Stanford MBAs 25 Years Later: Where They Are & Life’s Core Lessons

THE CLASS OF 1990–BY THE NUMBERS

Our reunion organizers conducted a pre-reunion survey to help us get a snapshot of what we’re up to and what we’re thinking. About 40% of us weighed in. I’d like to share a few nuggets that may be of interest to you. (I leave it to you to determine whether these results are statistically significant!)

So where have my classmates ended up career-wise? Twenty-five years out, 52% of respondents are conventionally employed full time and 9% part time. Enjoying being their own boss, 19% are self-employed full time and 10% are self-employed part time. The remaining 10% are parenting full time, on sabbatical, retired, or back at school. As you might suspect of GSB graduates, 21% of respondents are in high tech and 23% are in finance. (The avid investors among you might be aware of two of my classmates, Tiger Management alums John Griffin, founder of Blue Ridge Capital, and Andreas Halvorsen, founder of Viking Global Investors.) The healthcare and nonprofit sectors tied at 9% each. A good 56% of respondents had started a company at some point, and 21% had invented or commercialized a product. GSBers seem to love working so much that 40% plan to retire after age 65 or not at all! We’ve also moved about professionally. More than half of respondents have had two to five jobs since graduation, and more than 40% have had six or more.

My classmates have a strong spirit of giving back, with more than three-quarters of respondents volunteering regularly (and 20% volunteering six or more hours per week) and 92% having served on nonprofit boards. As a group, they’ve been most drawn to serving youth, providing educational, sports, and leadership opportunities to those typically underserved.

FAVORITE BOOKS INCLUDE BOYS IN THE BOAT, UNBROKEN & BEING MORTAL

Having spent at least two years in California’s health-oriented culture, it wasn’t surprising that close to two-thirds of respondents have an outstanding or very good level of fitness, and this was borne out by the number of attendees who took part in the biking, tennis, golf, running, and yoga activities scheduled throughout the weekend. (We’re not getting older, we’re getting better!) There was also a good number of people who see the value in sitting still. My presentation on mindfulness, meditation, and leadership was well attended; and 25% of survey respondents noted they practice meditation.

Old dogs can learn new tricks. My fellow classmates reported engaging in a wide range of new hobbies. This includes everything from snowboarding; learning to fly a plane; home-brewing beer; competitive bird watching (we can count the 2014 New Jersey state champion amongst our ranks); playing the trumpet, violin, ukelele, and French horn; hula hooping; making jewelry; quilting; gardening; and writing poetry.

We seem to be avid readers, with 82% of respondents noting that they read often. In answering the question what book they’d recently read that they’d recommend, respondents demonstrated their varied interests (genres ranged from sci-fi, politics, history, leadership, business, emotional intelligence,  and spirituality). Three texts stood out from the pack, however: Boys in the Boat, Unbroken, and Being Mortal. New York Times‘ bestsellers, these three books offer important life lessons, particularly to those at middle age. The first two demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit and the power of resilience in the face of potentially crippling challenges. The latter soberly reminds us that we cannot overcome death, but we can face it open eyed and open hearted, making choices that ensure quality of life and a good end.

‘PEOPLE WERE QUITE OPEN ABOUT NOT HAVING HAD PICTURE PERFECT LIVES’

One of the many things that touched me during the course of the reunion was learning about various hardships classmates had weathered or were weathering, be they health crises (including cancer diagnoses), their children’s or parents’ challenges, business failure, financial loss, divorce, or death. While most of my classmates have been wildly successful conventionally speaking, at this reunion in particular, people were quite open about not having had “picture perfect” lives; and in that there was a palpable authenticity, vulnerability, courage, and nobility.

While our educational experience at the GSB was quite rich, there were a number of things classmates wished they’d learned while we were there. You might be surprised to discover that the #1 item mentioned was how to lead and manage people on a daily basis. When we attended the GSB, there wasn’t the wealth of leadership-development offerings available now; if you apply and get accepted, make sure to take advantage of them! Other popular answers were learning how to deepen relationships and build networks, navigate corporate politics, live a more balanced life, and sell.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

To close, I want to share several of the life lessons that came out of the weekend and the survey.

• Find and follow your passion above all else. (Yes, even money.) And pay attention to the “heavy physiology textbook” in your life.
• Trust yourself and be yourself. After all, as one classmate commented, “Everyone else is already taken.” It was delightful to see my classmates collectively embodying this—many attendees remarked that our classmates seemed so comfortable in their own skin.
• Stay flexible and take risks. This approach led many classmates to end up in unexpected yet very fulfilling circumstances.
• One piece at a time. Many of us had taken on what seemed to be enormous goals or faced what appeared to be insurmountable challenges. We made it through by tackling just what was in front of us. Take the next obvious step and just keep moving.
• It’s never too late to keep learning and growing. Pursue that additional degree, take that course, try that new sport. And don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done!
• Sometimes your loved ones know you better than you know yourself. When you’re making big life decisions, make sure to heed input from spouses, best friends, and family members. Quite often they can see the bigger picture better than you can and know what will really make you happy.
• Invest. You can help build a better future by investing your capital, time, and talents, be they in outstanding companies, your kids, or those without means but great promise.
• Intentionally create space or gaps in your life. Whether that’s meditating for 20 minutes a day or taking off a month or a year, give yourself the opportunity to get off the freight train, pause, play, explore, imagine, and rejuvenate. You may be surprised what avenues open up for you when you do.

I hope I’ve given you a glimpse of the GSB and the remarkable people who go there. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line, future-shaping, intimate MBA program that emphasizes personal growth, authenticity, risk taking, creativity, and a spirit of service, look no further. Perhaps you too will have the chance to be part of the GSB’s next “grand experiment.”

Deborah Knox is the founder and president of Insight Admissions, an MBA admissions consulting firm.

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