I spent last week coaching the Design Thinking Bootcamp at the d.school at Stanford. For those unfamiliar, it’s an executive education program that equips participants with innovative tools and principles.
This was my 13th year coaching this program, and I’d say it was one of my favorites.
While there were several reasons I enjoyed this session so much—great team, amazing weather, easy travel—I want to focus on another element.
This year’s DTBC had one of the largest cohorts ever, which meant one of the largest coaching teams. With over 12 coaches, I got to reunite with colleagues I’ve worked with for a decade or more, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years.
What makes this particularly interesting is that this group is truly unique—people leading fascinating and intentional lives. A “life by design,” if you’ll excuse the corniness.
These are individuals building houses, raising families, starting and running companies, and finishing degrees.
Their approach to our coaching work is beautiful. They’re caring, smart, and curious, bringing experiences from both work and life. They genuinely want to excel in teaching this cohort (micro) while improving the program as a whole (macro).
I’ve never encountered a work culture quite like this one—high-performing and incredibly emotionally intelligent.
I finished the week feeling deeply fulfilled by our impact on students and inspired by my colleagues.
Being surrounded by creative, thoughtful people has been one of the most influential experiences of my life. And to be clear, I completely lucked into it.
My takeaway is this: whenever possible, surround yourself with creative people doing interesting things—not just those chasing wealth but folks doing genuinely intriguing work or leading truly fascinating lives.
You don’t need to copy them, but being around these people does something to us. It’s like a form of osmosis where we’re inspired by others’ ways of working and living without mimicking their actions.
It’s comfortable to stick with a small circle of friends. It’s safe, fun, and predictable. But I encourage you to spend time with people who seem cooler, smarter, or more creative than you feel.
They’ll inspire you to live a more vibrant and bold life, and believe it or not, you’ll inspire them too. You might feel a bit vulnerable, but that’s okay. That’s where growth and enthusiasm flourish.