Business Matters

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Since becoming dean I've often spoken about how I believe business is and should be a force for the good. It is one of the greatest creators of economic opportunity, of development, of enabling people to fulfill their goals in life. Business is about creating the new ideas of the future. It's about enabling consumers and employees and people to both improve their own quality of life and contribute to improving the quality of life of others.

I've also said that as a business school, our charge is to create the next generation of principled and integrative leaders who can once again establish the idea that business matters. I am happy to report that we are well on our way to accomplishing this.

Since becoming dean I've often spoken about how I believe business is and should be a force for the good. It is one of the greatest creators of economic opportunity, of development, of enabling people to fulfill their goals in life. Business is about creating the new ideas of the future. It's abo ut enabling consumers and employees and people to both improve their own quality of life and contribute to improving the quality of life of others.

I've also said that as a business school, our charge is to create the next generation of principled and integrative leaders who can once again establish the idea that business matters. I am happy to report that we are well on our way to accomplishing this.

One only has to look back at our commencement ceremonies to see the proof. I could not be more proud of how our graduate Austin Hermann so eloquently represented the Carlson School of Management and what it stands for when he told his undergraduate classmates:

"Fundamentally, business is people helping people. Business can be an avenue of love, business is how I can restore and redeem broken parts of this world, to do good, create value and meaning, employment and improving people's lives -- it's about solutions and growth and creativity -- that is NOT idealism -- that is what business DOES, and if I could go back and tell my freshman year self why I was in the business school that is what I would say."

I encourage you to watch Austin's address in its entirety or read that text that was recently published by the Huffington Post.

Austin's remarks echoed those of our alumnus and keynote speaker, Tom Staggs of Walt Disney Park and Resorts. "What you do in your work is important, but why you do it even more so" Tom's wonderful speech that focuses on the importance of humility can be found here.