Savvy's Resolute Adventures

Life after HBS: Part 3 of 3 Build a Holistic Perspective of Business, Government, and Academics

Michael Jacobs’ holistic view of business, government and academics dates back to 4^th grade when he read about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee. He soon realized that these great Virginians were all involved in commerce, politics, and academics.

At a very early age, Jacobs decided to do all three. He served in the U.S. Treasury during the Bush (Sr.) administration. He founded a boutique investment banking firm, Jacobs Capital, which has helped over 300 private company owners with liquidity and exit strategies and completed over 75 transactions. He is also the author of Short-Term America (Harvard Business School Press) and Break the Wall Street Rule: Outperform the Stock Market by Investing as an Owner  (Addison Wesley) and teaches corporate governance at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

“Understanding business today is so difficult if you don’t understand how government works and how policies are made in Washington,” he said, “I can’t really quantify it but I just enjoyed all three worlds so much more because I’ve been in the other two. It’s been a really rich experience.”

Jacobs has no plans for retirement except for including a teaching theme. In the classroom, he puts academic literature into the context of the real world for students. He believes that HBS stands out because of the real world experience that the professors bring into the classroom, and he tries to bring the same to his students. He spends hours talking to students about their career plans and upcoming job opportunities. It's little wonder his classes are always oversubscribed and attract the brightest students.

Life After HBS: Part 1 of 3 - From Guinness Beer to Cuticle Creme

Speaker's Note:
I'd like to applaud Jing Zhao and Peggy Lim for excellent reporting on this evening which was a delight to moderate - my 4  panelists inspired us all and the packed audience provided excellent Q&A.

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Michael Jacobs, John Replogle, Jim Whitehurst, and Tony Frazier…If you ask what these four high-powered Triangle leaders have in common, the short answer is that they all went to Harvard Business School.  But that is not the whole story.  Last fall, they shared their experiences in a Harvard Club of the Research Triangle panel moderated by fellow alum Grace Ueng on Cisco’s RTP campus. Their insightful remarks left the audience with some key lessons on career development and leadership.

From Guinness Beer to Cuticle Creme
John Replogle, President and CEO of Burt's Bees, said that his two-year experience at Harvard Business School allowed him to “challenge, develop and think”  about who he was and what he stood for.  Replogle has proven himself as a strong business leader who is also recognized for his commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability issues.

Being successful is about discovering who you are. While Replogle has an impressive track record from leading global marketing for companies like Guiness and Unilever, he keeps in mind that he looks for a culture that “fits his entrepreneurial personality.”  When Burt’s Bees offered him the CEO position in 2006, he found it a good fit. When asked about his job at Burt’s Bees, Replogle described their mantra called “the Greater Good” which further breaks down to “people, planet, and profit.” The idea is that if a company is socially responsible, profit will follow. Replogle said that it was a place where he could be at his best and also be passionate about contributing to an enduring impact on the planet.

Replogle described himself as a “goal getter” who set personal and career goals every five years. “I had a great mentor who encouraged me to write a mission statement - I wrote down that I would like to make people's lives better every day. I found it helpful as I could make all my decisions centered on the concept. I’ve been writing goals for myself since I was 25, and I believe it is good practice,” said Replogle.

 

Life after HBS: Part 2 of 3: Go beyond the Diploma, Learn Leadership on the Job

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Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO of Red Hat, on the other hand didn’t plan out his career path. Instead, his professional life was “full of surprises.” A self-described “computer geek,” Whitehurst never really thought about going to business school. But he ended up being sponsored to study at HBS by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). After graduation, he enjoyed many years of client work at BCG before being named partner at the very young age of 32. Then, his client Delta Airlines presented him a life-changing offer. Although he said he knew little about being a treasurer at an airline, Whitehurst’s eagerness to “figure things out” let him take on different challenges and eventually become the company’s COO who helped put together a turnaround plan that saved the company.

Whitehurst believes that one can only “learn leadership on the job.”

“I learned it at three o’clock in the morning standing in front of the 500 mechanics who were going to lose their jobs and looking at me asking why. That was at the midnight shift the day Delta Airlines filed for bankruptcy,” said Whitehurst. “And that’s when you learn to build character and leadership skills - how you respond, act, inspire and motivate people in good situations and bad situations.”

After saving Delta, Whitehurst soon became sought-after for turnaround plans when a Raleigh-based company called Red Hat attracted his attention.

 “It is something I can be really excited about – at Red Hat we are starting a new, unimaginable business model that is shaping the industry.”

Understanding the Tiger Mom: Education vs. Sports

The US ranks very poorly in education versus other nations - average to bottom of various research studies. In China, schooling and education is given the utmost importance [listen Tiger Mom talk show].

In a very well attended evening talk with a visiting NYT best selling author on parenting, one father stood up and asked why Asian students seem in general to do so much better academically in the US.  The author stated that the vast difference in importance placed on sports could be a big contributing factor.

This comment that Asian parents do not value sports made me better understand my family.  I was a football cheerleader  for 2 years and my parents had no interest in attending a game. That was my only 'sport' - participating in athletic pursuits were not valued in my family. My parents have no interest in my endurance pursuits and did not want me to bike or do anything "dangerous".  After my pianist sister hurt her wrist riding her bike down our street, she and I were relegated to riding in circles in our driveway.

With the exception of perhaps sumo and baseball, there are not many professional sports in Asian countries compared to the US, where incredible amounts of money are spent on sports. So, different cultural values result. Time and energy are spent on different activities. For instance, when you go to Taiwan, stores are typically open very long hours.  Chinese people generally value hard work and as a result, economies flourish.  

I have always been in situations where  I had to be a very hard worker.  I knew from the start, I would never be the smartest so I had to work hard.  I had Calvin Kuo and Alan Chao in my elementary and high school achieving greatness,  so I knew I had to work hard to keep up!

   

Resolute Adventures: Passions Drive Them

Savvy Starts a CEO Conversation: Passions Drive Them

Grace leads dialogue with leaders of
Red Hat, Cisco, Jacobs Capital, and Burt’s Bees

Understanding the Tiger Mom

In a recent Understanding the Tiger Mom talk show, I was asked about the differences in academic expectations and learning discipline among cultures, especially in China, and what this may ultimately mean for global competitiveness. Listen to the conversation.