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Len Schlesinger Returns
A longtime favorite in the classroom, Len Schlesinger returned to the HBS faculty this fall after a five-year stint as president of Babson College and eight years as vice chairman and COO of Limited Brands. "Whether it's academia or industry, I don't think I've ever had a bad job," says Schlesinger. He will teach Field 3 in January.
This is the third time you've come back to HBS. You must like it here!
There is no place like this anywhere in the world. The embarrassment of riches in talent and intellect...when it all comes together, the music that is made here is unlike any other. Right now I feel very much like a kid in a candy store who is trying not to overeat.
What are you looking forward to working on?
I continue to be intrigued by the role of entrepreneurial activity inside large corporations. Right now I'm looking at the interactions and intersections of other faculty research in this area and trying to frame the issues that bubble up from there.
What is it about the business world that energizes you?
For me, it's very simple. When you combine a collection of really messy problems and interesting people to play with—you can't have more fun than that. At Limited Brands, I had to transition from a knockoff design and speed-sourcing model to building brands and coming to grips with what that meant to our portfolio of businesses. There is nothing more dramatic in a company called Limited Brands than selling off The Limited.
How would you describe the pros and cons of working in business vs. academia?
It's not an issue of pros and cons. They are both great, and different. Historically, there's been a general assumption that those who can, do; and those who can't, teach, but I don't see that separation. There is no question that this time is allowing me to reflect more deeply on my experience and contextualize it in a way that, hopefully, will be more useful than just a collection of war stories.
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