Latest news with #StanfordGraduateSchoolofBusiness
CNBC
26-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Robert E. Siegel
Robert E. Siegel is a Lecturer in Management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a venture investor. He has led research and written cases on a wide array of companies, including Google, Charles Schwab, Stripe, and Target. Robert is also the author of "The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures that Make or Break Today's Companies."
CNBC
26-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
I studied 400 highly successful leaders—5 skills you need to sharpen in the age of AI: Stanford business lecturer
The rapid advancement of AI is reshaping industries, redefining job roles, and making adaptability more critical than ever. The question isn't whether it will impact your career, but how you can prepare yourself to thrive in this evolving landscape. As a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the author of "The Systems Leader," I've spent 23 years studying how professionals can navigate disruptive changes. Resilience in the AI era requires a combination of continuous learning, adaptability and relationship-building. After studying over 400 leaders from around the world, here are the five best habits I've seen for future success: The most successful people, the ones who build thriving careers amid uncertainty, actively seek out new knowledge and skillsets. They understand that ignoring changes you don't like, especially when it comes to technology, is a dangerous trap that can lead to obsolescence. Break out of your usual information bubbles. Resist the urge to stick exclusively with people from the same background who all see the world the same way. Take a class on AI or connect with colleagues who are in different stages of their careers, especially younger folks who are immersed in technology. AI is good at logic and data analysis, but it doesn't have the capacity for genuine emotional understanding. One of the leaders I spoke to for my research was Kathy Mazzarella, the CEO of Graybar, a company that specializes in supply chain management. She has been described as leading with an "iron fist in a soft glove." Mazzarella told me that while it's important to hold people accountable, when she sees someone struggling at work, she'll start with an open conversation before making any big staffing decisions. Deciding between ambition and kindness is a false choice; successful people find a way to do both. Whether it's a skills gap, a job mismatch, or someone going through a personal challenge, how you handle each of those scenarios will not be the same. Being able to understand your place in a broader ecosystem is an increasingly critical skill. For example, Seth Bodnar, the President of the University of Montana, needs to balance a variety of constituents, from students to alumni to faculty to administrators to the government to employers and even the cities in which his campuses reside. How to balance the needs of each party, and how each interacts with others, helps ensure that friction between key parties can be reduced if it flares up. Success comes from recognizing how different sectors influence one another, and how innovation often comes from outside traditional silos. One thing I encourage companies to do is draw an influence map of their ecosystem, and look for where key constituents both influence others, and are also dependent upon others. This can help visualize very complex dynamics in their ecosystem. The most effective professionals build strong relationships inside and outside their organization to gain critical insights that they might otherwise miss. Internally, colleagues across departments provide key insights that challenge assumptions and reveal inefficiencies. An engineer may see customer obstacles differently than a marketer, and frontline employees often identify operational gaps that executives might overlook. Seeking input from people at all levels sharpens decision-making and helps prevent costly oversights. Externally, industry peers, mentors, and customers offer outside perspectives that can be just as valuable. Because they aren't embedded in your company's culture, they're more likely to ask tough questions, point out emerging trends, or challenge conventional thinking. The AI revolution is real, and rather than fearing this, we should see it as a chance to evolve and grow. During a visit to my class in 2021, Corie Barry, the CEO of Best Buy, offered some valuable advice: "You can't fall in love with how you do business today." The only employees who thrive over time are the ones who are willing to do things completely different from the past. By cultivating human skills, understanding industry ecosystems, embracing change, and focusing on internal and external relationships, you can build a career that not only survives but thrives in the age of AI.
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty return to Stanford 19 years after graduation
Nineteen years after they graduated from Stanford University, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty returned to their alma mater as commencement speakers. The couple addressed the Class of 2025 at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GBS), where they first met as MBA students. Their return to campus was marked by personal memories, family reflections and three key lessons they shared with graduates. The ceremony also brought back memories for Akshata's brother, Rohan Murty. In a LinkedIn post, he recalled attending his sister's graduation nearly two decades ago. 'This year, I returned to the same ceremony but with an incredible twist,' he wrote. 'My sister, Akshata Murty, and her husband, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, were the commencement speakers. It was an extraordinary honour, not just for them as the first couple to give a GSB commencement address, but for Stanford as well. Rishi is the first alum to become a G7 Prime Minister.' Sunak and Murty used the opportunity to reflect on their journey and shared advice based on their experiences in public life, business and family. In the speech, which Sunak later posted on YouTube, they spoke about the importance of data, idealism, and doing the right thing or what they called 'dharma'. Sunak told the students that while data is powerful, it can't tell the full story. 'Data can't look around corners,' he said, encouraging graduates to trust their instincts alongside evidence. Murty focused on combining values with action. 'An idealist with nothing to show for it is still just an idealist,' she said. 'A practical idealist can achieve the remarkable.' They also urged the graduates to follow their sense of duty. 'Doing what's right, even when the outcome is uncertain, is the principle of dharma,' Murty added. In an Instagram video, Murty looked back on how their relationship began during their student days. 'No one was more annoying than Rishi when he insisted on coming for a run and then talked the whole way around,' she said, smiling at the memory. A post shared by Rishi Sunak (@rishisunakmp) She also joked about how a former admissions officer once told her the pair were meant to be together. 'Twenty years and two daughters later… Stanford, you're an even better matchmaking service,' she said during the speech. For Rohan Murty, the event was deeply personal. 'Witnessing the incredible changes in my sister's life over nearly two decades was truly moving,' he wrote. He even joked that he had finally 'graduated' too after attending a second Stanford ceremony 19 years later, this time wearing a dress shirt instead of his usual t-shirt. The couple received a standing ovation from the graduates and their families.
NDTV
17-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"20 Years, 2 Daughters Later", Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty Return To Stanford
Two decades after meeting and falling in love on campus, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, investor and philanthropist Akshata Murty, returned to Stanford Graduate School of Business, not as students but as commencement speakers for the Class of 2025. "This is literally where we met," said Ms Murty during the address on Saturday. Recalling her journey from India to California, she described Stanford as "nothing short of transformational." "It opened our eyes to a whole new way of thinking. It also changed the course of our lives," she said. Ms Murty revealed that a former admissions director once told her, based only on their application essays, that she and Mr Sunak were destined to be together. "So, thank you, Stanford. Twenty years and two daughters later, forget about being the best business school in the world, you're an even better matchmaking service," she joked. Later, she posted a photo from their favourite spot in Stanford on Instagram, writing, "Back up at the Dish for our favourite morning run in Stanford." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rishi Sunak (@rishisunakmp) In her speech, Ms Murty also shared a memory from their student days. "There was no one more annoying than Rishi when we would go on a run. He would beg to come and then he would want to talk to me the whole way around the loop." Together, the couple shared three key life lessons they have learned along the way. The first lesson was about the "comfort of data." "I'm a numbers guy," Mr Sunak said, mentioning how it helped him bond with his father-in-law, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy. But he said there were limitations. "Data can't look around corners," he said. The second takeaway was led by Ms Murty, who focused on bridging idealism with practicality. Reflecting on her early drive to address inequality and push for social change, she spoke about how Mr Sunak would constantly challenge her to think deeper. "He always asked, 'how?' I had genuinely never met someone my age who thought like that," she said. That approach, she explained, helped her shift from purely idealistic goals to taking small, tangible steps that could lead to meaningful impact. "There was no one more intriguing than Rishi when he was talking to me about how to affect social change at scale. Idealism is inspiring, but he helped me see that if it's untethered from reality, there is no traction. You float without impact. I learned from him that the path to achieving something transformational is rooted in the gravity of tangible steps," she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akshata Murty (@akshatamurty_official) The third principle was drawn from the Sanskrit idea of Dharma, the notion of doing one's duty without obsessing over the result. "It's about finding fulfillment in effort, not outcomes," they said. Mr Sunak closed the speech with a tribute to their relationship, "We've always pushed each other's thinking to become sharper and better." The graduates of Stanford's Class of 2006, got married in 2009.
India Today
17-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty return to Stanford, where it all began
Nearly two decades after they first met on campus, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, returned to Stanford Graduate School of Business, this time, not as students, but as commencement speakers for the Class of the stage together, the couple blended humour with heartfelt reflection as they walked students through life lessons, their personal journey, and how Stanford shaped them, as professionals and as is literally where we met,' said Murty, who spoke about her journey from India to California, adding that Stanford was nothing short of transformational. 'It opened our eyes to a whole new way of thinking. It also changed the course of our lives,' she said. Murty revealed that their connection may have been fated. A former admissions director once told her, based solely on their application essays, that she and Sunak were meant to be together. 'So, thank you, Stanford. Twenty years and two daughters later, forget about being the best business school in the world, you're an even better matchmaking service,' she joked, drawing applause and laughter from the shared a three-part framework of lessons they had learned together and from each other. The first was about the 'comfort of data.' 'I'm a numbers guy,' he said, adding that it helped him bond with his father-in-law, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy. He underlined the value of combining data with intuition, saying, 'Data can't look around corners.'advertisementThe second lesson, delivered by Murty, focused on balancing big dreams with practical steps. She reflected on her desire to tackle inequality and social change in India, and how Sunak always challenged her to think beyond idealism. 'He always asked, 'how?' I had genuinely never met someone my age who thought like that,' she third takeaway was rooted in the Sanskrit concept of Dharma, the idea of doing one's duty without obsessing over the reward. 'It's about finding fulfillment in effort, not outcomes,' they also looked back at their student days with affection. 'I used to get annoyed with him. He'd insist on joining me for a run, and wouldn't stop talking,' she quipped. But she didn't shy away from praising him either: 'A practical idealist can achieve the remarkable.'Sunak concluded with a nod to their dynamic. 'We've always pushed each other's thinking to become sharper and better.'The event wasn't just a nostalgic return, it was a full-circle moment, filled with honesty, humour, and the kind of grounded advice that can only come from experience, love, and a shared the video here: Later, in an Instagram post, Murty shared a picture from their favourite spot in Stanford, writing, "Back up at the Dish for our favourite morning run in Stanford." advertisementTake a look at the post here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rishi Sunak (@rishisunakmp)Their speech reminded graduates that while ambition and intellect matter, it's the people you meet and the values you carry that truly shape the journey ahead.
