Category: Leadership
A Fun Trip to the University of Notre Dame
My youngest son, Daniel, is a senior at the University of Notre Dame. It feels like he just started college, and somehow he’s already graduating this May!!!
Julie, Diane, and I drove to Notre Dame over the weekend and had the opportunity to attend two wonderful events, one educational and the other a wild fun time!
On Saturday, Father Mike Schmitt (the priest who leads “The Bible in a Year” project) gave a wonderful presentation in the Notre Dame Basilica that highlighted several stories from the book of Genesis. Father Mike has a unique ability to share insights in an engaging way that is both serious and humorous.
For example, he discussed the story of how God created Adam from dirt. As the story goes, God decided to give Adam companionship by taking one of Adam’s ribs in order to create Eve. In response to the concern that this ‘origin story’ implies that women are somehow less important than men, Father Mike mentioned that someone told him: “At least women came from a human being, as opposed to men coming from dirt.” 🤣🤣🤣
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A Great Trip to Teach in Hong Kong
Greetings from Hong Kong! I am here to teach my “Leading a Global Company” class for the EMBA KH26 (Class of 2024) executives, which is a joint program between Kellogg and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). It is important to note that the HKUST EMBA program has been rated by the Financial Times as the number one Executive MBA program in the world for the last 12 consecutive years!!!
The KH 26 class included a wonderful group of senior executives from Mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Netherlands, India, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and even one person from the United States. Teaching this group of individuals was a fantastic experience. This is my 10th consecutive year of teaching in the program.
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What’s the benefit of attending a weekly religious service?
I am often asked why I attend a religious service at least once a week (usually Sundays). Some ask if it is just the requirement of being Catholic. Others wonder if it’s really a good use of time and what do I get out of it?
In my case, I don’t view it as a requirement. I also don’t view it as just a question of what I get out of it. Rather, I think about it as what I’m putting into it. In the crazy world we all live in, I find it remarkably helpful to take a short time out of a busy schedule and ask the questions I think about very often:
What are my values?
What is my purpose?
What really matters?
More CEOs Are Dying on the Job
In today’s Wall Street Journal, Harry shares how he dealt with the pressures of the job as CEO of Baxter International:
“For Harry Kraemer, one key to being a healthy boss was The Boss. The former Baxter International chief says that when the occasional meeting cancellation won him a free hour, he would take the opportunity to hop in his convertible, crank Bruce Springsteen and hit the McDonald’s drive-through. (OK, it wasn’t a perfect health routine, but the mental break lowered his blood pressure more than the Big Mac raised it. Besides, he says, he ordered Diet Coke.)”
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Is it lonely and stressful at the top?
Given my experience as a former CFO, CEO, and Chairman of Baxter International, a global healthcare company, as well as my ongoing chairmanship of multiple company boards, I am often asked by my Kellogg MBA students and Kellogg Executive seminar participants: “Harry, is it true that it is lonely and stressful at the top of organizations?” My opinion is that yes, it can be lonely and stressful at the top, but it definitely does not have to be. Let me explain.
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A fireside discussion with Tony Blair
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, a national holiday. It is a day that I find both inspiring and saddening: Inspiring because it honors a man who sparked in our national conscience a recognition of the injustices suffered by Blacks and other minorities and played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement. Saddening because this extraordinary man of peace was taken from us far too soon in a senseless act of violence.
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A great example of a true values-based leader
While visiting my daughter Shannon in Los Angeles this past weekend, I had the opportunity to stop by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. What an outstanding example of a values-based leader! What impressed me most was the personal history of Ronald Reagan, a man who came from a very modest background in Illinois and rose to become the governor of California and eventually the 40th president of the United States of America.
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Ask Harry #14: Why is your teaching focused on values-based leadership?
Given my extensive background in finance, which includes a stint as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Baxter International, and my general love for economics and numbers, I am often asked why I choose to focus most of my classes at Kellogg on values-based leadership and not something more quantitative and finance-based. To be honest, while I do love finance and economics, I feel that I have a real calling to have a small positive impact on the next generation of future leaders around the world. I strongly believe the world would be much better off if we had more values-based leaders. While I am overall an optimistic person, I am very concerned that we currently have a severe lack of values-based leaders in all areas of global society, including government, business, sports, and even religious institutions.
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Charlie Munger and the Art of Being No. 2
As you may have heard, Charlie Munger, the longtime partner of Warren Buffett, passed away this week at 99 years old. He was a phenomenal investor, but many saw him in the shadow of Warren Buffett. I was asked by a reporter at the Wall Street Journal whether being the number two person in an organization would be difficult for someone like Charlie Munger. I explained that many strong leaders are perfectly fine and comfortable with not being in the limelight, especially if they are given credit and appreciated by the number one person.
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Personal Reflections on the 60th Anniversary of JFK’s Assassination
There are certain events and dates for which you can remember exactly where you were, what you were doing, and how you felt. These moments are seared into your brain so vividly, it’s as if they happened yesterday.
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Happy Diwali and Some Thoughts on How to Improve Relationships
I want to start by sincerely wishing all my Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist friends who celebrated Diwali yesterday a very joyous holiday! For those who may not be familiar with Diwali, it is a holiday celebrated by more than a billion people around the world. It is called the “Festival of Lights” and celebrates the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil.
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Starting with a prayer — Part 2
While there are many topics that students ask me to discuss, I cannot stop thinking about the terrible situation in the Middle East, and the impact on all people, especially the children. Since this topic is highly emotional and polarizing around the world, many people shy away from discussing it. However, I strongly believe leaders need to be able to openly discuss all sides of any issue if we want to make progress…so here are a few thoughts.
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