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pervasive in business, in education, and in the culture at large. This bureaucratic culture opposes an entrepre- neurial culture, which has its own weaknesses (prone to pursuing the next shiny big thing), but it also has many strengths. It encourages creativity and risk-tak- ing. Thinking well doesn’t respect borders—it solves problems and goes beyond the surfaces of things.
Great work in science, art, engineering, and much else often arises in the hinterlands between intellectual disciplines. It was in such a hinterland that molecular biology originated, for example. People were work- ing on enzymes and DNA before they knew what to call themselves. The field grew from their science. Of course, discipline is important in any intellectual and human endeavor, but so is creativity, courage, curiosity and a refusal to simply follow along, or worse to fall into groupthink, the easy but foolish conformity common to small communities. In our leadership program, we hope to encourage both teamwork and independence of mind.
Did you do consulting work when you were a profes- sor at Stanford?
Not really. I was the director of the English honors
program and was busy with many other things. I was, however, interviewed by someone working for Mic- rosoft about Artificial Intelligence and thinking using stories—and that ultimately led to my consulting work a few years later.
Some of your Stanford students talked about your cook- ing.
Ah, yes. I used to cook for my honors students. And always for my daughters. I am a single parent and I have been lucky. My daughters live with me—although, they now spend most of their time in college—my youngest studying music and theology and my oldest getting a Ph.D. in philosophy.
You have written a lot: books, essays, poems. Are you writing something now?
I just finished a manuscript entitled Jane Austen and the Ethics of Life. A book that has many applications to both life and business, strangely enough. I have be- gun a short book on strategic thinking, derived from a course I teach as well as my various consulting expe- riences. I am also amidst a book on modern religious poetry. And a few other things.
-Dr. Shawn Washington
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