50 GOOD LIFE SIGNUPS IN FIRST 30 SECONDS
As it turns out, the idea resonated with more than a few other Kellogg students. In fact, 50 students signed up within the first 30 seconds of registration for the spring series of three consecutive workshops. Three and a half hours later, 270 students were on board. “When that happened—that’s one fourth of the student body—we closed registration because we realized we couldn’t service more than that,” says Rajiv.
“Rohan and Lexie sort of floated a trial balloon, and the demand was amazing,” says Professor Corona. He attributes the demand, in part, to Kellogg’s “high-impact, low-ego culture.” “These phenomena could occur anywhere in the M7, but I do believe it is unique to Kellogg that so many people want to think about not only how to be a good business leader but also how to have a good life,” he says.
The Good Life Afternoon portion of last week’s CIM was essentially a compressed version of last spring’s three-week workshop series. The participating professors led a series of exercises based on their own research and that of other top researchers from around the globe. Worksheets under each student’s seat helped them think about their own values, how they want to live their lives at Kellogg, how to create an action plan and how to hold themselves accountable—and then they split into group sessions with personal leadership coaches. After an hour, they all returned to the auditorium for a “question and opinion” session.
“All the students got to ask a lot of great questions, and then Professor Corona did a full-blown action plan overview to make sure everyone understood what steps to take for themselves,” Smith says. At the conclusion, everyone walked over to the Allen Center, where 80 Kellogg alumni from the past 10 years joined them for dinner to reflect on how they’ve tried to live a good life. “They shared what they wished they had done at Kellogg to take care of themselves, what they’ve done since to make sure they have a good life, what’s worked,” says Smith. “It was just fantastic,” she gushed. “I wish I could do that every day.”
