Ninja Training Meets Management Education: Integrating Taijutsu into an MBA Complexity Leadership Course

Abstract

In this paper I describe the integration of taijutsu, a martial art emerging from the Japanese ninja tradition, into an MBA complexity leadership course. There is broad consensus amongst leadership scholars that intangible qualities such as humility, courage, and uncertainty tolerance are particularly important in complex contexts. There is, however, little consensus as to how such qualities can be effectively cultivated. I review the literature related to martial arts training in management education and discuss the pedagogical challenges of developing both the competencies and capacities required to lead in complexity. I introduce taijutsu and describe several training drills and a facilitation methodology intended to help students develop practical fluency with systems thinking and its implications for leadership and decision-making. Student reflections highlight increased engagement along with potential perspectival and behavioral shifts as promising areas for further investigation. I close by making a case for deeper integration of informational and transformational learning within management education.