GSB Dean Jon Levin and Dean Emeritus Robert Joss in Conversation
Well. Good afternoon everyone, and welcome it's, great to see so many familiar faces, and. I. Have the real privilege of having a conversation with two, of our most. Wonderful, Dean's and I can say that because I've had the privilege, to serve on the, board with, Bob for six years on the advisory. Board council and now with, John for two years so I hope. We're gonna have a great conversation one. Thing I'm gonna talk. For about 25 minutes now I'm not gonna talk I'm gonna ask the questions they're gonna talk and, but then we will open, up for questions from the audience so we'll, hope that you'll be thinking about anything you want to ask either Dean, so. Bob why don't we start out with you and and can. You share a little bit more about what you've been doing since you left the dean's office well. Since I left I continued, as Rafe said to teach here which is great to have the contact, with students I teach in the fall and in the winter a, seminar. Leadership, for second, years and. I'm on five, boards, I guess still counting a non-profit, board I. Do, a little consulting, a little speaking, and. After. Playing tennis 50 years which I still do I'm taking, up golf. It's. Not. A. Game. But. Unlike, most people my age I am getting better. Not. Surprisingly. Anyway. Well, John what about you can you share our reflections, on your first year I mean you had a whirlwind, first year and now you're easing. Into your -. Well. First. Of all just I wanna say welcome, to all of you who are here it's so fabulous to have everyone back on campus and fabulous. To have a record, turnout for every, single class and just an amazing, sign of how, engaged, alumni are here it's it's just a pleasure to see it and, I, think you stand up for doing this and Bob also thank, you so much for doing this so, real honored to get to be up here with you, first. Year it was I had a fabulous first year I have, been at Stanford for well. 25. Years of you camp being a student. And but. Coming into the GSB one of the things I had the opportunity to do last year was just to get out and meet a ton, of people the faculty the staff the students, and many many alumni all around the country and and this year around.
The World and I. And, you that was a really special experience because, you see in doing that, what. A sensational. Group of people we've had here for such a long period of time and what, great leadership we've had at the school that has sustained, it as a, incredible. Institution and it's you know how, well positioned, it is to, be, not. Just today, a leader in management education and, an intellectual leadership but the. Opportunities. That we have in front of us so it was it was really inspirational. So. Bob I understand. Congratulations. Are, in order your 50th, in 50th. Reunion, so congratulations class of 65, 67. All right so. Taking. A step back with that perspective what. Do you think the key changes, are that we've seen in business education over, the last 50, years and, and. Importantly, how do you think it will continue, and change going forward, well. It's, great to be able to comment on 50 years. You. Know when we came here in 65. The group that's here I don't think we realized the revolution. That was going on at Stanford. At that time. You. Know Ernie Arbuckle was Dean he, had received. The advice, from Lee Bach and, Jim, Howell and others that you know business. Education, needed to be a lot more rigorous. As well as relevant and. Ernie. With, the backing of the university, went out and recruited, absolutely. Top scholars, in economics. And organizational. Psychology and. Statistics you, know people, like Lee Bach and, Hal, Levitt and. Ezra. Solomon, I mean many of the names we all remember. Here and, you. Know that was, an incredible, breakthrough it really launched, the. GSB into being the leading School of Business and, business, management in the world we just we. Thought. We took the best of the social scientists, and can Vince them to come to a business, school where. We enjoyed incredible respect. From the university that we hadn't had before we've been kind. Of dominated, by accountants, and, practitioners. And we became a really respectable. Academic. Institution. But a great place to come and learn, business. What. Do I think in the future I'm going to leave that to the game. Okay. Fair, enough John. So. The, so. Bob you, know I think he's, got an incredible perspective over all that time and I have to say when I got appointed in one of the first things I did was I went and read Jim. Howells buck he. Was the professor here who had written there's a crisis, in management education back, in the 50s that Bob referred to and he wrote a report for the Ford Foundation that. Laid out the path for formation education, which Ernie. Arbuckle to his great credit really. Executed. On like no one else in terms of building. A great academic. Business, School, having. Seen where the school is now I think it's interesting to see how it's evolved. Because and you know actually Bob gets a huge amount of credit because that. Academic. Foundation, of being having, been very rigorous, and being part of a great research university. And also relevant, that's. Been a foundation at school for a long time and Bob really, took, the school in many ways to a new level by bringing, in so much more in terms of leadership education and. Helping. People to, be at school not just get that foundation but, but. To be great you know personally, to be great communicators, to be great leaders of teams and organizations, and I think you, know that's been a big transition, at. The school that I see having you know looking, at it now for what's happened in the recent past at the school. So. Bob you spent time outside, the United States working in, Australia as I recall and you were really early on in our push for globalization as a school so what, skills, do you think are essential that students should acquire to be successful, in today's global business market well, the thing I see talking, to CEOs, and, and, businesspeople, big, organizations. Is you. Just have to be, able to operate in different cultures, different.
Countries Different cultures. Multicultural. Teams and. One of the biggest challenges, in a lot of companies is somebody is a real star, in their, home environment and they send them to another, part of the world and they just, struggle. They really, fumble, and have real difficulty. So. I think it's. Just a given that you're, gonna be involved, with teams. Around, the world with, multicultural. Workforces, you're. Probably going to be assigned to live and work in another country or culture at some point and the ability, to listen. And learn and. Figure. Out how to operate in a culture it's going to be a very critical, skill, I mean that's number, one the. Other might be technology, but. Talking. About that and, I was gonna follow up on that and John so talk to us about what, Stanford's doing to help students, prepare for that. Well. I think it is so it has become so, central. To the educational, experience, here now the global, nature first of all this school is 40 percent international, students, in the MBA program and, the MSX burden was about sixty percent international this. Year's MBA class there. Are. Over. 400 students there from 62. Different countries, and when, you sit. In this up, here on the stage you look at when we have a view from the top or a student you know welcome or whatever it is. It's. Like walking. Into the United Nations and. For, the students, there. That just means they're being constantly. Exposed, to people from different backgrounds. Different you. Know geographies. Different, cultures and it makes for an, incredibly rich environment, just at the school in terms of how they relate to another and then, of course we've also put a lot of global and again this you know came out of Bob's. Time. Is doing a lot, of focus on global education. Into the program so every student has a global experience often a global trip we've now started. Offer not just a global. Study. Trip during the school year but we offer students, the opportunity even. Before they start, at the school to go on a faculty-led.
Global. Study seminar. So they can have their first experience actually traveling. Around the world and seeing what's. Going on businesses and organizations, even before they get, here, okay. So how many of us wish we could come back to today's, program and. Do it all over again I know I can say. No. That that's terrific, it's. So Bob you know you're still teaching obviously. At the GSB thankfully. Can. You give us some perspective on, how the changes, you've seen since. You've finished your term as dean. Well. I think today's. Students, are, you, know they're more globally, aware they're, more socially, conscious. They. Want to do well but they also want to do good and. As. John, pointed, out they are incredibly. Multinational. You know when you think about four. Hundred and seventeen students from 61, different countries. The. Other thing it amazed me I'm just looking at the new class coming in they, come from 300. Different organizations. So four hundred seventeen people, coming from three hundred and different organizations. That's. Very few that, are coming from the same employer, you know which is probably. A surprise to, a lot of people that. It was that, diversified. They're, just they're an incredible, group of young men and women like, they've always been like you were, like. We all were but they, just they bring this worldliness. That, is new in the last I don't know 20 years or so which, is really, impressive, and they brought a new sense of social. Consciousness that, I think we maybe saw back in the 60s, and, 70s. Then, it disappeared, for a while it's definitely. Reappeared. Let's. Pick up one I think that you that raises, such a good point about you. Know there. Was there. Was a period, at the school and some of you were here for it in the those of you who were stay class of 72. That. When and, you. Know when RJ Miller came in as Dean when. You. Know there was a huge, rise in the awareness of. How. Much businesses, and organizations, had to think about political and social issues and, you. Know to some extent over time. Wind and particularly in Silicon Valley where it. Has felt at least in the years, that I've been living in Silicon Valley pretty. Distant, from a lot of the problems, of the world and distant from Washington, and. Understanding. That everyone is operating, businesses, that have global markets, but not necessarily, you. Know it's on the internet doesn't necessarily have to deal with all of the, on-the-ground social, and political issues. The students. That. We have today are so acutely. Aware, of, those, issues and, have, such a desire to engage, with, those types of issues, there's it's just a real rise. In, the you know as Bob said the desire to be professionally. Successful, but, also to do, something meaningful in terms of making a difference in the world and doing at the same time not. Not necessarily sequentially. But taking, that on all at once and. That's. A you know that that it actually is an incredible, opportunity for us at the school because it means they have such a desire, to learn about kind, of the broader context, of what businesses, and organizations, are doing I, think, they're also a couple, of other big changes, even since 2009. And, Garth. And John deserve, all the credit is, many. More joint degrees you'd be astonished, at how many students are, doing joint degrees and how many joint degrees are possible, you know we just had the JD MBA, for, many years and now I don't know John it's, 20.
Or Something I mean it's a lot of joint degree possibilities. Of. Course from a physical, point of view the biggest change since 2009. Was the opening of this I wondered if you were gonna say that Bob is. Really. We, wouldn't be here amazing, you know for what it's done I think for us as a school and we have, and is your legacy we. Have you to thank for that I remember, very distinctly I'd, pick up your. Bob. Gonna, pick I brought, to pick up this because it's another thing that Bob initiated, although he didn't take credit for the joint degrees which is one. Of the the, directions. That the school has gone starting. When Bob came in actually. Was. To. Be more integrated, with the rest of the university that's what I have, been thinking a lot about because having, been you, know at the other parts of the university and seeing how. Central. The business school could. Be on, many, problems, that people are thinking about all around Stanford if, our, faculty, and students are engaged with you know other departments, other schools. So. That's something that I've been thinking about a lot and bob was. Actually, the person who really kicked that off I think John, etchemendy said, to me I, when. When, I was going through the Dean search process he said when he arrived as Provost, at Stanford, mm right when Bob came in the, business school had erected a force field around itself. That. Was keeping people in and repelling. All invaders, nice, chair and you. Know Bob to. His credit he brought, down that force field and kicked, off a really wonderful process, of engagement. With the, engineering. School the law school the Medical School the Earth, Sciences School the humanities, and Sciences all of the parts of similar would there's incredible knowledge and people need to know but organizations and that's. What we, know about here. We. Owe you a lot appreciate all that well I know and it's people often ask me well why did you do that because as, I think about it, while. The campus, I feel great about physically. I do feel the best about the. Fact that we are such, a more, important, and integrated, part of the university, and. You, know as friends. Of mine in the audience with know you know having been a CEO and, having, been a group head so I was a group head for a long time that's like a Dean you know when you're a group head and. When, you're a group head you wonder what the hell is wrong with our CEO he just doesn't, get it. But. When you're the CEO you think what's wrong with these group hands weren't they thinking. Why. Aren't they thinking about the whole place, and so. Coming. To be Dean was sort of like stepping back to be a group head again, and. Yet I knew what it was like to be the president of University in a way I knew what it was like to sit in that spot and, how. Dysfunctional it, was when each group just thought look just stay out of our way leave. Us with autonomy. It, just can't be a great university, if you don't have schools. That work together and so I was you, know it just became, a natural, thing for me the more I thought about it the more I thought it was a powerful, force both for our school and for the University and, that's what really drove, me to to want to see that happen. Okay. Great, I. Think. I think. That's a good time to open them up to questions, in the audience, so. Please raise your hand if you have a question and we got a couple roving mics, so. We've got one over here one. Down here. Thank. You very much um you've, I, think, touched on both of the issues I'd like to raise I'd like to push a little deeper. Some. People, including, people right on this campus, very eminent scholars, would argue that we are historically, at a fast, changing, moment globally, and that. Our world is changing and that all of the assumptions that we have taken for granted since, world war ii may, be shifting, and, i guess my question is how does a business school keep up its antenna. So. That it remains, aware. Of this possibility and. Is, able to respond, to the possibility, of a real tidal, wave happening, that. Could in some sense sweep away a lot of the discussion.
That We have been accustomed to having and may, I just add a second point in relation to what. Dean, chaucer's just said I think, it's fantastic, that. This business school is a part of this university in the way that it is and that is, why we are a great business school and let's say HBS, is not because they're. Not. Not that we're competitive, with them at all. Specific. My specific, question is are. We having our reunion, time. From the rest of the university I understand. The practicalities. Partying. You, know whatever. But we should be, all assembling. As a part of this great University not on a separate day in my opinion. Well. Let me take the I want to let me take the question the first part of that question which about the time. In the world so, because. I think actually that's a that's such a good question, you. Know when the MBA students came this year I get, to talk to them for the the, first thing that happens they all come into here and I get 20, minutes to talk to them and you. Know what I said to them this year was you, know first of all you've, come to a very special place, and. You. Know the history of this school and the to have gone through it before you. Know that sets a real standard, for. What we expect of you but. You've also come at a very special, time in the world when. There's a lot of uncertainty, about technology. About. Politics. About, society. And you. Know there's a lot of opportunities, in the world right now but, there's also lots, of division, and contention, and, you. Know it's, a time when the, world. Needs, you know really great, citizens. And leaders, and, that's. You know that's what, we, admit, students because we think that's what, they have the potential to become, and. You. Know I think one of the ways that the school can have, and make, a difference, at such. A time in the world is of, course through our students. And our alumni and, then. There are other ways as well and I think one of the you know one of the things of course that that that. The school has I think started, to do more of and, will. Continue to do more of I mean we've touched on some of the things like the integration, with the university, and continue to be great to school from education, is, finding. Ways to just directly, engage with the world to do more programs, that are directly. Out there with our faculty, working. With organizations. And leaders around. The world through.
Programs, Like the Stanford seed program in Africa and India through some of the programs we run here on campus. Opening. Up access to some extent to the school through online education, which we've started to do more of not in a way that diminishes. The incredible, selectivity, and immersion of the experience here but in a way that does. Remove. Us a little bit from our posture as being so extraordinarily, elite. And. You. Know I think I think there's a lot we can do something we have to be very very mindful, of. Here. Upfront. We. Have a mic. Or. Un sustainability. Goals. Things, of this nature my. Question is when, do you expect to. Gear up for. Helping, them bridge the public/private. Divide. Well. It's. Interesting you say that's sort of a one I would take that as one particular. Issue. Of. Which there are many. Where, you would think about where can the school have impact on a problem, of you know broad, social consequence, and a, problem that is you, know important, for organizations and. But, that's also sort of broadly important, for you. Know society, climate. Change would be one your changes, in technology. Around, artificial. Intelligence and automation and the effects they're gonna have on people's lives would be another we could come up with globalization. With you know we could come up with a list of them I think. The schools incredibly. Well positioned to, be doing, great things and we are in many ways we have you know we have we. Have fabulous, faculty who are expert on many of those areas and we work with a lot of the other schools and that's actually one of the ways I think we can in. Some of those areas were strongest, together with the university because on something like, climate. Change, Stanford. Is a tremendous, leader in sustainability, and, an, environmental. Science and environmental, policy a lot of the expertise is some of it's here and a lot of it dripping on the technical side is outside of the school and so that's an area where you, know we're we're. Strongest, working with the schools that's what we do with our stay with our joint degree in environmental, science and the, MBA program. Thank. You there's, a question in the back. Go. With the microphone, here. It. Was struck listening to the deans talk about the infant. Emphasis on globalization, and. Multinational. And the, internationalization, of the program, happening. At the same time that our own country, is America. For, those American, are looking. Inward and becoming much less focused. On the external world and they. Really two questions one is just you. Know is Stanford moving, even farther away and, there's a gulf between you. Know Stanford, and elite education. With. Kinds of country as a whole is that an issue is that something that we're concerned about and, then, it just sparked the question, do you see yourselves. As a as, an American, business school or a multinational. Business school, and then how do you see Stanford's, place in the, world at this point. We. Both try it, I. Think. Clearly, the demographics. Of America, are changing, dramatically, so even, if you thought I'm gonna make my whole career, in, America, with an American, company the. Odds that you're gonna have to learn, and work with and. Work. As a team with, people from different cultures are virtually, a hundred percent and, even as an American company you may have a supplier, and. Relationships. With other parts of the world that are really critical, to make your American. Company successful, so you. Know I I don't think, that's at all inconsistent. With saying you know you know we're based here and we're an American, based school are, we at American school or on global school well. We're. Both eyes. That's. Exactly right we're, both we have to be both you can't I mean you can't be a leading business now and not think, about the global context, of business it's just we, couldn't, do, Jeff even if our students were all from the US we couldn't do justice, to their education, if we didn't give them that whole global context, and give them the ability to work in a global organization, global.
Markets And so forth so, that I think is a that that's for. Sure I think you raise another point though which, is. Our. Institutions. Like, Stanford, like, the GSB and our, peer institutions are we out of touch with. Some. Of the country and that. I think is the central, concern I mean if you I some, of you may have seen the Pew survey last summer which. There, was a few survey that asked the question are. Universities. Essentially. Are they are they doing social but are they good or bad for the country and. More. Than 50%, of. Of. Republicans. Who answer that said, no they're, not of course they're they're a negative, force. You. Know there's a long term that. Is a long term risk. For. Institutions. Like Stanford and we have to take it head-on yeah, we have that we absolutely have to just tackle that, head-on. And we have to both, be a force for good and we have to affect. More effectively. Articulate, and communicate. What. Are you know the way that we contribute, to society which is a lot of it is through you it's through all of the are the people who have come through this school and what they go out and do in the world but, we need to be more effective, at bridging. That divide, between. You, know where we sit here and we. Are in many ways an elite institution we take five, and a half 5.9. Percent of our applicants, I and. Where, the country is today so that's I think that's just absolutely, critical. To what we need to accomplish over not just over the next five years but over the next you know 20 30 years, of here. Question. In the back. Yes. Hi thank you I think. That the. Question, is related to the you, know to the future of work and you. Know there's been a lot of discussion, around whether. You. Know innovation. And technology, take away. The jobs from people I think that has not happened in, the history but there's a lot of people claiming that it could pass now I personally, don't believe it but what, I do believe is that a, you. Know there's a lot of adaptation. That educational. Systems, have to go about to be able to address those changes, so I would like to know what the. GSB is thinking around this and and what are some of the things that you guys are doing to make sure that you, know the people are adapted. To this new world. Yeah. So, I love. That question that's something I've been thinking so much about you. Know both as as an economist, because this is you know probably the number. One topic of interest among I, in. It among economists these, days is what what does technology gonna, do what are the effects of technology gonna be we have so many new these you know. Transformational. New technologies. In. Digital. Technologies, and I think we you know we don't even fully appreciate, now I'm pretty sure I don't fully appreciate now, the effects is riho in all different industries on the and. On. Work on income. Distribution and just on things like the way we were relate to one another as people, and, Stanford. This year we're going through a long-range planning process, at the University, which, involves all the schools and this is one of the topics that we've started talking we're gonna sponsor. Here at the school a. Colloquium. For faculty all around the University so that we can bring people together and start talking, about exactly.
These Issues and hear from the technical side where the frontier, is here from the social scientists, here from the business. Folks here from the anthropologists. You hear from all different perspectives and, see what, the university started to think about what we, might do and again this is an area where I think we can do a lot of great things here but this is an area where we have incredible. Resources because, of our position that Stanford. This. Is for the Dean. What. Are the top three things that. Keep you awake at night. You. Know I'm. Actually like Peter I can't Bob awaken die but I'll just I'm not to say we, have a thousand students here. It's. Actually it's like that's. It's hard to sleep when your response, for all those students and, I, actually mean that kind of seriously, that's you know one of the things that keeps me awake at night it's just the well-being, of the people here on campus that's probably. The single biggest thing. You. Know I the. I, would say now that we know it's pick one more is you know we're, the schools in such a strong place and it. Has you know and I think the, the to. Me the the there, are risks to the school but the biggest risk is just that we'll be complacent, and we won't realize, the opportunities, that we have and so. That's probably the other thing is just being. You're, really open. To what the possibilities are and then really diligence, because you, have to execute, to. Actually take advantage of opportunities, when they arrive so, I really love what he said about being, responsible for their well-being you. Know there's a famous scholar. Ron, Heifetz, in, leadership literature, and. He said you know your job is not to maximize. Their comfort, your. Job is to maximize their, well-being you, know you got to knock them out of their comfort zone. Getting. That balance right between them, having a great time here about really, pushing, them because they're capable of being pushed so much further than they realize and I, think that keeps, any Dean awake any. Leader no so Bob when you working what were the most daunting. Challenges. And decisions that you had to face. Well. I think some of the big decisions, were you, know pushing, for the campus, which was not. Supported. Initially by the university, that we were way down the totem pole in terms of, priorities. And so, having. To push for that and having to sell that within the university. And. And I think pushing, for the collaboration. With the rest of the university there, was a lot of suspicion both, in the school and also in the rest of the university of you.
Know Because of our long history of being very autonomous, and very, much having this fortress, as as John, described, so. I think those were those. Are probably two of the most daunting things, in. Terms of the challenge, I think for me as a Dean, coming in from business, the. Big personal, challenge, was how, to get to know the faculty the, fact the culture, to, develop. A relationship with, faculty because I was not from the faculty like. John is so that you, know it depends from where you come as to what you really need to emphasize. A little bit in terms of working on but. You did have a PhD which, gave you pretty high marks with the with the faculty yeah but no tenure. It's. Actually here you say that actually because, it makes me it makes me think of course you had the advantage of having come in having run an organization with twenty five thousand people so, then you have come into much smaller so you know for me I had sort of the reverse yeah, yeah. Personal. Challenge which is have you come in and run a larger, organization when, you've only run a smaller one before and of course it's very different in many ways so. Our motto is change lives change organizations, change. The, world and obviously a lot is changing at, the GSB, what. Doesn't, change about the GSB over time and and. How, do we preserve that. You. Know when I came here to be Dean. Gerhard. Casper's President University, said Bob there's. Something, about the GSB culture, you've got to work on I said what's. That Gerhard, well I said I go all over the world I meet Stanford, alumni they say president, Casper I love Stanford I learned, so much he. Said but I meet business school alums they say president, Casper I love Stanford I had such a great time. I. Said. Can all relate to that I said. Gerhardt you know my goal would be that they'll tell you I love, Stanford I learned, so much and I had such a great time and, actually I think that's the way it's been for a long time people learn more than they realize they learned and more, they think they learn at the time I think they they learn a lot and they, have a great time and that hasn't changed. So, I have, another, another. Story, which I told the other night then if a few of you were there but I'm gonna tell it again because it was such a lovely story and it was about a member of one of the reunion classes. At. The class of 82 I was in Beijing last week and. We. We were in Beijing and I was doing a press event, with two, of our alums who are, in Beijing it was an entrepreneur's. A technology. Company and there were all these Chinese, press there and the alums, were telling, the press about. How. What the school had meant to them and how and how great, it had been their experience what they learned how the and how the alumni, network had, been so important, to them and had, given the just always there were alums whenever you needed help you could always find an alum to help you out they were everywhere, so. We're doing this and this, fellow walks into the room and. Mexican. Fellow and, he. And. He says are you from the Stanford GSB and, we. Said yeah yeah we're from the Stanford GSB and he. Says I saw the sign outside, he said I'm MBA class of 82. And. He, says, and. He says. I'm. Just here on vacation with, it's my wife's birthday and we're visiting from Mexico but were in Beijing and, I.
And We said wow. That's great we start talking and it turns out that you know he's, got some amazing connections, with the school his father-in-law, is, is, is. The is that was the architect, who designed the, Schwab dormitory. Ricardo LeGarrette oh yeah and. His. Brother-in-law, is, the architect, who, designed the. New residence. Highland Hall which you can all go see Victor. Lake Greta. So. Incredible, connection and then we asked him what was your time like at the school, and the, Sioux the press asking that and he says we know of course the other two alums we've prepped them on you know we have what they're gonna say but. This. Guy's a total wildcard, we have no idea what he's gonna what he's gonna say to all, the assembled press I'm, sort of wondering with some trepidation what's. He gonna say so first he tells this alumni story he says well. Let me tell you about the kind of people that you meet at the GSB like how great the alumni are he, says at. Summer, after my first year I went, to get a hamburger with, a guy at the Oasis in Menlo Park one, of my classmates and. He. Says to me I'm not coming back to the school next year because. My roommate has, it from college has offered me a job at. A technology firm in Seattle. Classmates. Like Steve Ballmer. And. Then. He says he. Said they asked me what you know can you just summarize, what the GSB meant, to you like what happened to you at the school and, he said, so wonderful I loved it and he, said you know I was only at the GSB for two years it's, a short amount of time but, the school changed, my life and, it. Gave me the skills to change every, organization, that I've been in since. That time, you. Know and I think that's a very persistent thing at the school so it was great I think, we would all agree with that so. So. Last question John, we're about to present an award after John, Gardner can, you tell us what, his legacy is at the GSB and why we have this award I'm. Gonna turn that over to Bob because well, I'll talk about John Gardner in a minute I'm happy to but I Bob knew John Gardner so I want to give you a chance Bob to say well I did.
I Knew John really well and. He. Was a great counselor. To me and was very pleased, when I became. Dean he, was so, complimentary, and, he encouraged, me to teach leadership. Because. He had taught leadership I think he was one of the first to try and teach here at the school and it, was at a time when it was not popular, really the faculty, didn't know it was teachable, the students, weren't quite sure and. Yet John had done so much incredible, thinking. And, writing, about, leadership, what, leaders all are all about what, you're responsible for, he. Still, today you know and I followed the literature, a lot probably, some of the best material, is, John's, writing, and he'd, be very very pleased I know to see all that we're doing now in. Leadership that would. Be way beyond what he might have imagined, was possible, so. I'm just really thrilled that he has still this connection, and legacy to the school he was a great, great friend of Ernie's so those of you from the. Older classes, who knew Ernie well know that he and John were just such great friends. John. So Jen governor furred maybe, not all of you knew him I actually never met him he. He. Was the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare he ran the Carnegie Foundation he, started common cause he was an incredible, citizen. And leader, founded, many organizations, started, the White House Fellows Program and. He, came back to Stanford. He was it'd been an undergraduate then he came back to Stanford after being away for some time and he. Gave the actually. When I was when I was a freshman at Stanford I didn't go to graduation, but he gave the the, commencement it was Stanford's hundreth commencement, and last, night I was, looked. That speech app because. I was thinking about this ceremony, and it's. An amazing speech it's, at, worth going on looking up he the most famous thing that John Gardner, wrote was about and it's very apropos of this event he wrote about renewal, and, that's his most famous book you read a lot of books as well leadership. In other things and, that's. We talk about in this commencement speech was about it, was about organizational. Renewal how. Do you make sure how do you have wide of some organizations, decline, and why does some continue, to grow, and about, personal, renewal and about, the way he put it as why do some people go to seed while other people will remain vital and I'm. You. Know I thought that what it that's such a great theme actually for an event like this because of course here we are at the were a long-lived institution, we have to make sure that we're, an organization, that goes like this keeps, going up and you. Know reunions are all about renewal. They're about you know, they're about renewing. Your relationships. With your friends about, refresh. Your connection, with the school and you. Know about I'm thinking. You know what's, what's, next and I, and. I think that's you know so it's wonderful that we recognize, him at this event. With the Gardner award. Well. On that note on behalf of all the alumni here I want, to thank the deans for this conversation, but even, more importantly for all the service that you have done for the GSB and we appreciate it.
2017-11-27 16:27
