by Benjamin Meunier

Open Mindset Project alumnus, MBA Candidate at Harvard Business School

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“What are you afraid of?”

I was talking with my Global Guru, Heather, about working or studying abroad while getting my MBA. I’ve always wanted to spend extended time abroad, but I hadn't had the opportunity yet. I shared this with Heather, but I was also worried that leaving campus during an already short graduate program would mean missing out on a critical part of the experience. 

Heather listened to my concerns and then pushed me to reflect on why. What was I actually afraid of? Why was I so worried that going abroad would be the wrong decision? After all, I knew there was always something to learn from putting myself in a new environment, and my career would likely take me beyond the places I already knew.

Her questions changed my thinking. More importantly, she helped me recognize something I hadn’t realized while taking the Open Mindset courses. I thought I had already achieved a global mindset, but Heather’s experiences reminded me there’s always room to grow and challenge my thinking. 

I had the “responding” part of a global mindset down. During my time as a consultant focused on large-scale transformation and corporate strategy, I had already worked with teams across regions, countries and continents. I was comfortable listening to different perspectives without reacting; I welcomed the unfamiliar instead of questioning it; new experiences brought excitement to my day. I felt confident that I was open to difference whenever I encountered it. 

I realized I was practicing a global mindset on my terms, but not actively pursuing one. I was so focused on what I might miss that I wasn’t thinking about what I could gain from working or studying abroad. It’s one thing to respond with a global mindset when you’re in your comfort zone; it’s an entirely different thing to act with one. Heather helped me see that I have to do both. Acting with a global mindset means intentionally seeking out experiences that challenge what is familiar and being open to discomfort. 

‍The most important thing I learned from the Open Mindset Project was the difference between responding with a global mindset and acting with one.

I joined the program as a young professional because I wished something like it had existed when I was entering college. As a first-generation student, leaving home for the first time brought a lot of surprises. Looking back, I can see I would have benefited from thinking more intentionally about how I approached unfamiliar people, perspectives and experiences.

I had come a long way from where I began, but I also knew there was value in continuing to learn and intentionally seeking different perspectives. Open Mindset helped me become a stronger global citizen. It gave me a new way to think about how I was applying a global mindset and showed me how deliberately seeking viewpoints outside my own can make me a better leader, professional and citizen.

Heather was a big part of my perspective shift and growth.

Mentors are usually people you encounter close to home: a college professor, a manager at work, a peer a few years ahead of you. Those relationships are valuable, but they also come with stakes. It’s hard to be vulnerable with someone who can impact your grades or job. That can hold you back from sharing the whole truth, and being close to home can mean their perspective is too similar to your own.

Heather was different. She wasn't my professor, my boss, or my friend, which gave our conversations a different kind of openness. I could be candid about what I was thinking, even when I was still working through it.

She also brought a depth of experience that I don't yet have. Her career and life experiences gave her a perspective outside my own, with relevant expertise but none of my assumptions or context attached. That gave me insight I wasn't getting from the people I normally turned to for advice and made her especially valuable as I worked through questions I was still figuring out for myself.

In our final session, she didn't tell me whether I should go abroad. Instead of giving me answers, her questions encouraged me to look inward and realize what I wanted. She pushed me to own my experience rather than follow what someone else expected. 

The Open Mindset Project asked me to think differently and gave me a mentor and the space to test that thinking against my own decisions. This is particularly valuable at moments when life is changing: entering college, starting a career, changing jobs, moving somewhere new, or simply finding yourself in an unfamiliar environment. Those are the moments when it is easiest to default to what feels comfortable.

There is always more to learn. I left the Open Mindset Project knowing that a global mindset is something I’ll always be growing into and continuing to practice.

Curious what a Global Guru could challenge you to see? Learn more about our program at: The Program | Global Mentorship | Open Mindset

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