Teaching Tolerance for Ambiguity: A Experiential Approach for Leadership Education Oblinger and Verville (1998), in their book titled

Abstract

Oblinger and Verville (1998), in their book titled What Business Wants from Higher Education, make a compelling case for how we, as educators, can assure graduates a foundation upon which to build success. According to the authors, the corporate sector needs people who can be effective in a business environment characterized by speed, agility and flexibility. They draw from Reich who characterizes what successful firms need as problem solvers, problem identifiers, and strategic brokers. • Problem solving skills allow employees to put things together in unique ways (whether they are alloys, molecules, semiconductor chips, software codes, pension portfolios, or information). These people are involved in a continuing search for new applications, combinations, and refinements capable of solving emerging problems. • Problem Identifiers help customers understand their needs and how those needs can best be met by customized products. In contrast to traditional marketing and sales, these problem identifiers must have an intimate knowledge of a customer's business. • Strategic brokers link problem solvers with problem identifiers – they continuously engage in managing ideas. These people understand enough about technologies and markets to see the potential for new products, raise the money necessary to launch projects, and assemble the right teams to carry them out (Reich, as cited in Oblinger & Verville, 1998, p.4). The American Council on Education claims " New hires have little understanding of the role of the corporation. They do not have the flexibility to function effectively in it. And they lack the critical skills: listening, communication, defining problems, leveraging the skills of others in teams, and functioning effectively in an ambiguous, complex, and rapidly changing environment (ACE, 1996, p. 8). The question arises as to whether business faculty are actively engaged in developing these skills in students and preparing them to deal effectively with issues and challenges that are rampant in current business contexts. In other words, will future graduates have the kind of intelligence needed to be successful? Successful Intelligence The notion of " successful intelligence " is described by Sternberg (1996) who posits that there are three types of thinking which contribute to being successfully intelligent – analytical, practical, and creative. This is not unlike the need for problem solving skills,