I relate my teaching philosophy to my native Mauritius, home of the extinct Dodo bird. Contrary to common perception, the Dodo was intelligent and curious about the visiting sailors—the first humans to set foot in Mauritius. Its rapid extinction within a century was not due to its inability to fly, as it was physically agile, nor were the sailors particularly fond of its meat. More likely, the Dodo's demise stemmed from its weak survival mechanism: laying a single egg annually, which became an easy target for pigs and rats that disrupted its ecosystem.

This background informs my teaching philosophy, "Evolve Unlike the Dodo," which I apply to my FP, PT, and Executive MBA students, whom I have taught exclusively for the past 15 years. With two to over 40 years of work experience, alongside impressive GMAT and interview scores, these students demonstrate agility in thinking and curiosity about the business world. However, as the Dodo learned, these qualities alone are not enough for success. Students must develop multiple survival mechanisms to adapt to an increasingly disruptive and competitive ecosystem.

I emphasise the importance of multiplicity—encouraging students to explore various approaches to problem-solving and to benchmark and communicate diverse solutions with practicality in mind, including resource management and risk assessment. One should never be satisfied with a single "optimal" solution; other seemingly inferior alternatives may prove more practical given constraints on resources or risk mitigation.

Oral and written communication skills are essential—arguably more important than analytical skills for effectively "selling" a recommendation. Therefore, I systematically train my students in these areas. Every assignment submission includes an Excel file for analytics, accompanied by either a Word memo, a media article, or a PowerPoint presentation. I make it clear from our first meeting that an A grade or above is awarded only to those who synergise analytics with persuasive communication, maximising their potential impact in the workplace.