Detailed Summary

‘What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School’ is a book by Mark McCormack in which he teaches business students and business aspirants about the professional life strategies and tricks to be a successful businessman.

The book is an eye-opener that whatever business schools teach to the students is never helpful for them in their professional life. Being a bright student and getting everything is one thing, but being a successful businessman and dealing wisely with clients is a whole different thing.

Business schools only focus on theories and definitions. Whereas business students need to be good at communication. They should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. This is what helps them in their professional life.

The book teaches us about everything that any business school will never teach its students. Moreover, in his book, McCormack shared the life experiences of some experts and successful people in business.

What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School Key Points

The book What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School brings some essential thoughts to your door to unlock your potential to succeed in business. In this way, the following are excellent tips and tricks that help you to manage your time and teach you the secrets of becoming a successful businessman. 

Art of understanding people

In his book ‘What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School,’ McCormack emphasized the art of understanding people and how important it is to understand their personalities and attitudes. A successful businessman is one who can identify his clients in the blink of an eye. Although it requires experience and time, you should focus on how people behave. Particularly their body language.

Even if you are starting a business, you need to hire workers and staff for smooth running. You should know who you are working with, whether you are making a deal with a client or any worker from the staff.

Everybody has a different personality. A person will behave differently when he is meeting his boss, and he will behave differently when he is talking to his colleague. The key is to explore people’s personalities.

Listen to your gut feeling

Another tip shared by the author is never to neglect gut feeling. Gut feeling is a savior. Always trust your gut feeling more than your clients.

Business is another name for risk. So, when you are dealing with any client but do not like his tone or feel something suspicious about it. That is a gut feeling; you must stop and listen to it. It will definitely help you and save you from an enormous loss.

Never hesitate to say No. If you are not sure about the decision that you are going to make and something inside you is stopping you. Then this discomfort is also a response, and ending the deal anytime is perfectly fine. Or maybe take some time. Think again about it and then make the decision quickly.

Never keep yourself too busy

Besides everything, prioritize yourself.

Work hard but work smart. This is the key to being a successful businessman. Take out time for yourself, relax, or meet your friends. Try managing your time smartly.

In order to advocate this statement, the author of his book What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School shares his life motto. He tells us that when he was in the heat at International Management Group (IMG), he took time out for extracurricular activities like reading, exercising, or meeting his friends for mind relaxation.

The author thinks that having a schedule is very important. You should know your to-do list for the day. You need to be very strict with your schedule and change it only if it is essential.

Who would I recommend What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School summary to?

The book is recommended to all business graduates who have completed their degrees and are stepping into their professional life. Besides them, this book benefits business owners, especially entrepreneurs with less experience in this field and with people in real life.