S7E1: Honoring the Past, Present, and Future of the David Eccles School of Business

Eccles Business Buzz Podcast

S7E1: Honoring the Past, Present, and Future of the David Eccles School of Business

Welcome back to our 7th season of the Eccles Business Buzz! And what better way to kick it off than with our new Dean Kurt Dirks.

Dean Dirks started his role just a few months ago, on July 1st, 2024. Prior to joining us here at the Eccles School, Dean Dirks was the Bank of America Professor of Leadership at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to serving as a faculty member, Dean Dirks served in multiple senior leadership roles at WashU, including as Acting Provost, Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Leadership, Vice Chancellor of International Affairs, and as Senior Associate Dean and Interim Dean at the Business School.

Kurt sits down with Host Frances Johnson to share with us a bit about his journey as a first-generation college student, the critical role of public universities, and the importance of creating a culture of belonging at the Eccles School. Dean Dirks also discusses his vision for business impact, the significance of ethical leadership and trust, and the evolving landscape of business education and AI at Eccles.

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Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

The significance of ethical leadership and trust in shaping our approach to emerging technologies like AI

[Dean Kirk Dirks] 22:01: We have a responsible AI initiative at the U, which is thinking about this, not just at the business school, but across the entire university. And so, it’s something that we are a part of, our faculty are a part of, and thinking about that.

On the other side of it is certainly thinking about helping our students understand their values. And when those values get challenged, how do they respond to them? Certainly, something important about being leader in whatever way we think about that, that term is really understanding your responsibility in society, in business to try to make the world better and how that applies in, you know, day to day life. And so, that’s certainly one of the areas where I hope we can get each of our students to think about, that their role as a leader in society, making the world better and how that is steered by their values and their purpose.

[Frances Johnson] And again, this idea that everything is business, right? We’re not just learning to crunch numbers. We’re not just learning to analyze data, but we’re really thinking about, what’s important to me? How can I bring that to an organization? How can I seek out organizations that align with that? And then how can I make a positive difference? So, the interconnection really continues.

[Dean Kirk Dirks] Very powerful. There is no doubt that, if we help our students along all those facets, again, the values, the quantitative and economic skills that they have and the business mindset, I think we’re going to serve them well for their life and career.

How building trust can foster a unified community

[Frances Johnson] 07:25: What role does trust play as we really try to build a cohesive community at the Eccles School where everyone has a place?

[Dean Kirk] 07:44: In terms of the role of trust and how that fits with them, when we think about earning that trust, it really is around three things. And I think it speaks to this notion. One is a sense of competence and capability, that we have the knowledge and skills and support to really help them be able to succeed at what they want to do. Second is we talked about character, that piece of values that is important to allow students to feel a connection and that our values are consistent with theirs. And then the last piece, which really speaks directly to this is caring, that, often, when people want to be able to trust someone, they want to know that, we think about them and care about them. And I think that’s a really important part of this set.

Dean Kurt shares a piece of advice he wished he had when he was starting his college journey

30:22: One of the most wonderful parts about being a university student is that self-discovery. You’re certainly learning a lot about business, but equally important, learning a lot about yourselves and new paths. So, go out and try something new this semester. Meet a new group of people, try a new experience at the U, something that you may not have done before. And perhaps, you’ll get a surprise that maybe it becomes your future.