Conversation with a CEO

by Casey

As a Boston College Carroll School of Management graduate student, we have many opportunities to interact and brush shoulders with high level executives from a wide range of companies located in Boston and throughout the world. One of these opportunities is our Manager's Studio. What is Manager's Studio, you ask?

Manager's Studio is an event held quarterly here at the Carroll School of Management that brings top executives from a variety of different industries to campus to share their personal and professional experiences with students.

Hosted by BC faculty member Bob Radin, the Manager’s Studio session begins with an interview of the CEO, offering a rare glimpse into the executives’ personal lives, which is then followed by a student-led Q&A period. Discussions cover topics such as personal goals, challenges, career paths, managing and leading, and the business environment. It is the perfect opportunity to get inside the mind of the executive and find out what their lives are really like!

Recently, BC had the honor of hosting Jim Calhoun, the CEO of Converse, at a Manager's Studio session. Jim shared his career journey, leading him to Converse, and the insights he learned along the way. One of those insights was learning how to be a good teammate. For Jim, "figuring out the concept of team" was crucial to his success and his advancement into management. He learned what type of people work well together and leveraged this knowledge to form high-performing teams that fueled company growth.

Jim also learned the importance of failure, "At Converse, we fail a lot. I'm a super big fan of failure." He touched on the concept of "failing forward," and how from your failures you learn invaluable truths that show you how to move forward in your business. Many leaders have a moment of failure at some points in their career that is fundamental to the decisions they made and the paths they chose, and Jim shared one such story with us.

In addition to sharing his own personal stories, Jim also shared some wisdom for us as MBA students. He encouraged us to follow our passion no matter what, as that is where we will find true fulfillment in our careers and jobs. It is also important for us to be always "forward thinking and forward looking" - it can be easy to be complacent and content with where we are at, but it is crucial to always be looking to the next step in our careers.

As a CEO of a large, well-known company, Jim obviously has a depth of knowledge about the business but also talked about surrounding himself with others who know more than he does. "Leaders don't have to be the smartest in the room." Acknowledging this has freed him to be more open and honest with his co-workers and staff.

When asked about advice for us as we start interviewing and looking for jobs, Jim said that he always asks potential job candidates why they want to work for Converse specifically, and that we should also be prepared to talk in details about the job or industry we are applying to. He also looks for individuals who would be the right fit with the culture at Converse, and is seeking out those that he believes would be strong "change agents" for the company.

After the session was over, students had the chance to attend a reception where they could talk one-on-one with Jim more in depth and network with him directly. Manager's Studio really is an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to high level executives, receive some sound business advice and build your network and own personal brand. I personally can't wait until the next one!

Leadership in the MBA Classroom

by Matt

Hi and welcome back! If you’re reading this there’s a good chance you’re either frantically completing and submitting the last of your applications to meet final deadlines, nervously waiting to hear back from schools, or have already been admitted and are relaxed and excited for the upcoming school year. Regardless of what category you’re in, good luck!

I recently came across an interesting article regarding leadership challenges facing MBA’s (read it here). One common thread I’ve seen from all of my classmates is that everyone is eager for a leadership role in some form or another, be in in class projects, MBA clubs or student government. These opportunities are plentiful and will present themselves. I wanted to take a moment and share some tips to maximize these experiences during your time in business school.

1. Before you can lead, you need to be able to follow.

I know what you’re thinking here, “Matt, I’ve been following for (however many years you’ve been working) it’s time for me to take charge”. On one hand, you’re completely right, this is the time for you to take charge and be a leader. On the other hand, you will be working on a lot of projects with a diverse set of individuals, and there will be times when you’re the subject matter expert, and times when it is someone else. The key is knowing when to step back and play a supporting role.

2. When you are in charge, don’t be afraid to assert yourself.

You will quickly find that there are a lot of type-A personalities with impressive resumes in your business program, and at times it can be daunting. There will be lots of discussion and consensus building, but ultimately a decision will need to be made. If you’re the group leader, don’t be afraid to make a decision and run with it. You’re generally better off trying to fix something after the fact rather than spending hours agonizing over the “perfect” choice.

3. Keep a sense of humor.

Ultimately, there will be long hours and long nights with the same people. Things will get tense. Occasionally there will be tears. If you’re steering the ship, its your job to keep it on course, and that means keeping the mood as light as possible. Just remember what you’re doing may seem like life and death at times, but its only school and you’ve done it before. Have fun with it and try to help everyone else do the same.

Well, that’s it for another quick blog post. Hope all is well and good luck with the rest of your application process!