“Should I do an MBA?” is one of the most common questions Michelle and Mel hear from women at work. And the honest answer is: it depends.
In this episode of Lead to Soar, Michelle Redfern is joined by Jo Thomas, CEO of the Australian Institute of Business, to talk through the MBA decision with clarity and realism.
This is not a conversation about collecting credentials for reassurance. It’s about understanding when an MBA strengthens your strategic position, when it won’t, and how to decide with your eyes open.
Michelle and Jo discuss how MBAs can build business credibility, expand commercial judgement, and change how leaders are perceived. They also cover the practical realities women must factor in: time, energy, cost, and organisational support.
Crucially, they talk about why this decision should never be made in isolation—and why conversations with your manager and your manager’s manager matter more than most women realise.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
What an MBA actually signals in leadership and promotion decisions
When an MBA strengthens credibility and when experience matters more
How women can assess return on investment, not just effort
How to fit an MBA into real life, not an idealised version of it
Why alignment with your organisation’s expectations is critical
Practical tips for navigating and completing an MBA, drawn from Jo’s global student base
This episode is for women who want to make deliberate career investments, not default ones—and who want to ensure their next move expands options rather than just workload.
If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further:
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