The U.S. Election

Like all of you, I stayed up too late, woke up too early, and have spent the day watching the election results come in. It appears we still have a ways to go for all the states to be determined. Despite many concerns about the voting process, some valid and some not, I am encouraged by the professionalism of our local election officials as they work to ensure that all votes are counted.

This year has called for extraordinary resilience, and this week calls once again for us to tap into emotional resources that are already depleted. I encourage everyone to find some way to unplug at least briefly — for me, this meant tearing myself away from John King and the magic wall map on CNN and going for a walk around campus. As you engage, the Stanford election website has many opportunities to participate in discussions and hear election interpretations and analyses from our local experts.

What is clear already is that this election in itself will not resolve the divisions in the country. That work remains to be done. It is not too soon for each of us to start thinking about how we will contribute. The spirit and legacy of the GSB is one of action: building relationships, creating innovative solutions, leadership that spans business and civic life. The country needs this more than ever. I look forward to writing and talking more about this as we get past this challenging and uncertain period.

Jonathan Levin