Dan M. Klein

Lecturer

Dan M. Klein

Lecturer in Management

Bio

Dan Klein teaches improvisation full time at Stanford University where he is on the faculty of the drama department, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and teaches at the d.school. In 2009, Dan was named Stanford Teacher of the Year by the Student’s Association.

At Stanford GSB he co-teaches (with Professor Deb Gruenfeld), “Acting With Power” which explores the use of status behaviors to increase organizational effectiveness. Dan and Deb also do a version of the class for executive education programs like the Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurs. His work at Hasso Platner Institute for Design involves teaching workshops on Improv and Design for interdisciplinary graduate students studying Design Thinking. The Hasso Platner Institute for Design is a graduate program that uses design thinking to drive multidisciplinary innovation. Students from business, engineering, education, and the humanities come together to solve big, messy problems.

Beyond Stanford, Dan has lead similar workshops custom tailored for various groups, including the High Performance Leadership program at IMD Business School in Switzerland and the Kauffman Fellows Program helping to train global leaders in venture capital. Dan has also partnered with Stanford Professor Carol Dweck to create interactive workshops on her breakthrough research on Mindset.

Dan’s other clients include: Cisco, Oracle, Nestle, Visa, ING, Barclay’s Global Investments, Randstad, Nobel Biocare, and many more.

Teaching

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Advance your skills, career, and network with a tailored leadership program for Asian executives, the first of its kind from a leading business school.
Transform your leadership, build community, and explore the complexities of showing up authentically in this unique program for Black leaders.
Learn and apply skills to solve real business challenges using human-centered design techniques in this workshop at Stanford’s d.school.
Learn to lead with confidence in this rigorous, general management program for executives on the verge of achieving even greater things.
Discover business growth strategies and build a stronger company designed to sustain progress, scale management, and facilitate market expansion.
Act with power, strengthen negotiating skills, learn to manage teams, and lead with impact in this unique leadership program for women on the rise.
Experience Stanford business and medicine in a health care leadership program featuring design thinking and personal leadership skill development.
Develop strategic frameworks, customer empathy, and communication and leadership skills to help you move from product management to the C-suite.
Build your career and network with a specialized leadership program for LGBTQ+ executives, the first of its kind from a leading business school.
​Bring effective team management and innovation to your company with actionable strategies, experiential team-based simulations, and design thinking.
Make the business case for sustainability with strategic and financial frameworks, personal leadership skills, and a deeper knowledge of today’s sustainability landscape.

Insights by Stanford Business

September 26, 2023
In this podcast episode, improv experts share how good communication begins with simply taking action.
September 13, 2023
Matt Abrahams revisits the first-ever episode, featuring Dan Klein and Adam Tobin.
March 17, 2023
Research-based approaches for bringing fresh ideas to teams and organizations.
April 24, 2020
In this “Quick Thinks” podcast episode, Stanford improv experts share advice on getting out of our heads and into the moment at hand.
January 17, 2020
Stanford improv experts discuss the art of in-the-moment communication in this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart.

School News

December 06, 2022
Articles, videos, and podcasts that capture great teaching and memorable lessons.
June 02, 2022
This Stanford Executive Program course used virtual reality to help business leaders embrace an “improviser’s mindset.”
June 02, 2022
Stanford Executive Program participants say immersive sessions reenergized their work lives.
July 11, 2012
Award-winning economist Susan Athey, noted econometrician Guido Imbens, corporate finance expert Joshua Rauh, and others to join Stanford GSB faculty.