Eric Tsytsylin, MBA ’14: Building a Legacy Outside the Spotlight

The Arbuckle Leadership Fellow and recent Stanford alumnus shares how his experience transformed his perspective on success — and his purpose.

April 26, 2014

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Eric Tstsylin, MBA ’14 | ToniBird Photography

This special series features our students’ reflections on their aspirations, learnings, challenges, and joys. Here, Eric shares how his time at Stanford GSB shifted his perspective about success.

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Eric Tstsylin, MBA ’14 | ToniBird Photography

My time at Stanford GSB has sparked a shift from a self-oriented definition of success as a leader to one rooted in the success of others. In particular, my experience as an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow has been instrumental in helping me realize that one of the most important things I can do as a leader is invest time and effort into the development of other leaders.

It’s been quite a challenge to move from a place where my agenda and my goals reign supreme to one in which I must meet others in their world, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding to witness firsthand the transformational impact this kind of mindset can have.

I used to think that leaving a legacy meant that those you left behind mourned your departure and yearned for your return. But I’ve come to learn that if I’ve truly done my job as a “leader of leaders,” leaving behind a legacy will mean that no one even notices that I’m gone.

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