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After weeks thinking about the storytelling platform I’m working on, I’ve recently started looking around online at other platforms that exist. They span across industries, geographies, business models and schools. Additionally, some platforms don’t resemble typical storytelling platforms today. Instead they do things that are much broader and much more multidimensional than they originally envisioned. I propose the idea that this is proof of the power of good stories not only to inspire people but also to help them take action and create change in the world.

One video about storytelling that I really like is the TED video by Jessica Jackley, Poverty, Money and Love. Watch the video below to see the power that both young people and MBAs can have by following their passion and believing in great stories. In this case, Jessica explains “that Kiva is really about stories. It’s about retelling the stories of the poor.” (see 9:30 for this part).  The core values that mattered to Jessica were struggle, progress, hope, respect, and optimism. Jessica called for us all not only to listen to the stories of others but also to take part in them.

And she ends with an enormously compelling two minutes, including a statement where she comes to tears at the end:

“For me, the best way to be inspired to try is to stop and to listen to someone else’s story. And I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to do that here at TED. And I’m grateful that whenever I do that, guaranteed, I am inspired — I am inspired by the person I am listening to. And I believe more and more every time I listen in that that person’s potential to do great things in the world and in my own potential to maybe help. And that — forget the tools, forget the moving around of resources — that stuff’s easy. Believing in each other, really being sure when push comes to shove that each one of us can do amazing things in the world, that is what can make our stories into love stories and our collective story into one that continually perpetuates hope and good things for all of us. So that, this belief in each other, knowing that without a doubt and practicing that every day in whatever you do, that’s what I believe will change the world and make tomorrow better than today. Thank you.”

Storytelling is not only my interest but also my passion. This was also the main theme of Jessica’s talk. I hope you’ll consider watching.

The stories that we tell each other are of the utmost importance. They matter not only in business but also in law.  The stories we tell in our MBA applications and law school applications. The stories we tell in our interviews. And the stories we tell about our careers. We can inspire people behind us and inform others how they can succeed themselves. As such, I propose that one of the best things we can do is learn how to become better storytellers.

This quarter I am taking a class on public speaking. In short, we spend the entire time giving short talks and speeches in front of a group of about 15 other students. And then we spend the rest of the time helping evaluate classmates who give their talks and speeches. As you might imagine, this is one of the hardest skills to perfect. Not just because it’s tough but also because it’s something every one of us fears. At least at first.

The first thing we learn in the class is that public speaking is the thing people fear most.  In fact, we learn that the order goes: (1). Fear of public speaking (2.) Fear of death and (3). Fear of spiders (Arachnophobia). But this doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, nearly everyone I know got a bit nervous about speaking in front of crowds.  And the same is true for most of the people in the class. And these are some of the smartest, and most accomplished people across the US.

My goal today is to become a better public speaker and more importantly a better storyteller. Imagine how you feel when you go to an inspiring talk. Imagine how you left inspired and with more insight than before you heard it.  And then imagine how you feel when somebody shares the details in a compelling way. Maybe they’re smiling. And maybe they discuss the nuances of the story and keep you on the edge of your seat. And in the end, you feel like you took part in their story, not just listed.

I propose that the ability to do this is one of the most important things we can learn. In the business world, we can tell great stories about our companies to investors to get more funding. And we can tell stories to recruit top employees to work with us. In the public sector, we can tell stories about our visions to inspire people to work on our campaigns. And we can tell stories about the future, not only to get more funding but also to build our constituent base. And in law, we can tell stories about our clients. And we can compel the judges and juries to see the merits of our side.

The ability to do this is what we’re all working toward in the class.  And its also the ability that differentiates great leaders from good ones.

So what’s your story?

As the year comes to an end, students and faculty are beginning to think about the new year. First years about recruiting which will hit them hard in just a couple of days. Second years about what they want to do after business school and how they want to spend the last few months. Admits about what schools to attend and how early to start networking. And everyone else about New Years resolutions, not just at work but also with their friends and families. Well, recently Dean Blount at Kellogg sent an email to the school wishing us a nice 2012.

Recently Dean Blount of the Kellogg School sent an email to the student body wishing us a great 2012.  See below for the email, which includes a video about what Kellogg aspires to do in 2012.

Dear Kellogg Community,

At the beginning of 2011, we set an ambitious agenda to reposition Kellogg strategically, operationally and as a brand. Now, we’re ending the year with a nearly complete strategic plan, a newly articulated brand positioning, a new organizational structure, and an architect for our global hub. Our team has prepared a video (CLICK HERE to see the video) that captures our progress.

And now as 2011 comes to a close, I would like to thank you and our entire community — for your trust in me and for your belief in Kellogg. It means a lot.

With gratitude–

Sally Blount ’92
Dean

A few quotes from the video

• We believe business can be world changing
• Its the willingness to challenge convention; challenge the status quo; to not accept that just because it’s always been done this way that, that’s the way it should be done in the future
• It’s out grounded wisdom, its our courageous and collaborative spirit, and its that pioneering vision … that’s Kellogg.
• There has to be a competitor that challenges the status quo if you really want to stay relevant to the modern world.

In the past week or two since the passing of Steve Jobs, there has been a lot of press about Steve, Apple, and many of the products the company made. A lot of it has been about how Jobs thought differently. He he had interesting ideas, took risks, and in the end revolutionized business. Given that, the video below about “Thinking Differently” has recently surfaced again over the past few days. In it, images of transformative people throughout the 20th century are shown as a narrator toasts to them for changing the world.

Many of the articles online suggest that the original videos aired years ago. In the version that aired on TV, the narrator is Richard Dreyfuss. But there’s also a second version, where Jobs himself walks us through the video. The latter is the version that I’ve included here.

In the end, we can learn a lot from Steve and the video. In business schools and law schools today, people flock to all the same careers, benchmark what everyone else is doing, and value convention over risk-taking.  But what if more people “thought differently?” What if they recruited for new industries. And what if more and more people worked on something outside of the traditional scope of the MBA.  Maybe one of them would become the next Steve Jobs. And help make the world a more interesting place.

Well, if you’d like some inspiration on how to do that, below are the words to the video. And below that is the video itself.

“Here’s to the Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world – are the ones who DO!” ~ Apple Computers

There is a worldwide discussion going on today that distinguishes what it means to be a manager and what it means to be a leader. In times past, the words have often been used interchangeably. But today, the characteristics of the roles are more separated than they’ve ever been before. In short, managers as those who direct and help execute for an organization. And leaders are those who guide, inspire and provide vision to the organization.  So the question today is, what does really mean? And which one are you? Manager? Leader? Or both?

There are a lot of resources out there which discuss the topic. A topic that I’m also interested in.

I recently read a blog post by Seth Godin talked about it. His blog post said the following:

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Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.

Leaders, on the other hand, know where they’d like to go, but understand that they can’t get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.

Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.

We need both. But we have to be careful not to confuse them. And it helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.

** I like Godin’s analysis because it mentions how we need both – not one or the other.

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Another opinion I like is the interview by former Dean of HBS.  I’ve linked to the video here before but in a series of two interviews he talks about what leaders are. In the VIDEO (48:30) the Dean says the following

“Not all of us in the world have the privilege of working in something that itself is inherently passionate.  Some of us work where it`s like work.But everybody can be in a place where their work is valued, where they have opportunities to grow, where they are respected, and where they can see the connection between their work and the larger purposes that they serve. And that has been something I’ve tried to do at this place.

And so I gave a little motto: There are no unimportant jobs at the Harvard Business School. Everybody has an important role to play. And you work in an organization to help people understand that`s not rhetoric. It`s real. ….

And that is what leaders do. Leaders instill in people a sense of purpose and they inspire people. They inspire people if they are god. because they connect people to the larger purpose.

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In the same manner, business schools talk a lot about leadership today.  What you can do to lead an organization. What it takes to be effective. Interestingly enough, one of the main critiques of MBA grads is that they have great technical skills but that they also have less than perfect leadership skills. That they don’t always navigate organizations or manage people as well as they could. But instead that they shine because of their analytical and quantitative skills.

As a first hand viewer today, I wouldn’t say that the statement is incorrect. After all, that’s what many of the so-called “top” employers look for too. Interviewees that can run the numbers. Create spreadsheets. Produce detailed PowerPoint presentations. And do math in front of them in an interview. Not people that can tell a good story. Manage hundreds of people. Convince the masses. Or come up with a new and innovative idea on the spot.

So in many ways there is an interesting disconnect in what leaders do, and what so called “future leaders” are taught. It’ll be interesting to see how this disconnect continues to play out.

On Monday, October 10th at 6pm Chicago time, I’ll be attending an event with Mayor Cory Booker in downtown Chicago. The event is held at Luxbar and is geared specifically at young professionals.  As many of you probably know, Mayor Booker has had tremendous success during his tenure as Mayor. He has worked on issues like educational reform and he has been striving to make Newark a model for successful urban education. It will be interesting to not only hear hear his thoughts about Newark but also about his plans to improve education in the future.

So you’re probably wondering, what are some of his ideas?  What are some of the things he believes in?  And what is his vision for the future? Since being elected into office, Cory has undertaken a few public interviews explaining.   On Morning Joe’s Education Nation on MSNBC, he discussed Education Reform (CLICK HERE to see what he talked about). Similarly, on NBC Nightly News with Brian William’s, he discussed the report on Newark Public Schools and the Mark Zuckerberg $100 million challenge grant  (CLICK HERE for the video). Further, I might also recommend checking out this great speech he gave at Williams recently.

According to Cory’s web page, you can also see some of the issues he believes in most.  He posts a PDF entitled 25 accomplishments in 25 months. Likewise, he also posts collection of videos and articles HERE that discuss the ideas he considers most important.

Because of this thought leadership, this year, Time Magazine named Cory one of the 100 most influential people in the world. One of my former classmates recently said, “I believe he’s leading forward-thinking policy around Urban development, Education, green-space preservation, and more. He’s the mayor of Newark, but he’s become an icon around the world.” And, in the words of one of my friends Suneel Gupta, “It’s been a while since I’ve been truly inspired by a policy maker.”

The buzz today is that Booker represents a new generation of leadership in the US. And that he is transforming Urban America one day at a time. This is why a number of people are going to enjoy going to the event in Chicago next week. So if you feel inspired by reading his background, then perhaps you will join in at one of his events around the country. The one in Chicago is  on 10/10. Let me know if you’ll be there.

You can see more details and sign up for the event here. And should you decide to sign up: you should sign up using the names of my good friends … and change agents Emanuel Pleitez and/or Suneel Gupta.

I have been fortunate to get to know some incredible professionals from the Stanford and JD-MBA networks, and I’ve talked about a few of them on the site before.  Well another one of them is good friend, and up-and-coming political organizer Emanuel Pleitez.  Emanuel is one of the few people I know that has thrived both in business and also in the public sector.  Since graduating from Stanford, Emanuel has not only spent time firms like Goldman and McKinsey but he has also worked with a number of community organizations. Recently, he even teamed up with the Hispanic Heritage Institute to launch social network, named the Loft Institute.

So you’re probably wondering, what is the Loft Institute?  Well a number of themes emerge.  It’s a network of hispanic professionals. A database of job and networking opportunities. And more broadly a way to bring fast track professionals together. The name Loft means “Latinos on the Fast Track.” And the mission of Loft is to reestablish the American workforce as a global competitor by investing in the youngest and fastest growing segment of the population – the Latino community.

Emanuel has some lofty goals for Loft. He’s using it to create leadership summits in big cities around the country. As a way to get Latino leaders in the same place at the same time. And as a venue to get young professionals and students from around the country to network with each other. In fact, Loft even came out with a new list of Loft Fellows to help do that just days ago.

Fortunately, it sounds like these goals are not far-fetched, as Loft has long been making an impact, even before the launch of the new website. Over the last six years LOFT Institute has had member all over the country. they work in government and private sector firms, as well as in Fortune 500 companies. They also in industries including engineering & technology, healthcare, retail, sales, business, finance, construction management, public service, public policy, and entertainment.

In addition to going to the Loft website Emanuel also maintains a blog and a Twitter Account, where he actively write updates about Loft. Likewise, in the future, you’ll probably also be able to find more information about Loft here on my website, as I’ll be helping as a new media advisor to the site.

In sum, if you’re have an idea that you think can change the world, be proactive and go for it. And even if you have a job that demands most of your time, figure out how to do it anyways. Because the best business leaders know, that its not just about doing well but it’s also about doing good. And that life is not only about making money and negotiating deals, but it’s also about helping others along the way.  And in the end, leaders will do whatever they can to make that happen.

Best of luck with Loft Emanuel.

Every now and then I like to write posts about nonprofits and other game changing organizations that are doing really interesting things. Organizations that not only take on the biggest issues of our day but also organizations that bring diverse people together to work on the biggest issues of the future. Well one of those organizations is Compass. And just recently, I learned that they are putting on this year’s Compass Summit, a conference that discusses “what’s possible, what’s ahead, and what matters.”

The Compass Summit is a conference of big ideas, driven by conversations.  The organization is asking our partners as well as participants to expand their peripheral vision of other fields and to look over the horizon to consider what matters most and where the world should be heading. The conference will run from Oct 23-26,2011, at The Terranea Resort, right outside of Los Angeles.

My college friend Sophia Larroque is helping to organize this event.  As such, I figured I’d pass along the word to those readers here on my site. Below is an email I received directly from her about the summit

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Compass is a gathering of accomplished and inventive people aimed at  tackling urgent large-scale challenges facing our institutions and companies: climate change, mass urbanization, capital shortages, technological dislocation and much more.

Former Fortune editors Brent Schlender and Peter Petre are joined by Scientific American editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina and her staff to producing Compass, and many of the ideas explored at the conference will be reflected in autumn issues of the magazine. With the help of advisers and sponsors including McKinsey & Co., SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), Intel, and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, we are crafting a program to engage topics as diverse as:

Leadership is one of the topics I write about most here on my website. How leadership is not only something that’s important but also that it can come in many forms. In one example of this, I recently found a video from TedTalks named “How to start a movement.”  The idea of this video is to show that being a leader means starting something that attracts attention, gets a few followers, and eventually hits a tipping point. That process isn’t easy, but in just three minutes, this video shows you exactly how that phenomenon plays out.

I’ll also note that I stumbled across another blog that listed the same video. I don’t know the writer but she has some interesting content on her site, so thought I might add the link HERE in case any of my readers are interested. The blog is written Erica Dhawan who is in the MBA/MPA program at MIT/Harvard in Boston.

Without further ado, see below for the video.

I wrote this post to put up one of my favorite short video clips online. The name of the video is the Leader Who Had No Title. It comes from the website of Robin Sharma the leadership guru who not only create short videos but also writes books about leadership. One reason I like this video is because it’s pretty inspiring. In today’s business world, most people do what they can to get ahead, get promoted, make more money and get a better title. But this video reminds us that those things aren’t as important as impact. And that you don’t need a title to make a difference.

One thing I’ve learned about business school is that there are a a lot of deadlines. Not only do you have to get a lot of things done but you also have to do them on a very specific schedule – two days to finish this, five days to finish that, three hours to finish something else. That concept also holds true in the business world. Especially for MBA-level jobs, where you’re given multiple workstreams, multiple emails, and multiple priorities, but just one job: to finish all of it on time.

I’ve written about how busy business school is before. In one of my favorite posts, I compared “business” school to “busy-ness” school (CLICK HERE) and how becoming too busy is actually bad for you. Well, in some ways that analogy also translates to the job you have. Not only do you feel just as busy as you are in class but you also put more pressure on yourself to do well because the stakes feel a little higher. You want to produce a quality work product. Make a good impression on your team. Ensure you do good work and your manager gives you a good review. And in the end get an offer, even if you don’t plan to accept the job.

But the real question then is at what cost? For some, they get it by doing exactly what they expected. But for others, that cost is running around scrambling to please everyone even if that’s not your personality type. For others, working more hours than you ever expected or wanted. Taking on more and more work from more and more people. And ultimately taking on more deliverables with quickly-approaching deadlines that would seem unreasonable to anyone not in business school.

Here’s the schedule. Follow it! Here’s the email documents for tomorrow. Read them all by 9am! I just sent you ten calendar invites. Accept them! And be on time!

And because you have multiple deadlines, everything becomes more important, so you speed up. Working like a machine, for a machine (boss), in a machine (company), with other machines (coworkers) who are all doing the same thing.

And eventually, the goal isn’t to produce a great work product. But instead to take on more workstreams than before, to work more efficiently than last time and to make better powerpoint slides and excel models. And once you finish that, then you can do more.

So in some ways, the MBA has become the new assembly line.  You move things forward as fast as you can. The  work becomes more specialized to help you speed up, so you only take part in a small part of the process. And things more automated.

Likewise, the work also never stops. Just like Toyota “never stops the line” a company’s project flow doesn’t stop either. They find more people to do more small parts. Buy new systems to increase their efficiency. And leverage operations technicues, such as optimal batch sizes, flexible resources, and critical path times, to keep the line moving as fast as possible.

But what if your company stopped the line on purpose tomorrow. And instead of figuring out more deadlines to give you, instead allowed you to spend all of tomorrow thinking about mind-blowing innovations for the company.  And what if your job wasn’t simply to hit twenty deadlines but instead to submit 20 game changing ideas that could change the company.

Not only would you be better off but I’m guessing the company would be better off. And if you had thousands of smart people doing this at the same time all over the world, then maybe the world would be better off too.

Just a thought. Maybe something to think more about when you become CEO of your company.

But until then, I need to go check my calendar to see what deadlines I have for work today.

Failure is the best teacher. That’s the lesson my parents always taught me.  It’s also the lesson many of us have heard from our professors and bosses as we’ve navigated our professional careers so far. But how accurate is this advice? And can you ever think back to a time where you didn’t necessarily agree with it? Well, after seeing lots of successes and failures over the past year in business school, I’ve come wonder about the same question. Is failure actually good for you?

As you might imagine, there are two competing sides to the argument.

On one hand, conventional wisdom says that the best way to learn is to learn from failure.  Because yoou’re more heavily invested. More emotionally connected. And think about things more intensely when everything goes wrong. Especially entrepreneurs, who have to learn because they can’t afford to make the same mistakes two times.  This concept is also reinforced in business school, where almost every activity is set to have a lot of competition. And since everyone can’t win, then a lot of people have to fail. This forces you reflect on the things you didn’t do well enough, and figure out how to do it better the second time.

On the other hand, most people know that failure is also hard to take. Especially when the stakes are high and you’ve put a lot of  time and effort in to pursue your the end goal. This happens every year in business school during the core classes, where only 40% can get As, meaning that 50% have to get Bs and 10% have to get Cs. And these 10% are usually very smart people. This also happens during the recruiting cycle, where people spend hours pouring over cases and studying industry trends but aren’t successful pursuing certain jobs. In some cases, failure can not only hurt emotionally, but also undermine your self-confidence. There’s been many stories about that at the top business schools, not to mention complaints from students who participate.

Upon reflection, in some cases, I wonder if people actually learn anything from failure.  Maybe instead, they are worse off. And even when things end up better the second time, it’s because those who failed are simply better at trying the second time around than the first time. And so no matter whether they succeeded or failed the first time, they are better than people who haven’t done it before, but not necessarily better specifically due to failure.  And even when they aren’t “actually” better the second time around, maybe other people think that they’re better so give them more support, helping them to do better the second time.  In this way, the act of failure hasn’t added value.

But don’t confuse my argument.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t learn when you fail.  After all, in some cases failure can offer you the most unique insights that you might not have gained otherwise. But in the end, I just wonder whether creating a culture of failure, and specifically constant failure as created in business school, is actually better than a culture of success. And are MBA programs doing the right thing by setting up these scenarios where students fail, on average, a lot more often than they succeed.

I don’t know the answer. Either way, it’s an interesting debate.

We’ve all heard the saying before. That to be great, you have to pursue your biggest passions. Those seemingly impossible goals that come to mind in your bravest moments. Those game-changing ideas you want to pursue when you feel like you’re on top of the world. But also those ideas that fleet faster than the blink of an eye, when the notion of fear takes over. Well, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, discussed some of those same topics in a recent talk she gave.

In a recent graduation talk at Barnard, Sheryl Sandberg, addressed this very topic. That professionals, specifically women, need to think big when they are thinking about their careers. And although her talk was specifically directed at the graduating women, many of its principles can be applied more broadly.

Sandberg talked about her experience at Facebook, and some of the lessons she learned there. She noted that one thing she learned working with great entrepreneurs (Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Google) “was that if you want to make a difference, you have to think big and dream big, right from day one.” And that at Facebook, they try to keep employees thinking this way all day. She noted the posters around the walls, used to motivate employees. One of them said, “Fortune favors the bold.” The other asked, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

Broadly speaking, the idea was this. If you don’t shoot for the stars, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.  You’ll never have the chance to write the screenplay. Or create a groundbreaking documentary. Start your own company. Or take part in changing the world. And she said that the message rings true for everyone, especially those with more to lose from failure.

This same question also echoes in the halls of Kellogg. Especially now, as graduation is lingering and students are thinking not only about their jobs after school, but also about their long term career goals. Will they risk it all to be great and to impact the world? Or will they take the route that provides more stability?

In an event with my former company, Bottlenotes, last night, CEO, and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Alyssa Rapp said it best. She said, “You have to be brave.”

Well, I agree with Alyssa and I agree with Sheryl that you have to be brave. Furthermore, I challenge all of my readers (and myself) not be afraid. And instead to go where no one has gone before. To try something you’ve never done before. And to risk it all to do something big.

In the words of Sheryl at the very end of her speech: “Ask yourself, what would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.”

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For the best parts of the speech, I recommend you watch 16:00 until the end.

Also, for more information about Alyssa Rapp and my trip to the Bottlnotes event in 2010, CLICK HERE.

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Every day, the managers at your company have a direct impact on your career. They hire and fire team members who you will work with. They make important decisions not only about the team’s work but also about your work. And they are the ones who make decisions about your future at the organization. These are the kinds of things many of us are thinking about, or at least should be thinking about, as we’re considering our careers after Kellogg. And it’s also something, we’ve been thinking about in my leadership coaching class.

In my leadership coaching class each Friday, we talk a lot about what it means to be a good leader. And we discuss the things we can do to develop into good leaders ourselves. As part of that, we also think about the things we valued in our previous managers, and the types of leaders we want to be one day.  In fact, last week, we wrote leadership statements and then read them in front of the class.

The class reminded me of one of my favorite mottos in business. The Five Percent Rule.

The Five Percent Rule (as I’ve learned it) says that if leaders just focus on others for 5% of the time, then it’s worth their time because they’ll get far more than that 5% of time back in performance from the person they coached. Specifically, if they spend time each week coaching you, sharing their vision with you, helping guide your career, and being a resource for you, then you’ll do better work, you’ll have a greater sense of loyalty, and you’ll work harder, easily making up for that 5% of time they spent.

And this holds true for every level in business, even at the top. Because even the best leaders need to brainstorm have someone help them think about what’s going on.

Fortunately, I had mentor like this in my last two jobs. What about you?

Conventional wisdom in leadership development classes is that you should just about always discover and focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses, assuming they are aligned with the goals of your organization. Because no matter how much you work on your weaknesses, chances are you’ll make more progress on the things you’re good at. Not everyone in the leadership community agrees, but in some ways it’s a reasonable approach. And it’s also something we’ve been talking a lot about in my leadership development class this quarter.

1. Individualization
2. Achiever
3. Activator
4. Communication
5. WOO (Winning Others Over)

In the end, I enjoyed taking the test, though I probably enjoyed the Meyers Briggs test a little more. Likewise, I also enjoyed getting some of my “Strengths” though I was quite shocked that one or two of the other didn’t show up on the list.

But more important than the test you decide to take and more important than the actual strengths the test gives you, is that you start the process of thinking about them. Because self-reflection is probably the most important leadership trait you can have.

According to Kellogg Professor Harry Kraemer, “If you are not self-reflective, how can you truly know yourself?” writes Kraemer. “If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you possibly lead others?”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope that you’re having an enjoyable holiday not only filled with delicious food but also filled with good friends and time with family. On Thanksgiving, most people hop into their cars to drive, or set away in overpriced seats in the crowded skies to join their families and celebrate while watching movies, parades, and football games. And during the day, they also express all the things they’re  thankful for.  But in addition to being thankful for many of the personal things above, many of us also have a lot to be thankful for professionally.

In my view, many of us should also be grateful for access to professional opportunities. And that especially true now where business is tighter than it’s been in previous years and where there are more applicants these days and the pressures to get accepted continue to mount. So we should all take a few minutes to thank those who have helped us along the way, whether they helped us make professional decisions or helped us with the graduate school application process.

Personally, I’m grateful for those ahead of me who aggressively continue to sharing information both in person and here online. So I thought I’d dedicate this post to name just a few online resources that I found interesting or that I used directly when applying. I suspect that my readers are also thankful for these resources, or at least will be thankful that I’ve shared them here in this post. My apologies in advance if I’ve left anyone off the list and to those who I didn’t discover during the application process.

1. Marquis Parker, who is one of the 1st MBA Bloggers ever, and is currently the MBA blogger with the longest tenure and likely most unique visitors
2. Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), the premier career development program for high potential minorities that are applying to MBA programs
3. GottaMentor, an internet start-up that is changing the game for sharing information and online mentoring, and one that I’m also pretty active in
4. Michelle Owuku, former MLT coach who helped me through the MBA application process
5. Orlando O’niell, who set the stage for blogging at Kellogg the year before I came to campus, and currently writes very insightful posts
6. Steven Windsor, another fellow blogger before me at Kellogg, who writes about the venture capital and technology space
7. Dino Gane, another fellow blogger a year before me at Kellogg. For those who remember, he began with the name Managing Magic and wrote extensively about his MBA application process
8. Jullien Gordon, who is in the careers blogging space and is currently working as an entrepreneur to help people change their careers and their lives
9. Paragon2Pieces, who is one of the first, if not the first JD-MBA blogger out there. Either way, she paved the way for JD-MBA writers like myself to enter the space
10. NotAboutJackie, who is one of the only other MLT bloggers out there
11. Leland Cheung, former MBA blogger and current City Councilman, that also helped me through the application process
12. Emmanuel Pleitez, political blogger who began the MBA application process with me before moving into politics and running for Congress
13. HellasMBA Blog list, which is a list of bloggers and was one of my first entry points into the blogging space
14. Stacy Blackman, a pioneer in the MBA admissions blogging space, and a Kellogg alum
15. Linda Abraham (from Accepted.com), who has been sharing valuable information on MBA admissions for years
16. ClearAdmit, who has been one of the leaders in sharing information on MBA admissions, for as long as I’ve found it relevant. I also found that Clear Admit Law Blog also has a website dedicated to law school admissions, which I found after being admitted into my program
17. Keith Ferrazzi, who is a leading pioneer in the movement on sharing information with others. You might know him from his book, Never Eat Alone

I also wanted to name a couple of “honorable mentions.”  Even though I didn’t leverage them during the admissions process or make use of them during my recruiting processes, these resources are definitely setting the stage in the online/ blogging world today and continue to increase the pace of sharing career and professional information.

1. ClassyCareerGirl, who is blogging while getting a part-time MBA. She is an excellent resource for women in the business and consulting field. Keep an eye out for this emerging blogger.
2. BeatTheGMAT, is an excellent resource not only for GMAT information, but also for aggregating admissions content. It’s a resource I’m currently partnering with to help them bring more information to more people.
3. Law School Podcaster, is an excellent resource for law school.  They also have a great website for MBA admissions, MBA Podcaster.

That’s because the best leaders and organizations understand the value of sharing information. They realize that more important than always working for ourselves is that we all continue to improve our community by sharing more and more information with those who need it. And that’s especially true for those who might come from families where access to information and to critical resources is limited. And in the end, my belief is that only after we start sharing more freely will be able to make use of everyone’s best talents and collectively unlock our collective potential for change.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yesterday morning, the new Dean of Kellogg Sally Blount, made an appearance at Kellogg Preview Weekend to welcome the perspective students to campus. Not only was it great for prospectives to meet the dean in person, but it was also inspiring for them to see a woman at the top of the helm, especially at a diversity weekend event.

At the morning of the event, the Kellogg admissions team, led by Deena Williams and student club leaders gathered to watch Sally Blount, as she greeted the students from the podium in the James L. Allen Center.  As entered the room, a certain excited in the audience erupted as prospectives were eager to hear what Blount was going to say.  Blount reciprocated that enthusiasm, by speaking with a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

“I feel a deep sense of honor to come back to the school that I loved so much” the dean mentioned. And “I’m especially grateful to go back to my roots, where I began building my career years ago.”

But the discussion was more about the future than it was the past. Blount said she intends to take Kellogg to next level. And her first order of priority is to do that internationally, not just here in the U.S.  She also wants to help Kellogg continually evolve in terms of its brand.  Admittedly, the brand of Kellogg is already top tier, but she wants to ensure that the perception that people have is accurate. Because Kellogg is not just a marketing school, but it’s a school that focuses on the “markets” not “marketing,” a general management school, and a school that places a heavy emphasis on leadership and teamwork, not only in terms of classroom but also the culture.

What is the culture of Kellogg you ask?  The dean said that it means it’s a place where students collaborate instead of compete and where they roll their sleeves up and really get things done together.

In my view, Kellogg is also one of the best experiences you have to figure out how to be a leader. Because things get really busy and you get challenged every day. So you learn the power that comes from planning. Organizing activities. Setting priorities. Identifying objectives and goals.  And figuring out how to work with other people to reach them. A task that’s definitely easier said than done.

And finally, the Dean also took questions from the audience. She answered questions about the SEEK major and discussed the herd mentality that takes place in business school. She also talked a bit more about school culture and about leadership.

In the end, the dean gave a great introduction to the Kellogg prospective students. Thanks Dean for spending time at Kellogg Preview Weekend!

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Related posts on Kellogg Preview Weekend

Click here for my post on Kellogg Preview 2010

Click here for my post on Kellogg Preview 2009

I have been fortunate to get to know some incredible professionals in the JD-MBA network, and very fortunate that one of them is the entrepreneurial executive, Suneel Gupta, currently VP, Product Development at Groupon. Suneel is one of the few entrepreneurs that has not only thrived in Silicon Valley but also helped take technology to the next level here in Chicago.  Since graduating from Northwestern, Suneel has done a number interesting things. In addition to writing his technology blog, he has spent time at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Mozzilla, and Groupon, focusing on critical product and business development initiatives. And earlier today, he shared some reflections on his experiences in the start-up space and gave his ideas on what makes the best entrepreneurs.

What does actually make a great entrepreneur? A number of themes emerged from the discussion. Getting started early. Laying the ground work. Passion for what you’re trying to do. And dealing with failure.

“If you suck at it the first time, keep going” Suneel mentioned to the audience.  He also mentioned how a lot of the top entrepreneurs had experienced a problem firsthand and that they became so consumed with solving it that they had the right fuel to eventually become successful. He shared multiple examples of entrepreneurs who’d failed many times but worked hard to eventually change the stakes.

He also addressed the topic of being proactive. “Too often, people say they are waiting until the right time” or “waiting for the right resources” he said, suggesting that this was too passive approach. Instead, Suneel titled his message “The Case Against Someday” and suggested that successful entrepreneurs are more proactive; they’re hunters who are always looking to meet new people, make new things happen, and create opportunities that didn’t exist before.

This means that they can not only handle ambiguity but also can deal with disappointment. They believe deeply in their idea and work tirelessly in pursuit of it.  And it also means that they’re up for the enormous task of coming up with the next big thing even if the starting point doesn’t seem perfect.

And so Suneel coined the phrase “put it on paper” saying that many people here on campus have had good ideas but don’t act on them and never consider the simple possibility of putting their ideas on paper as a way to get started.

Suneel gave us some color by sharing a few examples. First he mentioned the Wright Brothers and their vision to build an airplane. Though they didn’t have the resources, network, or capital, they were successful because they not only had the drive but also sketched down their idea. He also talked about the founder of Twitter and showed us a paper sketch of the Twitter interface, the first time it was drawn. And finally, Suneel also talked about his own career. He mentioned how he loved to write speeches when he was younger and delivered them to local politicians in hopes that someone would eventually use one. Despite facing consistent rejection, he eventually found his way to writing speeches for the Democratic National Committee years later.

What do these stories have in common? Although very little in terms of industry and era, they all share the common thread of maneuvering in imperfect situations and figuring out how to get started, even if you don’t have any resources. And they are all simple, yet powerful messages, because you can’t argue with the results.

In sum, if you’re creative and have an idea, be proactive and keep trying. And if you fail the first time, shake it off and try again. Because the best leaders know that persistence is critical.  And because the best entrepreneurs not only have a way of eventually making it to the top, they also have a tendency of taking risks early and failing a few times along the way.

Kellogg School of Management, get ready! The class of 2012 officially attended its first day of business school today.  And what a fabulous experience! We’re a class that applied and got accepted during one of the most difficult application periods ever.  That came from every industry and sector imaginable. That comes from diverse backgrounds covering all parts of the world. And with plans to reach for the stars while here at Kellogg.

And we all finally came together officially in the building we know as Jacobs to embark on one of the most important experiences in our professional careers. It was exciting to finally get the experience.

Having spoke to a few past alumni of both Kellogg and other top schools, everyone consistently says that the next two years will be one of the most incredible experiences in our lives.

In a recent conversation one alumni said “I think, one of the best experiences that you can have for figuring out more about what you want to be. Because every single day, you’re reading cases and talking to people about things that are most important in your professional life.”

A second alumni said that “you have a chance to really think more deeply about your interests and understand more about what you think. And you get challenged every day.  And so, it’s a time not only for discovery but also deepening of your own understanding.”

But while both of these comments were great, many folks in the class are wondering what does it actually take to do that well, and how can we ensure that in the end, we do actually succeed? Will it require getting A’s, and if so how do we do that? Or instead will it require meeting with dozens of companies to finally find the one we’re most interested in? Getting to know everyone in the class to see who has that one link to a company you’ve been looking for? Or learning as much as possible about a specific topic, or a little about a lot of topics to arm us as future managers and leaders?

The likely answer is that for everyone (1) the answer is different and (2) the answer is more of a combination of those things. So on our first day, most people didn’t know the actual answer. And instead of trying to find it, for now, most of the class channeled their motivations to do some reading for class, to get to know a few classmates, attend a few club events, and to enjoy the first day with their professors – my first class was Strategy with Professor Meghan Busse and class was a lot of fun.

But in spite of the busy day of activities and various ideas about how to succeed, there is one important commonality for all of us. That despite some of the fun times we’ll have, it will take a little hard work, both in and outside of the classroom, to be successful. And that it will take consistent focus, especially given all the competing priorities, on the things that we decide we want to do, in order to do them well.

The good news is that at Kellogg, we will definitely have that chance. Because one of Kellogg’s goals is to create leaders that want to devote themselves to the world’s biggest global problems. And that process began for the class of 2012 today.

Next up tomorrow, Marketing with Professor Julie Hennessey and Finance with Professor Jiro Kondo.

Stay tuned!

The CEO of a start-up company is charged with analyzing the pros and cons of entering a team competition. It’s the last competition of the year and the company’s investment dollars depend on finishing at the top. But our team’s product has recently had problems that have gotten worse every competition until now, and the chances of it going bad during the competition are concerning, and it could put one of our employees in danger.  On the other hand, if we don’t compete then we we’ll have a significant amount of debt, lose our largest investor, and as a result, jeopardize the future of your company. As CEO, what would you decide? And how would you convince the people who disagree to follow your lead?

At long last, more than one week after getting started with orientation, we finally had our first day of class at Kellogg. The class is part of our orientation, which lasts for a three week period. At Kellogg, we take this as part of our leadership curriculum, in the Management and Organizations (i.e. MORS) department, which unlike most schools begins before classes ever start.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, MORS classes look like they should be a lot of fun and cover some really interesting topics that are critical for business leaders at the highest level. For example, in our orientation class, we’ve already taken part in a bidding competition to analyze group decision-making, we’ve watched 12 Angry Men to assess effective leadership and persuasion tactics (a staple at almost every MBA program), and we’ve taken part in multiple mock negotiations, where in one case we split off into teams of 3 and spent an hour negotiating with another team trying to agree on the terms of a partnership.

But on our first day, we took on a case study, which in retrospect was a really interesting case on decision-making. Sure we could have all guessed that it was about decision making before ever reading given the topic of the class, but in retrospect, most of us didn’t quite know how interesting the case would actually be.

In respect of the case, I won’t provide any of the details here, but in sum, we had to decide whether to compete or not given a myriad of facts (which are slightly different than I’ve described) and with unlimited time and information – characteristics of many of the best cases. As you might suspect, a lot of people used a decision tree to come up with a solution. Others took that further by putting numbers inside the boxes and performing calculations to figure out the respective future payoffs. A third group relied more on intuition. And a final set of people, chose more of a guessing methodology.

Our professor divided the class into groups of five, as we do in most of our class scenarios, to discuss the case and come up with a group recommendation, To Compete, or Not To Compete. And our recommendations were based on the case write up we had read the day before.

The hard part was that we had to decide what to do as a group, which was especially difficult given that no group had a team where everyone had made the same decision. In my group, three people decided To Compete, and two people, including me did not want To Compete.

The purpose of the case was to teach us about decision-making, when time and information are limited,  where members of a team disagree about the decision, and where the stakes and pressure are higher than usual.

In the end, what we found is that it wasn’t only a case about decision-making, it was also a case about leadership. How to make decisions for an entire organization. How to persuade and influence a team to follow our lead. And how to communicate that message, both to a group of five people, all who read and analyzed the case differently. A seemingly impossible task for class, and what would appear a herculean one in real life.

As you might suspect, there was no right answer to the specific case, but instead it was a good way to spur interesting debate and teach us lessons many of us will never forget. Bravo MORS for a fun introduction to Kellogg. I look forward to the MORS classes next week, and to the other classes once Kellogg officially begins in two weeks

Stay tuned for updates on class!