Overcoming Uncertainty

Dean Benjamin Akande

In today's uncertain and ever-changing world, good ideas and good people only count for so much because success or failure is just as likely to be determined by factors that are beyond our control: fluctuating oil prices, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tsunamis and hurricanes, and Thailand's military coup d'etat.

The environment in which Webster now operates is challenged by powerful external influences—from the shifting sands of global competition to divergent consumer demand, to emerging new global education powerhouses and the changing dynamics of shifting population demographics. We live in a world where the certainty of uncertainty permeates every aspect of our lives creating situations that we can neither predict nor control.

But amidst all of this, we must demonstrate the capacity of effective strategic anticipation, and the keen ability to identify early warning signals to see fresh connections among seemingly unrelated events and to find the needles of decisive variables among the haystacks of insignificant ones. Webster must demonstrate the instinctual fortitude to respond in real time and make smart decisions where they matter most, right now. In short, we must find the way to lead from where we are.

Webster University has been successful for many years because we have demonstrated a sixth sense of the adult learner marketplace coupled with the quick execution of a seasoned institution and the effective whit and decisiveness of a global-oriented institution of higher learning. My challenge to the faculty is that we must not be content with just being good. We must in turn reach to position ourselves to succeed in the present and to own the future.

Our vision as a school is limited by our capacity to see the future. Our ability to achieve success depends on how effective each and every one of us can lead from where we are. And so I end as I began - our immediate goal as a school is to ensure that even in the face of uncertainty, that we continue to achieve the certainty of result by offering quality consistent programs that are distinctive, empowering, and market sensitive. I thank you for what we have been able to accomplish so far and I urge you all to continue to pursue success through excellence. How do we define excellence - keeping your course content fresh and relevant, challenging our students through well thought out, innovative curriculum and to ensure that we continue to join theory to practice. If we do all these we would meet head on the uncertainty of our times with the certainty of ideas, delivering degree programs that will help shape our present and the fast approaching future.

In this issue of Nota Bene you will read about how Webster alumni in China are helping enhance the American way - their singular impact on the things we buy here in America will be of interest. Gennaro Buonocore, MA 94, shares a heartwarming write-up on his experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. A successful businessman in his own right, he chose to volunteer for the humanitarian mission to some of the most dangerous parts of the world. St. Louis raised mega entertainer Cedric the Entertainer and his manager Eric Rhone were co-speakers at the Dean's Forum. They left us with more than laughter but a real sense of what it means to have a sense of purpose. Our second annual Capsim Competition produced two magnificent winners from a popular city, Fayetteville, Ark., home of the world's largest retailer. Alum, Brooklyn Seibert, offers cogent career advice on those preparing for the job market. We have a review of the new book of Professor Eduardo Gelbstein at Webster University Geneva, Crossing the Executive Digital Divide. It's a must read. Finally, Rhonda Oehler, a School of Business and Technology alumna of MasterCard International credits her professional success to networking and relationship building.

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