Last week, much of the Second Year class opted into "J-Week," a collection of intensive, one-week classes. The reasons for enrolling in J-Week were mixed: some students wanted to knock out a class-worth of credits in seven days, and others were hoping to take a course that wasn't offered at another point during the year. I fell somewhere in between. I was looking forward to lightening my course load, but I was also genuinely intrigued by a class titled, "Building Cultures of Innovation Through Effective Leadership" (interesting, right??).
Now that I've finished the class, I think it was one of the best investments I've made at Darden. For the entire week, we got to chat with an array of successful leaders who have grown (and, in some cases, dissolved) companies. Here's a brief sample of our guest speakers:
- Louis Rossetto, Founder and CEO, Wired
- Judy Swanson, wife of Bob Swanson, who founded Genentech, Inc.
- Craig Walker, CEO of Firespotter Labs, Google Executive in Residence
- Marc Onetto, SVP Worldwide Operations and Customer Service, Amazon, Inc.
- Art Ciocca, Chairman Emeritus, The Wine Group
- Duane McDougall, CEO, Willamette
- Mort Meyerson, former CEO EDS, Perot Systems
...and the list goes on!
The best part? Our professor, Robert Smelick, was friends with all of them! He would Skype them from his computer, beam their video image up on to the big screen, and kick off a refreshingly candid conversation. Their stories weren't pre-scripted, and their answers hadn't been vetted by PR teams. They were the most honest discussions I've had at Darden.
A reoccurring theme throughout the week was, "prepare to be lucky." Translation: you never know when serendipity is going to fall from the sky and hit you on the head, but when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity. Many of those listed above did just that, and in most cases, b-school wasn't even part of that preparation. Rather, they focused on pursuing their passions, building relationships, and taking risks. It sounds simple enough...doesn't it? So then why do so many people fail to remember these basic ingredients of success?? Even after a week-long class, I don't have an answer to that question. Let's just say, from now on, I'm going to make sure I don't forget.
Now that I've finished the class, I think it was one of the best investments I've made at Darden. For the entire week, we got to chat with an array of successful leaders who have grown (and, in some cases, dissolved) companies. Here's a brief sample of our guest speakers:
- Louis Rossetto, Founder and CEO, Wired
- Judy Swanson, wife of Bob Swanson, who founded Genentech, Inc.
- Craig Walker, CEO of Firespotter Labs, Google Executive in Residence
- Marc Onetto, SVP Worldwide Operations and Customer Service, Amazon, Inc.
- Art Ciocca, Chairman Emeritus, The Wine Group
- Duane McDougall, CEO, Willamette
- Mort Meyerson, former CEO EDS, Perot Systems
...and the list goes on!
The best part? Our professor, Robert Smelick, was friends with all of them! He would Skype them from his computer, beam their video image up on to the big screen, and kick off a refreshingly candid conversation. Their stories weren't pre-scripted, and their answers hadn't been vetted by PR teams. They were the most honest discussions I've had at Darden.
A reoccurring theme throughout the week was, "prepare to be lucky." Translation: you never know when serendipity is going to fall from the sky and hit you on the head, but when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity. Many of those listed above did just that, and in most cases, b-school wasn't even part of that preparation. Rather, they focused on pursuing their passions, building relationships, and taking risks. It sounds simple enough...doesn't it? So then why do so many people fail to remember these basic ingredients of success?? Even after a week-long class, I don't have an answer to that question. Let's just say, from now on, I'm going to make sure I don't forget.
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