This course is designed as a capstone for graduating MBA students.

Our mission is to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. As you prepare to leave Harvard Business School, the critical question is: “What do I need to do to make a difference?” To answer this question, we will study—and learn from—the life choices of a variety of remarkable people who left a lasting legacy that changed the world.

Each week, we will analyze case-length biographies to understand the choices that these high-impact individuals faced in their lives and the paths they followed. Here is a list of the biographies that will be included in your case packet:

Business:

• Mary Kay Ash
• P.T. Barnum
• Sarah Breedlove
• Walt Disney
• Henry Ford
• Steve Jobs

Authors

• Ayn Rand

Education

• James Conant

Entertainment

• Leonard Bernstein

Government/Military

• Dwight Eisenhower
• John F. Kennedy
• Ronald Reagan
• Margaret Thatcher

Humanitarian

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Helen Keller
• Bill Wilson

Scientists

• Marie Curie
• Albert Einstein

Sports

• Muhammad Ali
• Jackie Robinson

The goal of our in-class discussions will be to discover the recipe for their outstanding achievements. We will start by defining the personal characteristics that are needed. Then, we will consider how different starting points in life affected the paths that people followed. Next we will consider the building blocks of a successful career. Finally, we will analyze how each individual navigated forks in the road and ultimately found purpose in their life.

During the second half of the course, students will work on a project to test and apply what they are learning. This will require students (either alone or in pairs) to interview someone they admire and write-up their findings. Scheduled classes will be freed-up to give students time to work on the project. Grading will be based on class participation, short polls and hand-ins, and the completed project.

You will find this course appealing if:

1. You enjoy learning about the lives and times of interesting individuals in a wide variety of settings;
2. You want to understand, and be inspired by, the choices that these individuals made and the paths they followed to rise to positions of prominence;
3. You enjoy engaging in a spirited discussion about controversial topics; and
4. You want to be challenged to think about your own life and the choices you will confront if you want to make a difference in the world.

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