Be curious and be confident

(From left) Jill Ellis '88, L.H.D '16, P '27, President Katherine A. Rowe, Frances "Fran" Gibson McGlothlin '66, L.H.D. '18, G '29 and Todd Howard '93 take a photo together at the forum. (Photo by Katie Warner)

The following story originally appeared on the W&M Alumni Magazine website. - Ed.

Jill Ellis '88, L.H.D '16, P '27 and Todd Howard '93 lead in fields that look quite different. Ellis, the World Cup-winning coach who currently serves as FIFA's chief football officer, is at home in gigantic stadiums with cheering fans, while Howard builds intricate virtual worlds for the masses to explore as head of Bethesda Game Studios. But the leadership lessons they shared with William & Mary students at the 15th annual McGlothlin Leadership Forum were remarkably similar: be curious and be confident.

William & Mary welcomed Ellis and Howard back to Williamsburg Sept. 14-15 for this year's forum, made possible by the generosity of Frances "Fran" Gibson McGlothlin '66, L.H.D. '18, G '29 and her late husband, James "Jim" W. McGlothlin '62, J.D. '64, LL.D. '00, P '89, G '29.

"This forum is the brainchild of Jim and Fran McGlothlin," said President Katherine A. Rowe. "Their philanthropy is an investment. They asked the entrepreneur's question: How might we? How might we catapult more students and more graduates into the highest level of leadership in their chosen field? How might we make a world-class education accessible? To me, the theme is belief in our students and confidence in their potential."

Graduate students from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and William & Mary Law School learned directly from Ellis and Howard over the event's two days. Both fellows shared their wisdom in classroom settings, question-and-answer panels and keynote addresses. Attendees included McGlothlin Scholars, who received scholarships to attend W&M for their MBA or J.D. degrees though the generosity of the McGlothlins. Students expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to hear from distinguished W&M alumni in such an intimate setting.

"It was an honor to have the chance to participate in the McGlothlin Forum," said Isaac Harper, a second-year M.B.A. candidate at the Mason School of Business. "It's clear that Jill Ellis and Todd Howard believe in the William & Mary community and our ability to make a difference in the world."

A. Benjamin Spencer, dean of William & Mary Law School, emphasized the privilege of learning from such accomplished leaders. He also tied the forum's goal of developing the leaders of tomorrow to William & Mary's Year of Civic Leadership.

"The McGlothlin Leadership Forum perfectly embodies the work that is required to become a leader with wisdom, humility, courage and integrity," Spencer said. "The forum's founders, Jim and Fran McGlothlin, exemplify these qualities of leadership, as do this year's forum fellows."

The forum kicked off with fellow-led masterclasses. Ellis joined Professor Matt Dean's Business Analytics & Supply Chain Career Acceleration Module course and provided students an in-depth look at her current role with FIFA, including how the federation is utilizing artificial intelligence and the challenges and opportunities facing women's sports. Students came away with insights on adaptability and agility, and the pros and cons of a decentralized organizational structure.

Meanwhile, Howard led a discussion with Professor Kurt Carlson's Career Acceleration Module Marketing course and Professor Vladimir Atanasov's Career Acceleration Module Finance course. Howard charted his path from finance coursework at William & Mary to his current position leading a video game studio, passing on lessons about resiliency, resolving conflicts between business and creativity, and how to build strong teams.

"It's a reinforcement of things that I've learned here, and it's amazing to be able to hear from Ellis and Howard in a classroom setting as a student," said Ryan Moore, a second-year M.B.A. candidate at the Mason School of Business, who attended Howard's masterclass session. "Todd talked about a study on how to build the best teams, that it's really important to have emotional safety and be in a group where you're not afraid to fail. He talked about building vulnerability, and I really liked that aspect."

Following the classroom sessions, fellows were honored with a reception and dinner at the Alumni House. Ellis delivered a keynote address on what she's learned as the scope of her leadership has broadened, drilling back to themes of curiosity and learning from your challenges.

"At every starting line, I've learned to ask three questions: What's changing? What stays the same? What needs to evolve? The honest answer to the third one is almost always, me," said Ellis. "The best thing this community gave me wasn't an answer; it was the confidence that I could find one. That confidence carried me into every room where I was the least experienced person at the table. Hold onto that confidence and stay honest about the difference between knowing you can find the answer and thinking you already have it."

The following day, before a packed house, Ellis and Howard came together for a panel discussion, moderated by Dawn Edminston, clinical professor of marketing at the Mason School of Business. Edminston guided the fellows through questions on lessons learned from their careers, how to inspire others and the power of teamwork and collaboration. The student audience then asked thoughtful questions on artificial intelligence, advice for young leaders and how to find one's passion.

McGlothlin Scholar alumna Louise Song M.B.A. '23, founder of the maternal mental health startup Momma Chill, sought advice on "asking others to take leaps of faith with you on a startup journey."

In her answer, Ellis emphasized the power of clear goals and staying true to yourself. "When you're in that start-up mode, you have to be really rooted in your own belief," said Ellis.

Howard stressed the importance of maintaining your purpose, even when your team doesn't match your level of passion. "If they aren't there yet, don't be upset. Because you've made this leap that most people can't or won't. If you maintain that purpose, they'll come along," said Howard.

The forum concluded with a luncheon featuring a keynote from Howard, who inspired the audience with his personal story of going from hopeful student literally knocking on doors to ask for a job to award-winning leader at Bethesda Games. Howard emphasized the power of courage, asking the audience, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" With his characteristic blend of wit and wisdom, Howard encouraged the audience to reframe how they view life.

"What walks in the leader runs in the team. Those you lead will model your confidence, your willingness to fail and your curiosity for what's possible from you. And when you see that in action, when you see your teams accomplish difficult things together, that's the real success. And the fact that you're even here in this moment, in this forum, has put you on the right path," he said.

"I ask you to leave here ready to play. Play life every day to the fullest," Howard said, "and no matter what you do, stay confident and stay curious."

Brendan Doyle '20 and Frazier Johnson, University Marketing

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