two,” he shared with the students. “There are ways to have impact without leaving business; it also needs people who care about the world!” 

He encouraged students to explore their risk appetites, dig deeper into their personal passions and goals, and to always be humble and open to learning. He asked them to keep an eye on three things:

1. Passion and Goals: Your passions will drive you and your goals will guide your course until you’ve found a combination that is uniquely yours.
   
2. Society: There must be a societal need for what you want to address. Balance your passion and perceived impact with what is actually needed to improve the quality of life for people around the world.
   
3. Strengths: Each person has strengths and an ability to contribute in their own way. Knowing where to contribute, based on your unique strengths, will help amplify your impact in the long run. 

“If you are looking for ways to make an impact, you will find them,” he assured. “Having impact is hard; it takes time. It takes real humility to have an impact.”