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We will, we will-
[MUSIC] >> You ready?
>> Rock you!
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>> Are you going to make it happen? Are you going to make it happen?
I want them to hear you.
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>> I'm feeling excited.
>> I think success looks like togetherness in this court today.
>> Getting the trophy, if there's one.
>> Before the GSB, we hear about the executive challenge, and all about it.
But to finally be here, see all of our classmates geared up and
ready to go after having spent so much time in lead labs.
Really figuring out how to hone our leadership.
Really excited to see it applied, especially versus esteemed alumni, and
see how we can fair against them.
>> We don't know who we're going to be working with today.
So yes, sometimes there's some very tough judges, I'm not so tough, though, [LAUGH].
>> I'm really excited for this.
>> We've been building up to this moment for ten weeks now.
>> Just seeing the enthusiasm of the students, and
seeing them be in a real world situation.
Where they can role play and we can challenge them a bit, and
then also understand where they are and help them learn.
>> What are you nervous about?
>> Falling on my face, obviously, and saying the wrong things.
But I have a great squad, we're very supportive of one another, so
I'm sure we'll all get through the day.
>> We're both fellows, second year doing Executive Challenge,
we're excited to see how our squad's respectively doing.
>> We're taking this extremely seriously, we're coming into this just ready to win.
>> Ready to crush it.
>> Go squad 36.
>> I think this is success right here, just look at this guy and mirror it.
>> Coming back as a judge and being able to see how much we're able to learn in
just such a concentrated period of time is really powerful.
>> So I'm pumped, I'm excited.
>> Excited, but
what Ralph didn't say is he's also a little bit nervous, a little bit nervous.
>> The students are incredibly sharp, I learn a lot every year from doing this.
>> It's fantastic to be part of this process and see the current students and
challenge them and help them as they evolve into leaders.
>> I think I'm nervous that we haven't debated or
convinced real executives yet, and this will be a great challenge to do that.
>> There's so many opportunities to be encouraging to them of what they're doing
through this exercise.
>> It's an honor to be part of this.
>> It ends up being a really fun day for me, and
kind of stretching my thinking about management leadership as well.
>> I'm looking forward to helping and mentoring.
>> I'm nervous about doing well in front of the judges.
>> Making sure we get everything accomplished on time.
>> I'm not nervous at all, this squad is amazing, we're going to crush it.
>> It's my first time on campus since my five year reunion, and so
I'm really looking forward to kind of experiencing the students.
And I think they're probably a lot smarter than I was when I was in their shoes.
>> Just came out of the first round, and
I was really struck by how impressive the students were, right off the bat.
First case of the day, they really knocked it out of the park.
>> I just did my case, and I think it was surprising, but it went really well.
And now I'm just trying to be supportive to Ilene and Chris, who are going into it.
>> As a judge,
or what I observed was that, I'm very glad that I'm not an MBA student here.
Because I would not have been able to do as well as the folks in our room had done.
>> It was shocking, when I felt like we were constantly under attack.
And so it was just a new experience, never been put in that position before.
>> I've never, in the years that I've been doing this, had two groups
in a row get to the ask, and in fact get very, very close to convincing.
And one group that kind of hit a home run, so we're looking forward.
>> Absolutely. >> To seeing whether our group two is
going to be on the podium tonight.
>> A lot of the interpersonal dynamics in the room, how to read a room.
How to respond without being defensive,
if someone's really pushing your buttons, a lot of those softer skills.
We've practiced all throughout the quarter, and
we had a chance to demonstrate them during today's session.
>> Every time I leave this exercise,
I know it makes me a better, more sensitive executive.
In the context of the managerial settings in which I operate.
>> During the early goings on, they were a bit more tough,
they were pressing, they were asking probing questions.
They were trying to throw us off our plan, but
I thought we sort of danced with them pretty well.
And were able to bring them back to a place where we had wanted towards the end.
>> It's really inspiring about the future of the world,
because the GSB students are so amazing.
And I know they're going to be out there in ten or
15 years really making an impact.
>> Great. >> One person has to high five.
>> High five, you excited?
>> [SOUND] [APPLAUSE] >> 22!
>> 30, 30!
>> 40!
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