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<\/a>After nine years as dean of the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management, Jim Bradford is stepping down from his position at the end of the academic year in June. Jim recently discussed some of the highlights of his time as dean with<\/p>\n
Vanderbilt Business magazine. He also laid out some of the broad areas he thinks will shape Owen in its next era of leadership. Here\u2019s Jim in his own words.<\/em><\/p>\n When we were writing the announcement that I\u2019d be stepping down, it felt at times like crafting my own obituary. What do you say about a 40-year career in both the private sector and academia in just a couple of paragraphs? It reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie<\/em>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been great fun and interesting is visiting with alumni. My message to them is simply that this is an incredible school worthy of their time, energy and support. And in that process, I\u2019ve greatly enjoyed hearing how Owen has influenced people\u2019s dreams and how appreciative they are of the education they received here.<\/p>\n Of course, anytime there\u2019s change you\u2019ll find pockets of worry. But I tell people this is a team sport, that whatever course a new dean charts, the intimate, collaborative culture of Owen will carry the school forward. That\u2019s one of the most valuable lessons the alumni taught me when I started my tenure: Make whatever changes are necessary to help the school thrive, but don\u2019t lose the culture.<\/p>\n I believe the school\u2014or any organization\u2014has to be guided by two things. First, it needs a mission or a vision that works for it. What are we about? What are we doing? Second, there needs to be a sustainable business model that allows for smooth functioning. If those two priorities get out of whack, it doesn\u2019t matter how great the mission is if you can\u2019t make it work financially. Likewise, if you are rudderless and just go where the wind blows, you might get through in good times, but if you forget who you are and what you\u2019re doing, you won\u2019t be able to make it through in hard times.<\/p>\n For me personally, it has been gratifying to see the Leadership Development Program reach the levels it has. It\u2019s sustainable and it\u2019s something that we\u2019re now being noted for by incoming students, employers and peer schools. We\u2019ve also been fortunate that\u2014starting with the Accelerator program in 2004, the Health Care MBA and MS Finance degree in 2005, then adding a Master of Accountancy, Master of Management in Health Care and the Americas MBA\u2014all these new programs continue to thrive. They may need to morph over time to accommodate what the global economy demands. But I feel like we have met an obligation to build programs that business wants.<\/p>\n The last 100 days are a wonderful time to look back at what has been accomplished and what’s still left to do. When I began thinking about this notion of the last 100 days, I remembered when I sent my own kids off to college. As a parent, you want to impart every article of wisdom that you can. Of course, you can\u2019t do that in the last hour\u2014the morals and values you instill have to begin at a very young age.<\/p>\nOn Passages<\/h2>\n
On Strategy<\/h2>\n
On Priorities for the Last 100 Days<\/h2>\n
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