Doriot: Master Teacher

I just began a new book, Creative Capital, which takes a look at the life of Georges Doriot -former Harvard professor, World War II brigadier, and the father of modern venture capital.  I only started yesterday and already find myself halfway through, as Doriot’s life is full of interesting details and inspiring maxims.

While I’ll likely provide a more detailed review after finishing, I found the sections on Doriot’s life as a professor at Harvard Business School to be too good not to share now.  Professor Doriot was well known for applying practical lessons to his students that focused less on facts and more on giving students the ability to leverage the education to solve real world problems.  Some of his most famous quotes included:

“One should not only be able to criticize but should always have a suggestion to make.”

“Don’t challenge others’ statements; have them repeat them over again”

“Always challenge a statment that nothing can be done about a certain condition.”

Further to any wisdom espoused in class, Doriot truly stood out among his peers in his devotion to students.  The author recounts how “Doriot began to develop a novel educational approach…Whereas most professors kept a chilly distance between themselves and their students, Doriot believed strongly in forming a close bond between student and teacher.”

The approach was a smashing success with students - on the final day of class in 1928, Doriot’s students surprised their professor by making him sit down as they expressed their thanks.  One student read from a scroll:

“You have given us something of far greater value than case-books and assignments - yourself.  As you paced back and forth on your quarter-deck before us, you looked upon our group not as a class, but as individuals needing guidance.  You gave, as needed, advice, encouragement, criticism.  Always you urged us into original and constructive thinking upon difficult problems, and developed powers of analysis and understanding of infinite value in days to come.

Beneath all the levity of this afternoon lies a deep and sincere appreciation of what you have done for us this year.  We hope you will always remember our happy associations together, and understand something of the feeling of indebtedness we bear to you.  You have made an important segment of the business world alive before us, in your inspiration we have had a new realization of our own possibilities.”

(emphasis mine)

Reflecting on the words, it’s easy to see that Doriot’s impact was not unique to the time (1920’s) nor to his chosen profession.  In thinking back through my life, the people who have made the most impact on me were those who chose not to follow the cookie cutter approach regarding efficient interactions - rather, they chose to fully invest, to break the mold, to give all of themselves in an effort to maximize the return for others.

Who has broken the mold in your life and put in the extra effort to give you a “new realization of [your] possibilities.”  Perhaps it makes sense to pick up the phone or send an email today to thank this person for his efforts.  Better yet, perhaps we can all take things one step further, and apply these lessons to our families, careers, and relationships in general.  For these are lessons which surely stand the test of time.