John Hennessy (Stanford President) – Great Leadership Can Be Learned (Feb 2016)
Chapters
00:00:06 Navigating Diverse Perspectives in Decision-Making at Stanford University
John Hennessy’s Perspective on Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship involves transforming things by initiating and implementing new ideas, leading to a broader impact than mere publications. Entrepreneurship can occur within universities, promoting risk-taking and new approaches. Stanford’s entrepreneurial environment attracts talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering innovation and creativity.
Challenges of Leading a Complex University: Stanford’s multiple constituencies and complex decision-making processes pose challenges for efficient leadership. Prolonged decision-making can hinder progress and hinder the university’s ability to adapt and innovate.
Lessons from Industry Experience: Time is crucial in startup environments, and prolonged decision-making can be detrimental. Decision-making in a complex organization requires comfort with ambiguity and the ability to navigate incomplete information. Experiencing business cycles in a startup company provides valuable lessons for handling financial crises in academia. Quick and decisive action during a crisis helps the organization heal and move forward more effectively.
Balancing Different Constituents: Stanford’s diverse schools and departments have varying goals and interests, creating a complex decision-making landscape. Gathering information, understanding diverse perspectives, and making informed decisions require careful consideration and a balanced approach.
Key Goals and Underlying Characteristics: Stanford University’s core mission is research and education. The university emphasizes excellence and strives to be world-class in every field it engages in. Opportunities for collaboration and innovation are actively sought, especially those that leverage Stanford’s unique strengths and interdisciplinary capabilities.
Management Style: Hennessy believes in a flat organizational structure that encourages direct interaction with faculty and staff. He values input from those who are passionate about new directions and actively seeks out their perspectives. Hennessy emphasizes management by walking around, fostering open communication and understanding the university’s needs firsthand.
Team Building: Hennessy acknowledges that no one can do everything alone and recognizes the importance of building a strong team. When hiring, he seeks individuals with talent, experience, and a specific set of skills that align with the university’s goals. Hennessy values diversity of thought, expertise, and background in his team, believing that it leads to better decision-making and innovative solutions.
Trust and Integrity: A successful leader must build trust and integrity within their team. Team members must be able to interact with and rely on each other.
Talent and Experience: Hiring talented and experienced individuals is crucial, but it’s impossible to be perfect in every hire. Leaders should learn from their mistakes and improve their judgment over time. Carefully assess candidates’ experiences and accomplishments to gauge their readiness for certain roles.
Delegation and Empowerment: Leaders must learn to delegate tasks and responsibilities to their team members. Not everyone will be able to perform tasks as well as the leader, but delegation is essential for effective leadership. Leaders must trust their team members and empower them to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
Leadership Style Evolution: Over time, Hennessy’s leadership style has evolved. He initially believed that the president’s role was not to micromanage, but to set a vision and direction. However, he realized that sometimes it is necessary to take a more active role in decision-making and problem-solving. He learned to adapt his leadership style based on the needs of the organization and the situation at hand.
00:10:04 The Challenges and Opportunities of University Leadership
Challenges and Learning as a Leader: John Hennessy emphasizes the importance of collective vision and decision-making, noting that these abilities improve with experience. He highlights the challenges of navigating political processes and the public scrutiny that comes with leading a university. Hennessy faced difficulties during the general use permit process, where he encountered political opposition and personal attacks. He advises leaders to be prepared for these challenges and to maintain a sense of personal privacy.
Financial Crisis and Teamwork: The financial crisis was a difficult situation, but Hennessy and his team managed through it by aligning everyone on the necessary actions. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration in solving problems.
Seeking Insights for Problem-Solving: Hennessy does not have a war room like the President of the United States but relies on the Tuesday AM group, comprising senior staff and close associates. The group engages in open discussions, allowing for constructive feedback and the generation of diverse ideas.
Time Management and Long-Term Vision: Hennessy stresses the importance of preserving free time to think about the long-term direction of the university. He finds summer and Christmas break to be opportune times for creative thinking and brainstorming.
Future of Education: Hennessy believes that the residential experience will remain central to undergraduate education, but accessibility may become a challenge, especially in developing parts of the world due to its higher cost.
00:16:06 The Future of Education: Enhancing Quality through Online Learning
Lifelong Learning and Education through Different Stages of Life: Lifelong education is the future, and people will have multiple careers. People will return to school for continuing education, mostly online due to busy schedules and convenience. Online education will become more prevalent, allowing people to engage in learning throughout their lives and keep their brains active during retirement.
Graduate Education: Graduate education will blend online and in-person components. Students may pursue a master’s degree partially online and partially in person for experiential components.
Online Education as an Enhancement: Online education should be viewed as a tool to enhance the quality of education, not just replace traditional methods. Online learning can supplement traditional classroom teaching and replace textbooks in some cases.
Experimentation and Measurement: There is a need for more experimentation with different online learning methods to measure student learning effectively.
Looking Back: Lessons from John Hennessy’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Hennessy started a company without knowing much about business or finance. He realized that he could have been more successful with his first company with better grounding in business and management skills. He learned from his experience and did better with his second company.
00:20:31 Stanford President John Hennessy's Reflections on His Tenure
President Hennessy’s Reflections on His Tenure: Hennessy expressed his excitement about returning to teaching and working with students after serving as president. He emphasized the importance of maintaining access to Stanford for the best students despite rising costs. Hennessy highlighted the university’s focus on building multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research to address global challenges. He mentioned the transformation of the campus architecture, replacing outdated buildings with aesthetically pleasing structures that reflect Stanford’s rich heritage.
Hennessy’s Short-Term Hopes for Stanford in the Next Five Years: He aims for Stanford to continue producing Nobel Prize winners. Hennessy mentioned new initiatives, including a major effort in neuroscience and a program exploring the interaction between human health and chemistry. He seeks to strengthen the arts at Stanford, recognizing their growing importance. Hennessy plans to develop a new vision for public service, providing students with deeper experiential opportunities to make a positive impact on the world.
Stanford’s Atmosphere and Values: Stanford provides a more pleasant environment compared to the rest of the world. The campus fosters a culture of personal respect, diversity appreciation, and empathy. Stanford offers an intellectually stimulating atmosphere with exceptional opportunities to interact with intelligent individuals.
Broken Leadership: Leadership in various sectors, including politics and corporations, is broken. Leaders often fail to communicate difficult truths due to personal discomfort or fear of consequences.
Importance of Truthful Communication: Effective leadership requires the ability to convey the truth, even when it is difficult or unpleasant. Saying “maybe” when you mean “no” is misleading and harmful to organizations.
Effective Leadership Practices: As a department chair, John Hennessy ensured that he only said “yes” when he meant it and “no” when he meant it, avoiding the use of “maybe” to indicate a lack of commitment. Clear and honest communication fosters trust and builds stronger organizations.
Leadership in Academia: There is a lack of systems to prepare the next generation of leaders in academia. Universities need to improve their efforts in developing future leaders compared to the practices observed in industry.
00:30:20 Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education Leadership and Growth
Leadership Academy and Diverse Leadership Core: Stanford University established a leadership academy to prepare future leaders by providing coaching, helping them navigate difficult conversations, and constructing problem-solving groups. The academy’s popularity led to its expansion to include staff members, emphasizing the importance of diverse leadership and providing opportunities for growth and learning.
Presidential Selection Process: The search committee for the next Stanford president is composed of trustees, faculty, students, alumni, and staff members. The committee interviews various stakeholders, including student leaders, alumni groups, and academic leaders across the country, to derive a set of characteristics for the next leader. Candidates are then shortlisted, interviewed, and a unanimous decision is reached before the final selection is made.
Stanford’s Growth and Size Considerations: Stanford has experienced significant growth in its graduate programs, but undergraduate growth is modest due to faculty availability and the university’s commitment to research-intensive education. Future growth may involve a slight increase in undergraduate enrollment, but the university is unlikely to expand to 35,000 students.
Reimagining University Structure and Curriculum: If starting a new university, Hennessy would consider a less rigid structure, perhaps with affiliations around fields rather than traditional academic departments. He emphasizes the importance of clearly defining the university’s vision and mission, focusing on either research or undergraduate education, rather than trying to achieve both simultaneously.
Engineering Enrollment and Opportunities: The increasing number of students declaring engineering reflects the uncertain economic environment and the compelling curricula offered by Stanford’s engineering faculty. Hennessy suggests a more nuanced approach, encouraging students to pursue other majors that utilize technology, such as political science or economics, and emphasizing the long-term value of a liberal arts education.
International Student Enrollment: Stanford has a target of 10% international undergraduate population, which has been achieved but may be slightly skewed towards students from affluent families. Increasing international enrollment may require financial support, with a hypothetical $300 million donation mentioned as a potential solution.
Future Teaching Plans: Hennessy plans to resume teaching after stepping down as president, possibly returning to teaching a freshman seminar, a course he has enjoyed in the past.
00:41:22 Innovative Education Models: Blended Learning and Flipped Classrooms
O2O Education in China: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have gained popularity, but completion rates are low. Private universities in China face challenges in faculty quality compared to institutions like Stanford. A junior’s suggestion arises to combine edX or Coursera courses with offline components. This approach focuses on faculty-led tutorials, studies, and interaction, along with experiential learning.
Flipped Classroom Model: Online material is combined with instructor-led sessions for problem-solving and experiential learning. High-quality videos with short segments (less than 6.5 minutes) are effective. Student attention span in videos is similar to that in large lecture halls. The flipped classroom model promotes better learning through interaction and motivation.
Blended Learning Approach: A hybrid model can be implemented where faculty leading personal sections may not need the same level of expertise as those delivering online lectures. This strategy allows for a combination of online learning and face-to-face interaction, catering to diverse learning preferences and enhancing overall educational outcomes.
00:43:43 Decision Making and Leadership in Complex Situations
Decisiveness and Leadership: Good leadership involves making quick, informed decisions. Stanford’s success can be replicated by creating analytic frameworks, using probabilities, and considering possible outcomes.
Personal Traits and Decision-Making: Startup experience helps develop comfort with making quick decisions. Being forced to make decisions builds the ability to do so effectively.
Quantitative and Gut-Based Decision-Making: Quantitative frameworks provide structure and narrow down options. Intuition and gut feeling play a role in final decision-making.
Focusing on Priorities: Limiting the number of priorities allows for better execution and significant accomplishments. Mediocre results are less valuable than a few significant achievements.
Example of a Wrong Decision: New York City Campus: Stanford was invited to build a campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The deal involved contamination issues and insufficient funding. Stanford insisted on maintaining world-class standards, including a Department of Computer Science. The process became political, and Stanford withdrew due to incompatible conditions.
Sunk Costs and Intellectual Commitment: Despite significant sunk costs and enthusiasm, Stanford pulled the plug on the New York City campus project. The decision was made because the deal did not align with Stanford’s expectations. It’s important to be prepared to abandon projects that no longer align with goals, even if costs have been incurred.
00:49:06 Best Practices for Engaging Students in University Vision
Engaging Students for Collective Vision: Collecting a vision from students requires engaging them at various levels, including departments and student leadership groups. Elected student bodies and student leadership groups contribute to the discussion of the university’s future.
The Challenge of Student Timelines: Students’ timelines for thinking about projects differ from the university’s long-term commitments. The university should not initiate projects unless it is willing to commit at least 20 to 30 years to them. New initiatives take about 10 years to become productive, and shutting them down takes another 10 years.
Balancing Research and Teaching: Some top researchers may not be the best educators. The university must decide how to balance research and teaching when hiring new faculty members. Faculty members must be educated to be both excellent scholars and effective professors.
00:51:17 Improving Teaching and Research at Academic Institutions
Role of an Organization in Enhancing Teaching Skills: John Hennessy emphasized the need for organizations to invest in helping faculty improve their teaching skills. Creating dedicated centers like the Center for Teaching and Learning can provide resources and training to support educators.
Selecting Faculty with Excellence in Both Research and Teaching: Hennessy highlighted the importance of hiring faculty who excel in both research and teaching. Stanford University’s selective hiring process allows them to recruit world-class individuals who can contribute to both research and education.
Evaluation of Business Plans and Timing for Entrepreneurship: Tina Seelig discussed the need for entrepreneurs to have a business plan that demonstrates significant differentiation from competitors. She advised that a new venture should be considerably better than existing options, with a factor of two improvement being a minimum threshold. The decision to leave academia and pursue entrepreneurship should be carefully considered, taking into account various factors and seeking guidance from experienced individuals.
00:53:21 Concepts for Nurturing Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Importance of a Significant Technology Advantage for Startups: A technology-based innovation requires a big discontinuity to succeed. A significant technology advantage can serve as a protectable advantage against competition. Startups need to focus on developing a technology that truly works, is loved by the market, and can be executed by a successful team.
Empathy in Higher Education: Residential institutions provide opportunities for students to develop empathy and appreciation for different people through living, working, and playing together. Empathy can break down barriers and help people from different backgrounds learn to live together as a community.
Stanford’s Alumni Network: Stanford has a network of approximately 200,000 highly educated and accomplished alumni who love the university and are actively engaged with it. The alumni body contributes to Stanford’s betterment in numerous ways.
Abstract
Entrepreneurship and Leadership: The Stanford Experience Under John Hennessy
Abstract
John Hennessy’s multifaceted approach to entrepreneurship, leadership, and education transformed Stanford into a leading institution. His methods, from balancing interests and fostering collaboration to embracing new educational models, highlight key lessons in leadership and academia.
The Essence of Entrepreneurship
John Hennessy’s definition of entrepreneurship as the initiation and implementation of new ideas for broad impact greatly shaped his leadership at Stanford. This approach underscored the importance of innovation and risk-taking, creating an environment at Stanford that drew in talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, thereby driving creativity and innovation.
Stanford’s Ecosystem of Success
Stanford’s environment is inviting and supportive of diversity and innovation, attracting talented individuals. This ethos of the university favors flat management structures and risk acceptance. However, the complexity of decision-making processes and the presence of multiple constituencies pose significant challenges to efficient leadership. To address these, Stanford has launched initiatives to develop leadership skills among faculty.
Hennessy’s Business Acumen
Drawing from his experience in startups and business cycles, Hennessy’s decision-making at Stanford was influenced by the need for quick and informed choices. He recognized that in startup environments, prolonged deliberations could be harmful, and that ambiguity and incomplete information were natural aspects of decision-making in complex organizations. His experience with business cycles in startups provided him with valuable insights into managing financial crises in the academic world, emphasizing the need for quick, decisive actions during crises.
A Collaborative Approach to Decision Making
Hennessy’s leadership style valued understanding diverse perspectives and balancing various interests. He championed collaboration and inclusivity, ensuring a wide range of viewpoints were considered in the decision-making process. His approach required gathering information, understanding different perspectives, and making informed decisions with careful consideration and balance.
Stanford’s Core Missions: Research and Education
At the heart of Stanford’s mission are research and education, with a commitment to achieving excellence in every endeavor. Hennessy’s ambition was reflected in the university’s pursuit of world-class status in all fields. Stanford actively sought opportunities for collaboration and innovation, leveraging its strengths and interdisciplinary capabilities. The university is transitioning towards more experiential learning opportunities, offering flexibility in degree composition and duration. For graduate education, blended learning models are emphasized to enhance traditional classroom teaching. Hennessy saw the future of education in lifelong learning, accommodating various career paths and incorporating online learning for its convenience and flexibility.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
The close proximity of Stanford’s engineering, medical, and science departments has fostered significant interdisciplinary work and collaborative achievements. Hennessy advocated for a flat organizational structure to promote direct interaction among faculty and staff. He valued input from those passionate about new directions and practiced management by walking around to foster open communication and understand the university’s needs firsthand.
Management and Leadership Styles
Hennessy’s leadership style was characterized by guiding and supporting rather than micromanaging. He believed in a flat organizational structure, which facilitated direct interactions with faculty and staff, and encouraged open communication. His focus was on delegation to empower team members, building a strong team with individuals possessing the talent, experience, and skills aligned with the university’s goals. He valued diversity in thought, expertise, and background, believing it led to better decision-making and innovative solutions.
The Importance of Hiring and Team Building
In his leadership, Hennessy emphasized collective vision and decision-making, recognizing that these abilities improve with experience. He faced challenges navigating political processes and public scrutiny, particularly during the general use permit process where he encountered political opposition and personal attacks. Hennessy advised leaders to be prepared for these challenges while maintaining a sense of personal privacy.
Confronting Challenges and Problem Solving
Hennessy encountered numerous challenges, including political processes, personal attacks, and privacy loss. His approach to problem-solving involved a close-knit team for brainstorming and decision-making, encouraging open dialogue and critical feedback. Over time, his leadership style evolved from a focus on setting vision and direction to actively participating in decision-making and problem-solving, adapting his style based on organizational needs and situational demands.
Time Management and Reflection
For Hennessy, preserving time for long-term thinking and strategic planning was essential. He used breaks for reflection, understanding the importance of stepping back to gain perspective on various issues.
The Future of Education
Hennessy envisioned a future where blended learning models, combining online and in-person elements, become more prevalent. He saw this approach as crucial for adapting to changing demographics and economic realities.
Hennessy’s Personal Reflection and Retirement
Upon reflecting on his career, Hennessy emphasized the importance of business and management skills for entrepreneurs and the necessity of experimenting with learning methods. He planned to return to teaching and research post-retirement, reconnecting with his passion for education.
Challenges and Contributions of Leadership
Hennessy stressed the importance of ensuring access to Stanford for the best students despite rising costs. He noted the university’s focus on building multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research to address global challenges. He also highlighted the transformation of the campus architecture to reflect Stanford’s rich heritage.
Stanford’s Aspirations and Campus Culture
Stanford’s culture is characterized by respect, intellectual stimulation, diversity, and personal growth. The university plans slow and controlled growth, focusing on expanding its graduate programs. The process of selecting the next president involves extensive interviews with stakeholders, seeking a candidate who embodies the university’s values.
Crisis Leadership and Academic Leadership Development
The complexity of Stanford’s decision-making processes and its multiple constituencies present challenges in leadership. Prolonged decision-making can impede progress and innovation. To address this, Stanford has developed initiatives to foster leadership skills among faculty.
The Presidential Selection Process and University Growth
The selection process for Stanford’s next president is thorough, involving interviews with various stakeholders to identify the ideal candidate’s characteristics. The university plans controlled growth, focusing mainly on graduate program expansion.
Reimagining University Structure and Engineering Curriculum
Hennessy suggested a more flexible structure for the university, allowing for easier interdisciplinary collaboration. He also recognized the need to evolve the engineering curriculum to prepare students for diverse career paths in a changing economic environment.
Stanford’s Atmosphere and Values
Stanford’s environment is considered more pleasant than the rest of the world, fostering a culture of personal respect, diversity appreciation, empathy, and intellectual stimulation. The university offers exceptional opportunities for interaction with intelligent individuals.
Broken Leadership
Leadership in various sectors, including politics and corporations, is often flawed. Leaders frequently fail to communicate difficult truths, either due to personal discomfort or fear of consequences.
Importance of Truthful Communication
Effective leadership necessitates the ability to convey truth, even when it is difficult or unpleasant. Misleading communication, such as saying “maybe” when “no” is meant, can harm organizations.
Effective Leadership Practices
As a department chair, Hennessy practiced clear and honest communication, saying “yes” or “no” as he meant, avoiding ambiguity. This approach built trust and strengthened organizations.
Leadership in Academia
There is a noticeable lack of systems in academia to prepare future leaders. Universities need to improve their leadership development efforts, taking cues from industry practices.
Leadership Academy and Diverse Leadership Core
Stanford established a leadership academy to prepare future leaders, providing coaching, helping navigate difficult conversations, and constructing problem-solving groups. The academy’s popularity led to its expansion to include staff members, emphasizing diverse leadership and opportunities for growth and learning.
Presidential Selection Process
The presidential search committee
at Stanford, comprising various university stakeholders, conducts extensive interviews to identify the desired characteristics for the next leader. Candidates are shortlisted and interviewed, with a unanimous decision made before the final selection.
Stanford’s Growth and Size Considerations
Stanford has seen significant growth in graduate programs, with modest undergraduate growth due to faculty availability and commitment to research-intensive education. Future growth plans include a slight increase in undergraduate enrollment, with a cap on total student numbers.
Reimagining University Structure and Curriculum
Hennessy suggested a less rigid structure for new universities, focusing on field affiliations rather than traditional departments. He emphasized defining a clear vision and mission for the university, focusing on either research or undergraduate education.
Engineering Enrollment and Opportunities
The rise in engineering enrollment at Stanford reflects the current economic environment and the compelling curricula offered by the engineering faculty. Hennessy advocated for encouraging students to explore other majors that utilize technology and highlighted the long-term value of a liberal arts education.
International Student Enrollment
Stanford aims for a 10% international undergraduate population, with a focus on diversity. Increasing international enrollment may require additional financial support.
Future Teaching Plans
Hennessy plans to return to teaching post-retirement, potentially teaching a freshman seminar, a format he has enjoyed in the past.
Online to Offline (O2O) Education: Enhancing Higher Education with Blended Learning
MOOCs have risen in popularity but face low completion rates. Private universities in China struggle with faculty quality compared to institutions like Stanford. A proposal to combine online courses with offline components focuses on faculty-led tutorials and experiential learning.
Flipped Classroom Model
The flipped classroom model combines online material with instructor-led sessions for problem-solving and experiential learning. Short, high-quality video segments are effective, with student attention spans in videos mirroring those in large lecture halls. This model promotes better learning through interaction and motivation.
Blended Learning Approach
A hybrid model combines online learning with face-to-face interaction, catering to diverse learning preferences and enhancing educational outcomes. This strategy allows faculty leading personal sections to have different expertise levels than those delivering online lectures.
John Hennessy’s Insights on Starting Companies, Empathy in Education, and Stanford’s Alumni Network
Importance of a Significant Technology Advantage for Startups:
Startups based on technology innovations require a substantial discontinuity to succeed. A significant technological advantage serves as a protectable edge against competition. Startups need to develop technology that is effective, market-loved, and executable by a successful team.
Empathy in Higher Education:
Residential institutions offer chances for students to develop empathy and appreciation for diverse backgrounds through communal living, working, and playing. This empathy helps break down barriers and fosters a community spirit.
Stanford’s Alumni Network:
Stanford’s alumni network, consisting of approximately 200,000 educated and accomplished individuals, actively engages with and contributes to the university’s betterment.
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