Episode #37: Laura Huang on Finding Your MBA Edge

Laura Huang is Associate Professor at Harvard Business School who studies interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. In this conversation, we’re talking about her new book Edge: Turning Adversity into your advantage. During our conversation, Huang shares the research and stories behind Edge along with practical tips MBA students can use to identify their own unique edge to enrich and bring value to others, whether it’s classmates, professors, or employers. She also shares her thinking and approach around various career development topics that are important for all MBA students to understand. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today

Follow her on Twitter @LauraHaungLA

Show Notes

  • 6:04 – Why did you write “Edge?”
  • 7:40 – The definition of “Edge”
  • 10:22 – Why hard work is important, but not enough
  • 14:25 – Imposter syndrome and overachiever paradox in MBA programs
  • 17:40 – Why MBA students compare themselves to each other
  •  20:32 – Basic goods, and why it’s hard to know our strengths
  • 24:30 – The challenge with finding ways
  • 25:30 – How to “guide” people on your story by finding the underlying perceptions
  • 27:05 – The importance of self-awareness and why it’s “like a diamond”
  • 27:45 – Why “be yourself” is terrible advice
  • 33:00 – Laura’s memory of Gary Vee from high school
  • 40:08 – The importance of finding your path versus following someone else’s
  • 43:38 – The recognition of the incongruous

Links