For this LGBT+ History Month, Full-time MBA candidate Mayur Gupta reflects on the roads that led him to pursue an MBA as an advocate for workplace inclusion.
For much of my early life, I didn’t believe being openly gay and being a leader could coexist.
I attended a homophobic boys’ school and grew up without any openly LGBT+ role models. I internalised the idea that being gay would limit my future – particularly in professional and leadership spaces. Even at university, where I thrived academically and socially, I remained mostly closeted, still unsure whether visibility and success were compatible.
At that stage, I genuinely felt like my life was over before it had even begun.
How networking allowed me to challenge my preconceptions
My beliefs began to shift after I graduated. Through mentors and later through Stonewall leadership programmes, I met openly LGBT+ professionals for the first time. Seeing people who were successful, fulfilled and authentic changed everything. I realised that being LGBT+ wasn’t a barrier to leadership. It could be a strength.
When I later founded a business, Career Accelerator, I eventually launched an LGBT+ mentoring programme supporting over 100 mentors and mentees each year and partnering with leading global organisations.
For the first time, my lived experience became a source of purpose and impact rather than something to hide.
How my advocacy work inspired me to study an MBA
When we launched LGBT+ mentoring and roundtables, organisations were eager not only to participate, but to invest in sustained, long-term programmes.
While there has been a recent rollback in some EDI budgets and roles, many of the individuals I worked with remain deeply committed. I also attended numerous LGBT+ business conferences, award ceremonies and galas, where year after year I saw companies continuing – and in some cases expanding – their inclusion efforts, even in the face of political or cultural backlash elsewhere.
These experiences played a big role in motivating me to pursue an MBA and consider a future career in large organisations.
Business schools have a unique opportunity to shape inclusive leaders
At Manchester, inclusion is embedded across modules – from ESG and ethical decision-making to social impact consulting projects. This signals that inclusion is not a ‘nice to have’ but a core leadership competency.
Business schools can’t do everything, but they can also act as effective signposts – connecting students to external conferences, leadership programmes and networks. For example, attending EUROUT, the leading LGBT+ MBA conference in Europe, was hugely impactful for me.
Another important mechanism is student leadership. Structures like student councils provide safe environments for students to practise advocacy, leadership and change making. They allow future leaders to experiment, learn and grow before entering senior roles.
Finally, there is a broader question of what an MBA is really for. Beyond jobs and salaries, it’s an opportunity to develop self-awareness, values and leadership identity.
Helping students reflect on how they will lead, and how they will create inclusive environments, is an investment in the next generation of business leaders.
Advice for prospective MBA students
If you’re worried about feeling safe or supported, that concern is valid. But my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I was genuinely surprised by how supportive responses were from classmates across regions and cultures. For many, an MBA is also a first opportunity to learn, ask questions and grow through exposure to difference.
AMBS takes safeguarding and inclusion seriously, and there are strong systems in place to support students if issues arise.
For me, being in such a diverse cohort – and being accepted within it – was a huge confidence boost and reshaped how I see myself as a future global leader.
My advice to prospective students is simple: speak to alumni. Ask about their lived experiences. Those conversations can be incredibly reassuring and informative.
Why inclusion and belonging still matter
Inclusive environments free up energy, deepen learning and lead to stronger leadership. They expose you to different perspectives, cultures and ways of thinking - enriching both the academic and social experience.
The best business schools don’t just teach business. They help develop globally minded, empathetic leaders.
My leadership style – centred on empathy, inclusion and ensuring all voices are heard – is shaped directly by my experiences of exclusion. And success doesn’t look the same for everyone. Not all leadership is about scale or visibility. For some of us, it’s about impact, service and empowerment.
I also wish more people recognised how far they’ve already come. We spend so much time planning five or ten years ahead that we forget to acknowledge the growth we’ve already achieved.
Leadership isn’t something you earn one day in the future – it’s something many people are already practising, whether they realise it or not.
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