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hbr.org | January 2008 | Harvard Business Review 29

How to Change the World Alan Wilson has several career options but only one ambition – to make a difference.

by Howard H. Stevenson

A LAN WILSON PEERED past his Atomics at the skiers

whizzing by 20 feet below the chairlift. The sky had

darkened, and a light, wind-whipped snow was fall-

ing, but the changing conditions certainly hadn’t de-

terred the diehards. He watched a young woman hurtle down

the steep slope, poles and powder fl ying.

He carefully adjusted his goggles. He hadn’t said much to his

best friend, Karl, during their 10-minute ride together. Alan was

feeling refl ective. What was he going to do with his life now that

some exciting new possibilities had opened up? People think it’s

miserable to have no options, he thought, but in a way, it’s more

stressful to have too many.

Three-quarters of the way up the mountain, the strengthening

wind gently rocked the chair. Karl pulled out the trail map and

pointed a gloved fi nger at one of the black-diamond runs. “The

HBR’s cases, which are fi ctional, present common managerial

dilemmas and offer concrete solutions from experts. D an

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HBR CASE STUDY

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LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY | HBR CASE STUDY | How to Change the World

30 Harvard Business Review | January 2008 | hbr.org

Couloir Noir is the one on the right,” he

said. “What do you think?”

Alan and Karl shared a passion for

moguls. Alan had been a Division 1

skier in college, and Karl, who’d grown

up in Kitzbühel, Austria, had once en-

tertained Olympic dreams. They had

never explored this particular resort

on any of their New Year’s trips to the

slopes of the Rockies. Alan looked up

at the steep, narrow run snaking off

through the pine trees. He nodded to-

ward another one – the Dragon Chute,

which started as a drop over a cliff and

then spread out into a powdery bowl.

“I like the look of that one, too,” he said.

They still hadn’t decided which

course to take when they raised their

ski tips at the top of the lift. Sliding

off the chair, they stopped to look

again at the map. Alan pointed to the

Dragon Chute, which appeared to be

closer. They skied to the brink of the

cliff. Bending his knees and pushing in

his poles, Alan launched himself into

the swirling snow with Karl following

hard behind.

Moguls in the Making A few hours earlier, over bread bowls

of steaming, fragrant chili in the noisy

lodge, Karl had asked Alan, a bit deli-

cately, how things were going.

“You mean at work?” Alan said.

“Well, yes, at work. And everything.

How’s your dad doing?”

“A lot better now. It’s hard to believe

it’s been fi ve years since my mom died.”

He dug a spoon into the chili-soaked

bread, fi ghting a lump in his throat.

The memory of the hospital room – the

slant of the afternoon light through

the vertical blinds, the merciless hiss

of the respirator, all that plastic tub-

ing everywhere – was still searing. He

thought how unfair his mother’s death

was when she’d given so much to oth-

ers, not least by founding and running

Help and Hope, now a well-established

charity. He remembered the day they’d

been told her cancer had spread; she

had taken his hand, as if to comfort him.

Her fi ngers were ice-cold. “Alan, darling,

you are my gift to the world,” she had

said. “You will make a bigger difference

in it than I.”

At the time, he’d been working fl at

out for the strategy consulting fi rm

he’d joined out of business school, in its

pharmaceutical industry practice. And

although he fi rmly believed that work

was the best therapy for grief, he had

also begun to regret the toll that travel-

ing 20 days a month was taking on his

personal life. Not long after the memo-

rial service for his mother, a headhunter

had called on behalf of Grepter, a New

Jersey–based multinational pharma-

ceutical fi rm, and dangled a vice presi-

dency. Alan had decided to make the

move.

“Yeah, I miss your mom,” Karl said. “I

still have that crazy hat she brought

me from Bangladesh.” He grinned. “It

always reminds me to send my check to

Help and Hope. I fi gure if they’re dedicat-

ing themselves to all those projects, the

least I can do is supply some money.”

“Tell me about it,” Alan said ruefully.

“There’s a fund-raiser coming up that I

should be putting a lot more time into.”

He took a sip of coffee. “But anyway,

on the work front, I can’t complain.

Grepter has been very good to me. The

people are great.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Karl said. “Stock’s

doing well, too, which doesn’t hurt. But

it’s so corporate, isn’t it? You never

struck me as a big-company guy. Are

you really happy there? Challenged

enough?”

Alan smiled. Good old Karl, ever the

career counselor. He had gone a com-

pletely different route. Deciding to see

how far his undergraduate degree in

math could take him, he had chosen

to forgo an MBA. Now he was making

money hand over fi st at a New York

hedge fund, LSM Investments. Alan had

a vague sense of what was coming.

“Well, the thing about M&A is that

every deal is different, so I’m still learn-

ing a lot,” he said. “I’ve been working on

some big possibilities, including some

international ones. If half of them come

through, I guess I’ll be on track for a

promotion.”

“And how about the money?” Karl

asked. “Are they paying you what you’re

worth?”

Alan wasn’t sure what he was worth –

or, for that matter, how infl ated his

friend’s idea of a decent income might

have become. He offered an exagger-

ated shrug. “How could they possibly?”

Karl laughed and then dropped his

voice. “The reason I ask is this: There’s an

opportunity at LSM that has your name

written all over it.” He raised his hand

slightly so that Alan would let him con-

tinue. “You know, in the fi rst few years I

was making close to half a million. With

the fund size and performance on the

rise, I’m now making – you won’t be-

lieve this – almost 10.”

Alan took a deep breath. The fi gure

stunned him. “Jeez, Karl,” he responded.

“That’s amazing. But that’s you, and

you’re really good at it. You love the risk.

You’ve always been a maverick.”

“Don’t kid me that you’re afraid of

risk,” Karl replied. “I’ve watched you

bomb down mountains for years.” His

eyes glinted. “I mean, sure there’s risk,

but it’s mainly about being smarter

than the average bear. You’d have no

Howard H. Stevenson (hstevenson@hbs

.edu) is the senior associate dean and the

Sarofi m-Rock Baker Foundation Professor

of Business Administration at Harvard Busi-

ness School in Boston, and chair of the

Harvard Business School Publishing board.

“ You never struck me as a big-company guy. Are you really happy there? Challenged enough? And how about the money? Are they paying you what you’re worth?”

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LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY | HBR CASE STUDY | How to Change the World

32 Harvard Business Review | January 2008 | hbr.org

problem. And talk about Help and

Hope – if you earn this kind of money,

you’ll be in a position to really make

a difference. At some point down

the line you could even cash in your

chips, start the Jenny Wilson Memorial

Foundation, and do that for the rest of

your life.”

Alan leaned back. Karl’s proposal

was certainly something to think about.

But it was also complicating things.

During a business trip to California

the previous week, another friend had

made Alan an offer, too.

A Parallel Turn Shiori Masaki, resplendent in a crimson

silk dress, had stood waiting for Alan

near the host station of a 1940s-style

restaurant in downtown San Francisco.

“It’s been too long,” she said breezily,

kissing his cheek. “Thank you for mak-

ing the time for me!”

They settled into the comfortable

booth. He ordered a draft beer, she a

glass of pinot grigio. Alan admired her

long, pale hand as she ran a fi nger down

the stem of her wineglass. Still no ring,

he noticed.

It was good to catch up. They’d

dated a little in business school, but

after graduating at the top of her class,

Shiori had moved to California. Very

quickly she’d made a mint, fi rst as the

cofounder of a dot-com that sold out

to a large software company, and then

as a partner at a Silicon Valley–based

venture capital fi rm that was moving

toward biotechnology. Most recently

she’d decided to become a social en-

trepreneur. She’d founded a com-

pany that focused on getting lifesav-

ing medical care to patients in Third

World countries. Every time Alan

talked to her, she sounded more pas-

sionate about what her company was

achieving.

“We’ve just lined up some new inves-

tors – which, let me tell you, is easier

since the Gates Foundation came on

board,” Shiori said. “Now that we’re so

fl ush, we can fi nally get started on a

couple of projects I’ve been dying to

launch. I wanted to pick your brain

about one in particular.” She described

a plan for partnering with big pharma-

ceutical companies to get medications

for cancer, pain, and infectious diseases

to people in Africa and Indonesia more

quickly and cheaply. “It’s really exciting

stuff. But have we made it appealing

enough for an industry partner? That’s

what I need you to tell me.”

The waiter appeared to take their

order. “Oysters Rockefeller for two,” he

said with a nod. “An excellent choice.”

As Alan looked over some materials

Shiori had brought, she chatted about

how much she enjoyed living on the

peninsula. “You know, it’s sunny most

of the time – even in January,” she

said. “It seems like every time I’ve

been in New Jersey, it’s been freez-

ing.” She leaned toward him. “Do you

remember when I took you to Half

Moon Bay for surfing lessons? You

were pretty good.”

Alan laughed. “Oh, come on, Shiori,”

he said. “You forget. I managed to get

up on the board, that’s all.”

“Well, you did a lot better than I

did,” she replied. “Anyway, you seem to

like California. Have you ever thought

about moving out here?”

Alan narrowed his eyes. “Why do

you ask?”

“We need a talented person with

the right network to kick-start this

thing – and you’re the perfect fi t. That’s

what I really wanted to talk to you

about.”

This was a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-

tunity, Shiori said. Alan could get his en-

trepreneurial hands dirty. They would

work directly together. “C’mon, don’t

you want to meet Bill and Melinda?”

she said teasingly.

Alan laughed. “I can see me now, hob-

nobbing with them and Bono.”

“In fact, that’s a distinct possibility,”

Shiori said seriously. “But here’s the real

hard sell. You could help save a lot of

people from dying of AIDS. Or cancer.”

A View from the Top “Okay, let’s take a 10-minute break,” said

Gary Dreisinger, Grepter’s longtime CEO,

as the investment bankers, their work

over for the day, gathered up their brief-

cases and slowly fi led out of the board-

room. “We’ll meet back here at 4:15.”

Alan felt grateful for the respite, how-

ever slight. He was still a little sore from

his ski trip, and it had been a long meet-

ing. Now the whole thing was fi nally,

mercifully, nearly over. He stood up,

stretched, and ambled over to the west

windows to lower the blinds against the

setting sun.

Alone in the room, he had a chance

to review his position. This merger with

Schweitzer was the biggest deal he’d

ever worked on, and the fi nal decision

would be made in just a few minutes.

In his mind he ticked off all the require-

ments. The research stream had been

thoroughly vetted. The team had care-

fully considered all the possible cost

and revenue synergies. A thorough

human resources map of both fi rms

showed that Grepter and Schweitzer

were highly complementary, so com-

paratively few people (primarily on

the administrative side) would have

to be let go. Independent analysts had

asked the tough questions. The lawyers

and bankers had done all their due

diligence.

Alan felt exhausted. The deal had

been a nail-biter, and he’d fl own many

times to and from Zurich, putting

hundreds of hours into the negotia-

tions. Schweitzer’s board had rejected

Grepter’s initial offer of $39 a share, so

Alan had negotiated an increase to $42.

The plan was to invest simultaneously

in Grepter’s manufacturing capacity

and Schweitzer’s very promising drug

R&D, in order to expand Grepter’s pipe-

line. The acquisition would position

“ We need a talented person with the right network to kick-start this thing – and you’re the perfect fi t.”

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hbr.org | January 2008 | Harvard Business Review 33

Grepter to take over the global vaccines

market and compete toe-to-toe with a

larger rival.

Soon Gary, carrying a fresh mug of

coffee, re-entered the boardroom ac-

companied by the CFO and the head

of strategic planning, Alan’s boss. The

moment of truth had arrived. “Gentle-

men,” Gary said, as the four of them

took their seats, “it’s decision time.”

He took a sip of coffee, setting the

mug down on the polished table with

a sharp click. “We all know this deal is

about the R&D pipeline, and we agree

that the fi nancials look positive. I’ve

read the reports.”

He looked directly at Alan. “Alan,

you’ve been in Zurich; you’ve seen

what they’re doing fi rsthand. Are you

personally confi dent that everything

is as good as they say it is?”

“Yes, I’m truly impressed,” Alan said

firmly. “It’s exactly what the team

said it would be. I think the pipeline is

real. And the people are fi rst-class.”

“All right,” Gary said. “We’ll go for it.

Let’s get the paperwork ready.”

The other two men left the room,

but Gary stayed behind while Alan

gathered up his notes. He shook Al-

an’s hand, smiling broadly. “So, young

man,” he said with a twinkle in his eye,

“Sprechen Sie Deutsch?”

“Not really,” Alan replied.

“Well, you might want to learn some.

What would you think about spending

a little more time in Zurich?”

Alan stared at Gary. “What do you

have in mind?”

“The fi rst order of business will be to

integrate Schweitzer,” Gary said. “That

would give you an opportunity to get

some experience in operations. Besides,”

he said with a grin, “since you’re a ski

buff, I thought you might appreciate

the surroundings.”

“Ah…,” Alan began, not quite know-

ing what to say.

“After that – I fi gure in six months or

so – I’ll consider promoting you to se-

nior vice president in charge of global

M&A, reporting directly to me. By then

you’ll be an exceptionally strong candi-

date. With a few years of global experi-

ence under your belt, you’ll be as well

positioned in the company as anyone

could possibly be.”

The Big Jump Alan felt a little light-headed as he

drove to the house of his favorite

cousin, Beth, for dinner. He wasn’t sure

whether he was just hungry or reacting

to the plethora of dizzying choices. As

he pulled into the driveway, the front

door opened. Eva and Kia, Beth’s four-

year-old twins, came tumbling down

the steps to meet him, squealing with

delight.

“Uncalan! Uncalan! Uncalan’s here!”

the girls cried, hugging his legs as he

closed the car door. He grinned.

“Brr, it’s cold out here!” he said cheer-

ily. “Let’s go inside. I brought presents.”

Alan had trained his little cousins

well. Beth had pleaded with him to stop

spoiling them, but he enjoyed it when

they behaved like Pavlovian puppies,

jumping and yipping in expectation of

the trinkets he always provided. His

visits had a bittersweet side, though:

He couldn’t help wondering sometimes

if he’d missed the chance to have his

own family.

As the twins bounced into the house,

Beth greeted him at the door, wiping

her hands on a cloth. She kissed his

cheek as her husband, Eric, offered to

take his coat. Alan reached into the

pockets and pulled out two brightly

colored, silken-maned plastic horses for

the girls.

“Girls, say thank you!” Beth shouted

as they ran off with their prizes.

“Thankyuncalan!”

Over a dinner of roast chicken and

mashed potatoes with gravy, Alan re-

counted the events of the afternoon to

Beth and Eric.

“My goodness!” Beth said. “What an

offer! What did you tell him?” As a

schoolteacher, she had ambitions of

a different kind, but she always seemed

to be dazzled by the accomplishments

of her cousin, who was as close to her

as her own brother.

“I told him I’d be glad to think about

it,” Alan said.

“Think about it!” Beth cried. “What’s

to think about? I’m surprised you didn’t

just grab it right there and then.”

“Hmmm, I get the feeling Alan’s a

little confl icted,” Eric observed.

Alan told them about the offers

from Karl and Shiori, and then started

weighing his options aloud. “If I stay

with Grepter, I not only have an oppor-

tunity to work directly with the CEO,

but I can get both operational and

global experience. And if I continue to

advance – well, let’s just say that any-

one who gets to the top of a Fortune

100 company has a big platform for

bringing about some positive changes

in the world. But that’s counting chick-

ens. On the other hand, if I worked

in the hedge fund, I’m sure I’d make

more money in the short term – so I

could probably start making a differ-

ence sooner.”

“Because you could support the kind

of work that Aunt Jenny did,” Beth

ventured.

Alan nodded. “And people like her

probably do it better than I could any-

way. That’s my hesitation about the

California opportunity. I’d be making

a difference for some very unfortunate

people right now, and that would be

gratifying, but…”

“And does that Shiori still appeal to

you?” Beth interrupted with a smile.

“She sure did once, as I remember.

She’s cute. Smart, too.”

Eric rescued him by saying, “It sounds

like the real question is not about

money but about where you think you

can make the greatest impact on the

world.”

“You’re right,” Alan said. “That’s what

I wish I knew.”

“Alan, you’re such a superstar,” Beth

chimed in. “Just do what you love, and

the impact will follow.”

Which career should Alan choose to make the biggest difference? Four commentators offer expert advice.

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LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY | HBR Case Commentary | Which Career Should Alan Choose?

34 Harvard Business Review | January 2008 | hbr.org

THOUGH ALAN is single, it’s clear that fam-ily is important to him. A devoted son and cousin, he loves children and entertains thoughts of fatherhood. The best way to honor his mother’s wishes would be to raise his fu- ture children – her grandchildren – with a good value system. Therefore, the overriding ques- tions he should ask himself are these: Where do I see myself in 10 years, when I have a family of my own? How will I teach my kids about mak- ing a connection between values and work? From this perspective, it seems that any of his career options will work very well – as long as he brings his values into the workplace.

Alan should also weigh each of his job options on a fi ve-point scale – money, fame, power, personal values, and quality of life. By

this measure, working in Shiori’s social enter- prise organization might well score high on personal values and quality of life. Working as a senior manager at Grepter would score very high on power; would undoubtedly re- ward Alan with a fi ne salary, bonuses, and stock; and – if he persuaded his company to provide free medicine for the poor – would also score high on personal values. Further- more, if he’s thinking about his future family and quality of life, the chance to raise his chil- dren in Zurich – a safe, clean, cosmopolitan city where they could learn to speak multiple languages – might tempt him, too.

A person who puts a high premium on do- ing good in the world might think that joining Karl at LSM Investments would be the worst possible choice, because he or she might assume that making money is the only real driver. Certainly, if Alan were a hedge fund manager who fl ew around the world on a pri- vate jet and saw his kids two weeks a year,

they would probably judge him negatively. But he could choose to use his position at LSM to support his personal values and his quality of life. If he lived modestly, tried to get the fund to invest in socially valuable projects, set an example of philanthropic priorities, and made sure to spend a lot of time with his children, they would judge him differently.

Having imagined himself in the future and considered the various positions according to this fi ve-point scale, Alan can begin to weigh the benefi ts against the possible risks, both personally and professionally. For instance, living in California or Zurich might make him feel too distant from his beloved cousins: a negative for quality of life. As he weighs these considerations, however, he should rely

not on hearsay and hunches but, rather, on a clearheaded, objective investigation of the facts. For example, is there a basis for believ- ing that the CEO will really follow through on his promise? Or would Alan fi nd himself too far away from the corporate epicenter if he worked in Zurich, and thus be passed over for a more advantageous position? To fi nd out, he should look at the career paths of other managers at Grepter. And has the company demonstrated any interest in supporting or expanding his social agenda?

As for the hedge fund, he should look at the makeup of the board. Does he share the vision of its members? What is the long-term plan? The same goes for Shiori’s company.

Once Alan has evaluated his options this way, his choice will be clearer. But regardless of the choice he makes, he should remember that many paths lead to the same place. It’s really a matter of approach – bringing your val- ues to work.

Alan should rely on a clearheaded, objective investigation of the facts. For example, is there a basis for believing that the CEO will really follow through on his promise?

Laura Scher is a cofounder and the chair and CEO of Credo Mobile (formerly Working Assets), a San Francisco–based wireless phone service provider that has generated $56 million for nonprofi t groups since 1985.

W e

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T HE WORLD certainly seems to be Alan’s oyster, but his mother’s ghost is interfer- ing with his enjoyment of it. His confusion springs, in part, from the fact that he has not yet fi nished with the grieving process. As she was passing away, his mother burdened him with a heavy expectation. Her dying wish has put Alan in the unhappy position of living to fulfi ll her role for him rather than choosing his own direction. By hinging his future on the ful- fi llment of his mother’s wishes, he may miss the opportunity to realize the full potential of his own life.

Alan must start by asking himself a few key questions: What is really driving me, pro- fessionally and privately? Am I living my own life, following my ideals, or am I acting from a heavy conscience? What are my core skills, and what satisfi es me most?

Some of Alan’s personal predilections al- ready indicate a path. Consider the way he skis. He takes calculated risks. Instead of choosing the narrow track, where he might hit a tree, he goes for the wide-open run. By leaping before Karl, he shows that he’s a leader, not a follower.

Such hints suggest that working for a hedge fund might be the wrong choice. Instead of broadening his competency level through a wide variety of experiences, he would be nar- rowing it by spending his days studying the movements of stocks. Moreover, interpersonal relationships are important to him, but he prob- ably wouldn’t be interacting much with people at a hedge fund. And money doesn’t seem to interest him as much as it does Karl – at least not for its own sake. I suspect that Alan knows that money has an addictive quality: The more you earn, the more you spend, and it doesn’t necessarily make you happy.

Alan’s skill with people makes the oppor- tunity in California more appropriate, but he needs to ask whether professional network- ing is really what he wants to do. Another question arises: Does it make sense to go into business with a friend? What will happen if Alan, a natural leader, reports to Shiori – or to Karl? If he competes with one of them or if something goes wrong, can the friend- ship survive?

Grepter, however, satisfi es his need to work with people and offers excellent prospects. An international position abroad and respon- sibility for an integration project would indeed give Alan extremely valuable experience. The CEO has hinted that he might mentor him and has even intimated that Alan might be his successor. Alan should confi de in Gary and openly and honestly discuss his options and concerns; he might say that he’d like to fi nd a way to combine a career in big pharma with social entrepreneurship. Indeed, it might be strategically interesting for Grepter to grow a business based on providing affordable drugs to the world’s poor. During this discussion

Alan could learn a lot about Gary’s interest in and intentions for him.

In his role as a mentor, the CEO might also help Alan discover that being useful to so- ciety has to do not just with work but with all aspects of life – not just the charities to which he contributes but also the products and services he helps produce, the relation- ships he builds, even the taxes he pays. By being open with his mentor and paying atten- tion to his own heart, Alan may discover that he can follow his true self and at the same time do more for the world than his mother ever dreamed of.

Daniel Vasella (offi ce.vasella@ group.novartis.com) is the chairman and CEO of Novartis in Basel, Switzerland.

Does it make sense to go into business with a friend? What will happen if Alan, a natural leader, reports to Shiori – or to Karl?

LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY | HBR Case Commentary | Which Career Should Alan Choose?

36 Harvard Business Review | January 2008 | hbr.org

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LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY | HBR Case Commentary | Which Career Should Alan Choose?

38 Harvard Business Review | January 2008 | hbr.org

Alan might be drawn to the public sector. Public service is often tough, and you can’t get rich doing it. But there is great satisfaction in making a contribution this way.

W HEN A dying mother tells her son, “You are my gift to the world,” those words echo forever in the core of his being. Alan will never be able to completely disre- gard the memory of his mother’s voice, and it is bound to have an infl uence on his future behavior.

However, his cousin is right: If he does what he loves, the impact will follow. I would advise Alan not to worry that any decision he makes now might foreclose future opportuni- ties. At this early stage in his career it prob- ably won’t. Instead he should sort through his thoughts by pulling out a yellow pad and writing things down. Specifi cally, he should make two lists. One should note the things he really loves to do: What turns him on? What sorts of work situations and personal activities does he fi nd fun? The other should list the things he really doesn’t like. Having done this, he should note the pros and cons of each job opportunity and then compare them with his likes and dislikes. His goal should be to discover which opportunity best matches what he loves doing.

If I were advising Alan, I would caution him against either joining the hedge fund or ac- cepting a longer tenure at Grepter. He doesn’t

appear to be suffi ciently driven by money to join Karl’s team. The stress factor in that busi- ness might be high, and – even assuming the fund does well and Alan makes a lot of money – his satisfaction quotient might be low. Moreover, he wouldn’t be able to make the social impact he wants to for several years. And although Grepter seems to be a fi ne place, and Alan has been happy in his career there so far, wading through a large corporate bureaucracy might not be the best

thing for him, as his old friend has pointed out. Nor, again, would Alan be able to make an impact for quite a while, especially if he is working very hard as a senior manager.

There are several reasons why Alan should seriously consider joining Shiori’s enterprise. First, the entrepreneurial adventure of build- ing a company, although it can be risky, is energizing and fun – and Alan seems capable of tolerating the level of risk involved. Shiori has already shown that she knows how to make money, so her new company’s chances of success may be better than average. And if Alan has an equity stake in the company and it goes public or is sold, he could make some money in the process. However, work- ing with Shiori could be a pitfall if Alan isn’t clear about his romantic feelings for her.

Second, the satisfaction that he derives from working on a meaningful social venture would be a wonderful balm for the emo- tional pain of losing the mother he loved and admired.

Third, he would gain experience in social policy. If he combined this with the high- level contacts that Shiori hints he could make, he might fi nd himself in a position of greater infl uence later. For example, he

might be drawn to the public sector. There are many jobs in government – in the United States and globally, in appointive or elective offi ce – where he could have a very positive impact on society. Not many MBAs choose the public-service path: Public service is of- ten tough, and you can’t get rich doing it. But there is great satisfaction in making a contribution this way. It is worth consider- ing if Alan really wants to become a force for large-scale change.

Barbara H. Franklin ([email protected]) is the president and CEO of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, an international trade consult- ing and investment fi rm head- quartered in Washington, DC, and a former U.S. secretary of commerce (1992–1993).

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hbr.org | January 2008 | Harvard Business Review 39

I CAN RELATE to Alan’s situation. When I fi n-ished my MBA at Harvard Business School in 2004, my possibilities seemed limitless. I, too, wanted to do something meaningful but didn’t know what. I had experienced a rewarding career in software, having started two companies and taken one public before landing at HBS; but I wanted to expand my horizons. So many other paths were now open to me. Would I go into venture capital or private equity, where I would be on the other side of building businesses? Would I join a Fortune 100 fi rm for best-of-class manage- ment training? Or would I make something of the business plan I’d written during the program? (In the end that’s what I did.)

First I had to understand my own character. I realized that I enjoy taking risks and charting my own course. Alan is more conservative and

analytical in his approach. He likes to evaluate things at a high level and develop strategies. Although his people skills seem good, it is not clear that he has the propensity to be a leader who gets out there and takes charge.

Consider his career choices thus far. His mother was a great role model, but Alan isn’t necessarily cut from the same cloth. (Other- wise he might have chosen to work in the non- profi t world instead of in business.) She was a successful entrepreneur in her own right, but Alan doesn’t seem to lean that way either. Going into consulting was a safe bet for him after business school; he didn’t have to run anything or take a career risk. When he joined Grepter, he opted for a corporate role rather than a frontline job in sales or marketing.

In light of his innate caution and his desire to make a difference, the hedge fund is not a wise choice. Although it might let him make

good use of his analytical skills, the only real draw appears to be money. If the fund fails, however, he may be left with neither wealth nor a persuasive career record. Likewise, working with Shiori does not make sense. Alan could indeed make a lasting impact, but the social enterprise is already her dream and vision. How could Alan develop and demon- strate his expertise independently? Moreover, it’s never a good idea to mix personal and professional lives. If Alan’s romantic interest in Shiori reawakens and things don’t work out, it could be disastrous.

If Alan is motivated to build something with lasting impact, he cannot continue analyzing his career from the sidelines. He must cultivate his operational and management skills. Staying with Grepter and accepting the challenge of integrating the Zurich fi rm will give him the

perfect opportunity to get his hands dirty and gain real operational experience under the CEO’s tutelage. If Alan wants eventually to run a social enterprise or a smaller company, the best way to get there is to develop his capabilities and network at a leading fi rm until he is ready to make the leap. That will con- tinue to move his career forward, rather than sideways, and build skills that will make him more valuable. Meanwhile, he will have time to discover what is meaningful to him and to develop a much fi rmer notion of what he wants to be and do. This will position him to make his next career decision on his own terms, rather than on the basis of a seductive temptation.

Reprint R0801A

Reprint Case only R0801X

Reprint Commentary only R0801Z

To order, see page 139.

If Alan wants eventually to run a social enterprise or a smaller company, the best way to get there is to develop his capabilities and network at a leading fi rm.

Christina C. Jones (cjones@ extendfertility.com) is the founder and CEO of Ex- tend Fertility, a provider of fertility-preservation options for women, in Woburn, Massachusetts.

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