Stanford GSB Executive Education

“I was born to be an entrepreneur. I had that romantic view of starting a business that genuinely met people’s needs, driven by a passion for creating something meaningful.” – Bruno Pelikan Bruno Pelikan grew up in S?o Paulo, Brazil, in a multi-generational family of bakers and grocers. From a young age, he knew he wanted to start a business. In 2016, Bruno joined his first program with Stanford GSB Executive Education, focused on entrepreneurship. That same year, Bruno founded CarGuru – an online business connecting consumers with auto services providers in Brazil. Then, something unexpected happened: Transportation and logistics companies didn’t want his service – they wanted the software behind it. So in 2019, he shuttered CarGuru and co-founded Rabbot, offering software solutions for transportation companies to digitize, monitor, and automate their fleet operations. In five years, Bruno grew the company to support 6.6 million vehicles and 40,000 users. With an infusion of $10 million from investors throughout Rabbot’s journey, Bruno was poised to scale up the company’s operations and expand. But, he wanted to deepen his skills to support the company through its next stage of growth. “I needed deeper insights and skills to further refine my abilities and become the transformative leader Rabbot needed at this critical juncture,” he says. He decided to return to Stanford GSB Executive Education and attend the two-week, on-campus Executive Program for Growing Companies. The Executive Program for Growing Companies focuses on the needs, challenges, and opportunities of startups and other companies looking to drive and sustain growth. “The program’s emphasis on practical, real-world business strategies is exactly what I needed to drive Rabbot to new heights and ensure our long-term success and industry leadership,” Bruno says. Read more about Bruno and how the Executive Program for Growing Companies prepared him for the road ahead: https://lnkd.in/gcTN3Yx9 #StanfordGSB #StanfordGSBExecEd

“If we want to get rid of biases, we need to look at the areas where biases are more likely — personality, potential, and who’s truly exceptional.” –? Shelley J. Correll Stanford GSB professor (by courtesy) Shelley Correll worked with several coauthors to study how gender bias affects workplace evaluations. They found that men with a take-charge attitude at work typically earn positive performance reviews, but assertiveness only gets women so far. And although workplace evaluations are supposed to be merit-based, gender bias too often influences how supervisors rate employees. As a result, women often have to meet a higher bar than their male colleagues to advance professionally. But one of the best defenses against bias is clearly defined protocols. The study found that a poorly defined evaluation process opens the door for gender biases to shape performance evaluations because managers often perceive the same behaviors differently based on whether a man or woman engages in them. “The criteria they’re using might be undefined or unclear. It might be that they have criteria, but they don’t have a good way of measuring them,” says Correll. “So they draw on cultural ideas about how different kinds of people are.” So, how can leaders address bias in evaluations? The researchers suggest: - Tying evaluations to performance - Ensuring that the process is transparent - Holding managers accountable for their reviews? - Making sure managers have clear criteria for evaluating employees - Applying those criteria are consistently to all employees Read more about the study — and what managers can do to address bias in the workplace here: https://lnkd.in/g4cSYTq

When Kana Matsubara was young, a beloved family member was diagnosed with cancer. “I remember her fight, and how the cancer treatments allowed her to continue living a joyful life,” says Kana. This early experience ignited her interest in medicine — today, she leads an international team developing a new cancer drug currently undergoing a global clinical trial. Early on in her leadership role, Kana recognized that helping her team overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential would require new skill sets and innovative thinking. Kana was particularly interested in mastering how to help her team of clinical development personnel, researchers, biostatisticians, regulatory personnel, and others collaborate efficiently, which is critical in bringing new oncology products to market. When given the opportunity to expand her horizons through a global management development program, Kana looked to Stanford GSB Executive Education. “I was eager to bring back valuable insights on how a global team should work and tools for managing such a diverse team.” Kana enrolled in Managing Teams for Innovation and Success – a one-week, in-person program that takes a strategic, global approach to every aspect of teams: creating, managing, and leading them. During her week on campus, learning with other team leaders, Kana gained insights for helping her diverse team achieve its benchmarks. And, just as valuable as the insights, were the relationships she formed in the process: “The connections I formed with other participants are truly precious to me… The desire to continue developing myself so that I can proudly reconnect with them someday serves as a powerful source of inspiration.” Read more about how Managing Teams for Innovation and Success transformed Kana’s approach to leadership: https://lnkd.in/gWDYMFtE #Leadership #StanfordGSB #StanfordGSBExecEd

This week we celebrated 10 years of Stanford LEAD #Me2We. Here’s how Me2We 2025 looked, by the numbers: 3 - Days of Me2We 2025, an annual conference created by and for past and current participants of Stanford LEAD 712 - Attendees, made up of past and current Stanford LEAD participants 58 - Countries represented by attendees 43 - Sessions featuring Stanford GSB faculty members, industry leaders, Stanford LEAD participants, and more 10 - Years of this inspiring, energizing event! … and of course, countless hugs given, friendships made, and insights gained. Share your favorite memory, takeaway, or photo from Me2We 2025 in the comments below!

“One of the lasting benefits is staying in touch with my classmates after the program ended. These relationships among students are lifelong assets.” — Dannielle Dan Born and raised in Inner Mongolia, China, Dannielle Dan came to the U.S. in 2008 to study computer graphic design — specifically, interactive design. As she progressed in her career, Dannielle knew she had the experience and expertise to lead teams and get results. But she needed the knowledge and tools to increase her influence and impact. Dannielle then got a new role as a Senior UX Designer at PayPal for Merchants. “I felt ready for a leadership role, but I struggled with how people perceived me,” she says. So, she decided to explore leadership education programs. She joined Stanford GSB Executive Education’s High-Potential Women Leaders Program, a two-week live online program designed to transform the way participants negotiate, manage teams, and lead. The program, she says, impacted her work immediately. “The learnings about negotiation and executive presence are things I use in my job every day,” Dannielle says. “As a designer, pretty much everything I do involves negotiation… Learning the principles of negotiation and how to establish an executive presence on a video call was crucial.” Curious about Dannielle’s story? Read more about her and the lifelong relationships she formed in the High-Potential Women Leaders Program here: https://lnkd.in/gPdFTprG

Are your emotions getting in the way of leveraging AI? Artificial intelligence can elicit strong emotional responses, from exhilaration to fear and everything in between. “When people hear AI, their brains kind of shut down,” says Stanford GSB associate professor Kuang Xu in an episode of the If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society podcast. Your emotional reactions — good or bad — can confuse you and hamper your ability to make the best decisions, he explains. The issue isn’t how you feel about AI, it’s the fact that you’re associating emotions with it. So if you’re a leader who wants to introduce or expand the use of AI in your organization, what’s the best way to apply it in your business and to model a supportive, non-emotional approach for employees? ??Focus on the work AI can do ?? Instead of fixating on the challenges or opportunities AI might bring, Kuang suggests you focus on the tasks AI tools can help you accomplish and on harnessing its ability to organize and provide data — the data you need to make informed decisions. “At the moment,” he points out, “AI is all about information. At the end of the day, you have to take that information and do something with it.” ??It’s about strategy, not spending ?? Kuang emphasizes that successful use of AI is determined less by how much your company invests in the technology and more by how strategically you’re implementing it. “It’s much less about any of the machine learning that’s involved, it’s really knowing how to insert AI in the right process,” he says. AI can do a lot. But humans also need to process AI’s work. To succeed, you should rely on uniquely human capabilities where they’re most beneficial, like in decision-making and higher-level strategic planning and analysis. ??Be realistic ?? You might be tempted to make a big investment in an AI transformation in order to stay competitive or respond to pressure from shareholders or customers. But Kuang recommends you pause and ask yourself: “What decision can I change if I have the information AI can provide?” It might not be as much as you would think… Are you experimenting with AI at your organization? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g5mN6BBD

Congratulations to the Stanford Executive Program – Flex cohort! Over the past 14 weeks, you’ve embraced the challenge of learning, growing, and leading—balancing rigorous coursework with your professional commitments. Your dedication to expanding your leadership perspective and forging meaningful connections has been truly inspiring. As you take what you've learned back to your organizations, we know you’ll make a lasting impact—leveraging new insights, strategies, and an invaluable global network. This is just the beginning. We can’t wait to see how you apply your knowledge, connections, and vision to create meaningful change in your organizations and beyond. Here’s to the journey ahead! #StanfordExecutiveProgram #StanfordGSBExecEd #Leadership

4 expert insights to become a better negotiator (courtesy of our Stanford GSB Executive Education faculty): ??Drop your armor ?? “Most folks walk into a negotiation expecting a battle. They get all armored up, they get all anxious, and when they expect a fight, they get a fight. The reality is that… [n]o one can force anybody to say yes. I’ve got to agree to what you offer and you’ve got to agree to what I offer.” “I don’t negotiate anymore. I problem-solve. And that, I think, turns out to be a lot better.” – Margaret A. Neale ??It doesn’t have to be painful ?? “When I’ve interviewed people about their metaphors for negotiation, a lot of times they will say it’s like visiting a dentist: It’s a necessary evil; you’ve got to do it.” “I think about it as an incredible creative decision-making process where if you can really understand each other’s interests and then dig deep into how you can accomplish both of your priorities, it could be incredibly rewarding.” – Michele Gelfand ??Don’t underestimate your power ?? “If you think in a more multifaceted way about power, it can help you be better prepared and feel more powerful in negotiation.” “People neglect power that comes from their social network ties, their unique knowledge and expertise, their personal characteristics that are associated with status, their interpersonal demeanor, even features such as height or fluency or charisma.”? – Nir Halevy ??Remember… you’re already doing it ?? “People don’t see how often they’re negotiating.… When you go out with your partner and you’re like, What are we going to have for dinner? That’s negotiation. Are we going to have kids or not? Negotiation. What are we going to do on vacation? Negotiation.” “If you think about engaging with other people and there are decisions to be made, there are constant negotiations happening.” – Brian Lowery Ready to make a deal? Read more negotiation insights from our faculty here: https://lnkd.in/gCczBb3q

“I want to open a window so people can see the world in new ways to help them expand their options and make better decisions in their organizations and their lives.” – Stanford GSB professor Brian Lowery Brian was always interested in understanding the world and pondering big questions, like why some people succeeded and others failed and how to make sense of differences in opportunities. Social psychology provided a way to think deeply about those questions. And while the PhD path was more rigorous and longer than other options, to Brian it seemed like the most interesting life available. As a professor of organizational behavior and a social psychologist by training, Brian likes to shine a light on how people function in the world — in business and beyond. Self-reflection is a key component of that discovery. His classes are experiential by design, encouraging people to understand and reflect on how they show up, how they behave, and what that means. In the classroom, engaging in deep conversations and discussing personal experiences brings the learning to life: “I try to create space for people to grow as opposed to giving them the answers.” Asking questions is where he always starts: “The world is an incredible place: How do you want to engage with it? What kind of life do you want to live?” Learn more about Brian at the link below! ??

How do small adjustments to speech, body language, and presentations transform our perception? And what does it mean to find meaning? At the Stanford LEAD annual Me2We event last year, four Stanford GSB professors shared their insights on power, persuasion, and finding fulfillment: ?? On persuasion: It’s not ‘you,’ it’s ‘we.’ “Instead of saying something like, ‘you’re getting this wrong,’ ‘you don’t understand this,’ you might say, ‘we’re getting this wrong,’ ‘we don’t understand this,’ something that simple … What we’ve found in our research in this area is that that feeling of receptiveness, following the words like ‘us,’ ‘we,’ ‘our,’ facilitates persuasion.” – Zakary Tormala ?? ?On power: Distance communicates status… even on Zoom. “So when we’re close to the screen [on Zoom], it’s a little bit like leaning in, it’s very friendly, it’s very engaged, it’s very warm. It’s wonderful. But if you’re thinking specifically about power and authority, you might want to think of creating more space around you … to signal that you’re an important person who owns a lot of turf.” – Deborah Gruenfeld ?? ?On meaning: Don’t confuse meaning with achievement. “What the research suggests is that achievement is about gratifying yourself … And meaning looks to be more about doing something for other people. So meaning is about participating in someone else’s story or participating in a story larger than yourself.” – Brian Lowery ?? ?On negotiating: Strike a balance between cooperation and competition. “We need to really be firm on our own interests and our priorities, but also be looking out to listen to what the priorities and interests are of our counterparts.” – Michele Gelfand Want to go deeper on these communication insights? Listen to the full talk in the comments below! #Leadership #StanfordGSB #StanfordGSBExecEd