How we are using challenging experiential learning opportunities to help students develop their leadership skills and learn how to inspire others.

The Innovation
Through the Center for Leadership Development and Research, the Stanford Graduate School of Business is providing experiential learning
opportunities such as simulations of real-world business challenges and interactive video cases coupled with in-depth critiques of students’ performance. "Leadership Labs provided a safe environment for me to practice and cultivate my leadership skills,” says Valerie Harb, MBA '12, an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow. “Through real-life simulations, I was challenged to influence, adapt, and lead through ambiguous, unexpected situations. The experience taught me a lot about my leadership style and how to maximize my leadership effectiveness."

The Need
To address the pressing social problems of our time, the world needs innovative, principled, and insightful leaders. By highlighting practical business situations in the classroom, the school is allowing students to focus on developing core leadership skills such as motivating others, building relationships, and influencing outcomes.

Why Give
Leadership development is a key focus of the new MBA curriculum. “It is critical to support the GSB’s efforts around leadership development because those skills are critically needed in the business world,” says Jerker Johansson, MBA ’86, co-head of institutional sales and trading at Morgan Stanley, where he rallied fellow alumni to provide support for the center.

Impact on GSB
Increased focus on leadership is a key facet of the school that distinguishes its graduates and prepares them to effectively lead organizations that change the world. The gifts that alumni and friends make to the GSB enable us to reinvent management education and provide powerful experiences for students like Valerie Harb.