The Remains of the MBA

This course is inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. It follows Stevens, a butler at Darlington Hall, who looks back on his life and career with pride, yet also with regret. His pursuit of professionalism, dignity, and excellence raises a timeless question: Where does ambition finally lead us?

Today, Darlington Halls are business firms and startups, and butlers have become professional managers. We celebrate success stories, but rarely study the inner lives, failures, and loneliness of leaders. Ishiguro’s novel allows us to understand that success can carry emotional costs, and that regret is a powerful teacher.

For young aspirational students, Stevens’ world may seem distant. But as they stand on the brink of graduation, they too can reflect on their journey: opportunities used or missed, successes and mistakes, the values lived and forgotten. This course invites such introspection before the rush of professional life begins.

In designing this course, I also reflect on my own career, triumphs, and lingering regrets. Offering it now is my way of embracing that the evening of a life or career can be the moment of deepest clarity.

Learning Objectives

(i) Reflect on personal values, ambition, and the meaning of professional success.

(ii) Use the novel’s characters and events as triggers for self-reflection.

(iv)Connect early career choices to long-term fulfillment and regret.

(v) Build a reflective mindset for future leadership roles

Reference Book

Ishiguro, K. (2010). The Remains of the Day. Faber and Faber.

Purchase link:

https://www.amazon.in/Remains-Day-FF-Classics/dp/0571200737/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0