Reflections from my first HBS zoom class

HBS has moved all of its classes online and today Francesca Gino and I taught Leading Difference to 120 students over zoom. We typically teach in the lower part of Klarman Hall, which is a surprisingly intimate space, given that it can hold almost a thousand people.

My reflections:

1. There is more participation online than offline. I’m not sure if the technology spurs it or if I was unintentionally stifling it in person, but it was very different. And awesome. And I commit to figuring out how to bring that back to the physical classroom.

2. Seeing people in their natural habitat was soothing and created what felt to me like a really safe space. I also enjoyed the diversity of (real and virtual) backgrounds and co-workers (e.g., dogs). It sparked joy.

3. It was a relief to go deep on leadership topics that were not specifically about our global pandemic. It feels like the first break I’ve had from reality in quite awhile.

4. Microsoft and Riot Games provided an amazing backdrop for our discussion on cultural transformations. Satya Nadella’s book is stunningly good (Hit Refresh). He open sources Microsoft’s cultural transformation in super helpful detail. And Nicolo Laurent and Angela Roseboro joined us to provide an inside look at Riot’s remarkable journey. They are both dignified and graceful and principled and were super generous with their time. Common themes: growth mindset, the power of inclusion, and customer obsession.

5. HBS has been preparing faculty, staff, and students for the transition from physical classrooms to zoom with incredible detail. One clear message was reiterating the power of the cold call. And in the moment, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get over that it felt too presumptuous.

• The last time I felt like this was in the first class after 9.11. I remember it so vividly. It was 8:30 in the morning, the class was Managing Service Operations, and the case was Progressive Insurance. Instead of a cold call, I asked for a volunteer to open the case. A woman in the front row began speaking, set us up beautifully, and we had a really compelling discussion. It was an act of courage and empathy on her part. Those traits continue to describe her today. Thank you Lexi Reese.

6. We have a phrase that we commonly use at HBS: “trust the students.” If you have a difficult question, you’re unsure where to go next, you’re hesitant about how much to push, the theory is to trust that the students will collectively get us to the right place. Francesca and I leaned into that theory today and the class was pretty sensational as a result.

I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to learn today.

Frances