If you’re applying to an Executive MBA program, the chances are you’ve already tackled your fair share of leadership challenges. 

But what happens when obstacles arise that you’re not prepared for? In an ever-globalizing workplace, where employees have increasingly divided views on issues such as hybrid work and corporate activism, it can be difficult to know the best way to lead.

For Daria Matusevich (pictured right), director of business development at the major Swiss banking firm, Julius Baer, developing the skills necessary to deal with these kinds of unpredictable problems was one of the key reasons for enrolling in an EMBA program. 

After several years spent working in an intellectually demanding position, managing relationships with some of Julius Baer’s wealthiest clients, Daria felt a desire to transition to a more strategic position. 

“I wanted to be able to not only directly impact the client I was working with, but also the whole structure of the bank,” she says. 

However, she knew a more senior leadership role would require experience in overcoming issues that were more varied than what she was used to. She decided an EMBA–a degree designed to teach executive-level skills–would be the best way to upskill and enhance her knowledge. 

As a mom with a full-time job, one of Daria’s main criteria in searching for the right program was that she needed a course that allowed her the flexibility to balance all aspects of her busy lifestyle.    

This led her to choose the HEC Paris EMBA program, a world-renowned degree offering multiple starting dates and a variety of flexible timetable formats.

This meant that Daria could remain home in Moscow, while periodically flying over to pursue her studies. 

After beginning her EMBA journey, Daria quickly began developing a diverse range of leadership skills. BusinessBecause caught up with her to find out about some of the unexpected leadership lessons she picked up along the way. 

Leadership Lesson 1: How do you overcome experience gaps in a workforce? 

In 2024, the age demographics of workplaces are shifting dramatically. 

For example, in the US there has been a shrinkage in the ‘working age population’ (those aged 16-65). This is largely because Gen Z, the newest generation to enter the workforce, has roughly three million fewer people in it than previous generations. 

It’s not a phenomenon unique to the US, either. Europe has experienced a population decline over the past couple of decades, and Asia is beginning to follow suit. Coupled with an aging population and rising retirement ages, what’s being left globally are offices with increasingly large generational divides.   

That’s why it’s important to learn how to work with people of all levels of experience in the classroom. In the HEC Paris EMBA, students study core courses such as Competitive Strategy and Corporate Finance alongside other students from a range of career backgrounds. This exposure reinforces the necessity for leaders to respect everyone’s opinion—regardless of age. 

“It gave me a lot of confidence to see that irrespective of the level of experience and irrespective of the age and the country and background, we are all humans,” Daria says. “People you expect to be grownups can behave like children, and people you expect to be less mature can behave very maturely. So, it's important to not take any prejudice, and to stick to your values.” 

Leadership Lesson 2: How do you communicate across cultural barriers?

Cross-cultural communication was recently cited by over a thousand corporate recruiters, including those hiring for Fortune 500 firms, as one of the most important future business skills for new business employees. 

The HEC Paris EMBA cohort consists of over 50 nationalities, creating a diverse in-class experience that encourages students to reckon with cultural differences that can otherwise lead to miscommunication in the workplace.  

In Daria’s experience, as someone who had spent most of her life living and working in Russia and Europe, it was important to learn how to marry cultures that are typically more outspoken with ones that aren’t. 

For example, there are some cultures that need to be prompted to speak, versus ones that are naturally comfortable doing so, she explains. 

“It was a learning curve, hearing every voice, even if the voices are not loud.”

Leadership Lesson 3: How do you take accountability in high-pressure situations?

An unfortunate aspect of leadership is that not everyone is going to respect your authority straight away. Particularly when we talk about workplaces which are increasing in age, nationality, and ideological diversity, it is important to know how to guide your employees respectfully, but firmly. 

At HEC Paris, EMBA students are able to take part in a two-day Outdoor Leadership Seminar, which pushes them to engage in intense teambuilding tasks such as boat-crafting and ravine crossing. 

It’s not only a test in stamina, but also a trial by fire in leadership capabilities.

Daria found there were situations where she acted as team leader, and yet certain team members did not carry out her instructions. Ultimately, she had to accept that she could not blame her team, but that instead needed to have more confidence—and, in some cases, be more dogmatic—in her own judgements.  

“If you take the responsibility to be the leader, you are responsible for the end result. You need to make sure that whatever decision you take, it's implemented,” Daria says. 

An EMBA program can prepare even the most experienced leaders for the challenges of the future, such as improving cross-cultural communication and your ability to lead under pressure.