View from the Top speaking event in Bishop Auditorium.
Supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund, the View from the Top Dean’s speaker series brings top leaders from across all sectors coming from around the world to share their personal reflections in and insights on effective leadership.
Recent speeches:
-
Be Sure You Really Want Honest Answers, Advises Jeffrey Bewkes
Leaders depend on the advice
they get from people around
them, says Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes. So it’s important they are open to honest answers, not a reply designed to keep lower level employees out of trouble.
Jeffrey Bewkes video, 53:17 minutes -
The CEO Must Steer the Corporate Culture, Says
Steve Ballmer
Personnel issues and new
business models are two of the
few things he occasionally loses sleep over, says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer video, 1:03 hour -
Failure Is Important, Says Indian Tech Leader
Failure is an essential part of the innovative process, says Azim Premji, chairman of the Indian outsourcing giant Wipro Technologies: “It is impossible to generate a few good ideas without a lot of bad ideas. Failure should be forgiven and forgotten quickly.”
Azim Premji video, 47:22 minutes
![]()






The Dean's speaker series, View From The Top, brings premier leaders to the Business School.
This student-run program brings well-respected leaders from a variety of business, government and social sector communities to campus to share their views of leadership with student audiences.
Speakers typically discuss their personal core values, share their lessons learned and their recipe for effective leadership, including reflection on career and life choices. View from the Top is open only to Stanford GSB students, faculty, and administration.
Past speakers have included Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sheila Johnson, and Colin Powell. Pictured above (left to right): Ken Mehlman, Meg Whitman, Carlos Guitterez, Jack Welch, Anne Mulcahy, and Al Gore.
See all recent speakers :: Recent videos
Upcoming and Recent 2008-2009 Speakers
- Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft (9/25)
Contact: If your organization's most senior-level leader would like to participate in the series, please contact Mike Hochleutner: 650.724.4508.
