How can a liberal education give business students an edge?

The world of business is evolving, driven by rapid advancements in generative AI and machine learning. As a result, employers are increasingly seeking well-rounded professionals equipped with human-centered skills, as well as technical capabilities. In fact, the top three skills among global corporate recruiters today are problem solving, communication, and strategic thinking. 

So, how can business students build these soft skills and future-proof their careers? One potential path is through a liberal education. By combining business acumen with a multidisciplinary learning experience spanning physical education, fine and performing arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences, students can develop into versatile leaders ready to navigate a changing world.

At FLAME University in India, the school's MBA program integrates liberal education into the curriculum, striving to shape multifaceted leaders who are capable of standing out to employers. We spoke with insiders from the program to find out how this impacts the MBA journey. 

Cultivating human skills for a digital future 

Teaching core business principles is a crucial feature of a typical MBA. But in today’s technological world, MBA students must also possess an innate humanness, meaning their ability to communicate, collaborate, and lead with empathy.

FLAME University’s liberal education approach aims to help students develop into multi-dimensional, human leaders by encouraging exploration across subject areas. The school aims to equip students with a distinctive skillset that sets them apart from others.

“For business, you need to be well-rounded and nuanced. Personality, creativity, and diversity of experience go a long way in the workforce—this is what a liberal education gives you. You explore every part of yourself, an opportunity that not everyone is afforded,” says Anupama Athreya (pictured rightpictured above), an MBA student in Communications Management.

With ethical concerns around AI and technology, FLAME’s liberal education model also emphasizes social responsibility. Humanities courses, for example, help students cultivate ethics, critical thinking, and the ability to understand the feelings of another—traits essential for tomorrow’s leaders.

For Shriyans Chaudhari, an MBA Digital Marketing and Communications student, the program’s approach is already shaping his perspective: “We really study not only how to make money as business leaders, but also how to make it to the top ethically. I know to keep society in mind always.”

Anupama echoes this sentiment, noting that a liberal education supplies the human characteristics urgently needed in modern business: “In the age of AI, we need people who are more ‘human’—and that’s what liberal education gives you. You spend more time together, learning from all different angles.”

Extending perspectives beyond the textbook 

Engaging with business as a singular discipline has its advantages, giving students a comprehensive understanding of how the corporate world operates. However, combining it with other fields helps shape well-rounded individuals who recognize how business interconnects with the rest of society.

At FLAME, MBA students embrace interdisciplinary learning, supplementing their business studies with courses in a variety of topics such as psychology, sports, sustainability, and the arts, broadening their perspective and approaches.

“It’s taught me to look beyond the textbook. I feel more inspired to think differently and find creative solutions,” says Anupama.

Engaging with the arts through the school’s Wonder of Wellness initiative has encouraged Shriyans to embrace non-traditional activities—such as watercolor painting—to build focus and problem-solving skills.

“I’ve even been taught how to use watercolor to focus. When I take breaks to paint, I come back able to solve problems faster and better.”

Developing communication through extracurriculars

Employers inreasingly seek effective communicators, with LinkedIn identifying communication as the most desirable human skill. Participating in extracurricular activities, especially sports, can be a powerful way to strengthen this ability.

At FLAME, sports are a mandatory part of the MBA curriculum, with all students required to choose one each term. Playing alongside others teaches teamwork and communication, but as Shriyans (pictured rightpictured above) notes, it also builds emotional control—a crucial skill in business.

“It teaches you teamwork, but also how to regulate your emotional responses in front of others,” he says. 

Outside the classroom, FLAME offers more than 40 clubs, ranging from cricket and basketball to dance, astronomy, and photography, catering to a wide range of interests. These experiences help students develop transferable communication skills. 

“My experience as vice president of the photography club and as part of the student council has given me an edge in interpersonal relations, public speaking, and delivering presentations effectively,” says Shriyans.

Anupama also sees a direct link between her involvement in the dance club and the workplace: “I was coordinating people’s schedules and grouping them based on abilities," she says. 

"It taught me how to create a positive work environment, manage logistics, and communicate with people of all levels.”

Redefining leadership through collaboration and purpose

While some traditional concepts of business leadership can be viewed as stuffy and outdated—characterized by rigid, top-down structures—liberal education that's built on cross-collaboration aims to encourages new models of leadership better suited to the modern world.

At FLAME, leadership is seen not as authority, but as the ability to bring people together around shared goals. Students learn the value of teamwork through sports, as well as through humanities classes built on open discussions, empathy, and diverse perspectives.

“It’s taught me to be a leader who works together, not someone who treats people as subordinates. The most effective leadership is about working towards a united goal,” says Anupama.

Ultimately, this approach helps students see leadership as something rooted in collaboration and purpose rather than hierarchy. This mindset is crucial for a business world that values connection and humanity as much as competence.

A liberal education therefore strives to nurtures creativity, communication, collaborative leadership, and a deep sense of humanity, all of which are qualities that employers seek when recruiting new generations of leaders. 

Reflecting on his development while studying at FLAME, Shriyans says: “Ever since I was a kid, people have asked me what my calling is—liberal education really helps you make sense of that and realize you can have multiple callings."