Stanford GSB: View From The Top

Venture capitalist Michael Moritz discusses his unconventional background, the value of humanities education in tech, building enduring organizations, the depth of obsession in success, and navigating the competitive landscape of venture capital.

Selling sneakers from the back of his car, Phil Knight co-founded Nike with his college track coach in 1964. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Knight talked about the origins of his highly competitive, never-give-up attitude — and how that attitude has played out at Nike over the years. Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diane Von Furstenberg didn’t plan a career in fashion — she just wanted to earn her own money. Staying open to new ideas led to her starting the DVF clothing line. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Von Furstenberg explained how she got started — and what helped her rebuild her business when she “lost it all.” Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When it comes to “moral victories,” Rahm Emanuel, the current mayor of Chicago and former White House chief of staff, will have none of it. “Our party likes to be right, even if they lose,” he says. During a one-hour View From The Top discussion with Ben Kohlmann, MBA '17, at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Emanuel sketched his vision for the Democratic Party and offered advice to future business executives on why they should be ruthless when making deals. Listen to the podcast episode from Emanuel's conversation at View From The Top. Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Getting fired while seemingly at the apogee of a career would faze most executives. But it only took Jeffrey Katzenberg eight days to recover after being shown the door at Disney, where he’d headed its motion picture division for 10 years. In just over a week, he teamed with Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and David Geffen to launch DreamWorks, where they turned out hits including Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, A Beautiful Mind, and Shrek. Listen to the former Dreamworks CEO on an episode of View From the Top, the podcast: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Magic Johnson is known globally for his success as one of the all-time great NBA stars.. The Michigan native played 13 seasons for the LA Lakers before shooting for new ventures like starting a record label, a promotional company, and a chain of movie theaters. During a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Johnson joined Kara Hollis, MBA ’16, in a conversation on how he began his career transition well before he was off the court and why his competitive nature drives him to “over-deliver.” Listen to the episode on View From The Top, the podcast. Stanford GSB’s View From The TopView From the Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeff Weiner, former CEO of LinkedIn, shares insights on compassionate leadership and the future of work. He discusses immigration's vital role in the U.S. economy and emphasizes inclusivity amid the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. Weiner reflects on navigating leadership changes, building trust, and maintaining cultural integrity during rapid growth. He also explores the strategic partnership between LinkedIn and Microsoft, blending independence with shared resources, and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on aligning passion and skill.

As CEO of one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company, Ken Frazier has pushed the firm to invest in treatments for serious diseases, particularly those that affect people in developing countries. During a View From The Top conversation at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Frazier discussed how economic inequality breeds political inequality, his early career pivot from law to business, and why it’s vital to do more than just please shareholders. Listen to Frazier in conversation with Geordie Keelan, MBA '18, on this podcast episode: Stanford GSB’s View From the Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. View From The Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. During student-led interviews, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. I See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Almost every entrepreneur in the U.S. knows the story of how Spanx started: Sara Blakely, then 27, was prepping for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to wear under white pants. To solve the issue she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut the feet off her pantyhose. Thus, Spanx was born. In April of 2018, Blakely visited Stanford GSB and was interviewed by Sarah AlBanna, MBA '18. Listen to their conversation on this podcast: Stanford GSB’s View From the Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Stop the crazy mind chatter in your head that tells you that you are not good enough,” said Oprah Winfrey during a visit to Stanford Graduate School of Business. She advised students that even when their long-term goals are unclear, the important thing is to banish self-doubt and continue forward, no matter how small the step. "The way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, 'What is the next right move?’ and then, from that space, make the next right move and then the next right move." Listen to Oprah’s conversation with Amanda Facelle, MBA ’14, on leadership, education, and following your “inner GPS.” Stanford GSB’s View From The Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.