Brian Stern

As a young undergraduate, I had a strong interest in business and psychology and was struggling to decide which way to go. With the help of a counselor, I found out I didn't need to choose. There was a field of study, Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology that brought the two disciplines together. After completing my formal education, I had the opportunity to work in a research capacity so I could do a deep dive. Most of my career has been spent helping large organizations with Talent Challenges (talent attraction, recruitment, assessment/interviewing and evaluation). I enjoyed being able to put theory into practice and have had the good fortune of working with leading global organizations. Along the way, I've co-founded a few companies and supported great teams made up of people who were much smarter than me (for real). An exciting accomplishment was starting an organization with 6 people (with no external funding) and ultimately became an organization of over 200 people and recognized as a market leader in the talent acquisition space. One of the biggest gifts I've enjoyed is seeing young interns turn into professionals who end up presenting business results to Fortune 50 executives. That being said, at the end of the day, success is personal and defined by each and everyone one of us. I see my role as a leader as an enabler to help do just that.

My advice to students...

A few scattered thoughts for students. This is a time to explore and stretch yourself in just about any way you can think, that's safe and legal. Go out of your way to meet new people, explore new activities, open your minds to other and even contrary points of view. Another suggestion, don't just be an observer, jump in and try things whether its comfortable or not. In fact, the less comfortable might be what's best for you. The relationships you create and nourish may become friends for life. I have always thought the value of the college experience was about and 40% learning content/classroom academics and 60% other/life. Join and be active in a club or group, formal or informal. Volunteer and get others involved. I recall a useful maxim from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). Leader development comes from three venues:
10% classes/coursework/training,
20% developmental relationships,
70% experiences

While it may sound like I'm recommending a do anything approach.
"Don't do that do this":
Instead, be intentional, look for where you'd like to grow and find activities that will help you use those muscles. There seems to be almost infinite opportunities at CU Boulder to get involved.