What Makes a Good Business Analyst or Consultant?

I’ve been asked and I’ve written on the subject of business management over the years. It’s a subject based on my personal, hands-on experience in small, medium size and large business.That leads me to frequently disagree with advice and suggestions gleaned from the media and their experts.

I note their preferred ideas that managers be taught in so-called “top” schools and have MBA degrees in business. I have looked at the curricula of such schools over the years. However, I’m not impressed by such management-by-formal-schooling..

I find there’s a bottom line: It has little to do with formal education of business management. It does have a connection with open, creative minds that are willing to learn about practical business and financial matters, often on-the-job, either part time at the outset, or as small entrepreneurs at some stage. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at twitter.)