Happy Birthday, Chancellor Liebhardt!
1. June 2018
Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
26. June 2018
When interacting with students, I am always amazed how they are able to find creative solutions to complex problems if you leave room for individual approaches.
– Dr. Michael Schindl
Can a student truly learn the art and science of entrepreneurship within a classroom? How does one make their ideas profitable? Is there a secret to developing an innovative mindset without having ‘the big idea’? What is the value of harnessing change in today’s international business environment?
Just listen to any student who has spent time in Dr. Schindl’s classroom and you will understand the value and impact of taking a course with him. Dr. Michael Schindl lives to develop actionable theories. In fact, he will say that it’s in his very nature and at the core of his existence to create new ways for living a more productive and positive life. This passion and personal philosophy has brought Dr. Schindl considerable experience and success which he uses to illuminate topics for New European College students such as Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Change Management, Strategy and Ethics.
A basis and mindset for innovation
From his youngest days, Dr. Schindl enjoyed building teams and forming relationships with likeminded individuals – those who were also fascinated with and intrigued by exciting ideas and interested in creating new concepts and inventions. There’s no surprise that he became an effective product developer following his graduate business studies and was rapidly promoted to CEO within his first four years on the job.
Achieving leadership roles from such a young age, Dr. Schindl had the unique opportunity of realizing the benefits that his entrepreneurial mindset could bring to the greater organisation – from products and services, to people and strategies. For the next three decades, Dr. Schindl saw incredible success as he ventured into international business; building, developing and expanding firms globally, as well as achieving his PhD in Law.
Changing direction from discovering to inspiring
A car accident changed it all: Falling asleep at the wheel was Dr. Schindl’s wakeup call for a new approach to life and work, which would now focus on quality of life as well as the sharing of his knowledge with others. The question: How to help others profit from his experience and knowledge? The solution: Develop an actionable methodology and approach to the most decisive challenges a company has to master: innovation and change. From here, a new business idea was born where Dr. Schindl would focus on helping companies make sense of change in a way that would benefit clients, stakeholders and employees alike.
Today, Dr Schindl inspires business success as a lecturer and through his consultancy firm, which helps the smallest of startups to the largest of governmental organisations create and implement sustainable and successful business models. His proven logic and research methods are integrated into his curriculum: “I try to make students feel the problem and understand the need so that they can collaborate and develop practical solutions”, comments Dr. Schindl on his teaching style. “Students need more than the recipe and the tools to succeed; they first need to learn how to think and conceptualize in a precise and consequent way and to test their results through practice and application! A fool with a tool still remains a fool!”
Private international education: A recipe for success
Dr. Schindl’s advice for today’s business student is to find a mentor; someone who has a broad knowledge base and is ready to give advice, listen and help. He also emphasizes the need for authentic communication skills within the international business environment. “Your empathy towards other people counts! Presentation skills only take you so far: You will understand more and be able to build productive relationships with people in a fruitful and comfortable way if you can develop your interpersonal skills,” recommends Dr. Schindl
He explains that learning environments like New European College, with a small and international student body are the best opportunities students have to develop their education and competitive advantage in today’s increasingly competitive job market. “[New European College courses allow students to] question, challenge and ensure that the content makes sense. At larger public universities, there are hundreds of students in lectures; the learning environment is impersonal and difficult.
Dr. Michael Schindl is a long-standing member of New European College’s Faculty and lectures within the subjects of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Change Management, Strategic Management and Ethics.
Visit New European College’s Youtube channel to view an interview with Dr. Schindl!
