Stanford GSB's iconic "Change lives..." tagline wasn't created by executives or an agency. It was forged in a workshop with staff from admissions, fundraising, and marketing, ensuring authentic, organization-wide buy-in from its inception.
A residence manager dancing in the rain with an upset student shows how empowering employees to act with spontaneous empathy creates more trust and community than any structured support system. These moments define an organization's true culture.
A GSB system administrator began her 45-year tech career by teaching herself to use a new, intimidating word processor in 1979 that no one else would touch. This single act of initiative became the foundation for her entire professional path.
A GSB receptionist's casual chats with alumni revealed the program's long-term "fine wine" value—a strategic insight that formal surveys often miss. This shows how empowering frontline employees to listen can uncover profound user truths.
Lecturer Bill Meehan's former employees volunteered countless unpaid hours for him years later. Their reason: "we could never pay Bill back for what he did for us." This reveals a powerful, lagging indicator of leadership: the voluntary loyalty of former reports.