Jeff Immelt '78 on the Role of Sports In Learning and Leadership

A subscriber sent along the following excerpt from a Wall Street Journal interview with Jeff Immelt '78, Chair and CEO of the General Electric Corporation and a former Dartmouth football player.

How valuable is sports as a laboratory for learning and leadership? You played football in college at Dartmouth. If you think back to your own development as a leader, what role did sports play for you?

"I think it's huge. Sports combine a bunch of important things. It's about competitiveness; it's about teamwork; it's about knowing when to lead and when to follow; and it's about dealing with both success and failure.

I think competitive, collaborative activities, of which sports is a good example, all help shape very important skill sets for the business world. We look for people who have had teaming kind of events -- such as the military, sports, or theater -- activities that have forced people into group situations and made them learn how to collaborate and compete."

Friends of Football Golf
The Dartmouth Friends of Football Golf Classic is set for June 17. The following message went out from the organizers yesterday regarding the event:

Excitement is building for the 9th Annual Friends
of Football Golf Classic on June 17th at the Hanover CC.

By this time you should have received your invitation in
the mail, so don’t hesitate any longer--fill it out and
send it in. We especially hope that all former players who
will be in town for their Reunions will grab a foursome
and join us.

As in the past, our sponsors have been very generous, but
we still have four (4) major sponsorships remaining
including the Tournament Sponsor at $5,000. Tee and green
sponsorships are also available at $500 and $250. So team
up with some classmates and become a sponsor. The gift is
tax deductible and the money will be well spent by the
football program!!

We have already received some exciting raffle and
auction prizes, including golf at some fine country clubs
including the site of this years U.S. Open-Winged Foot.
We also will be raffling off two (2) tickets to this years
baseball All Star game in Pittsburgh including receptions
and tickets to the Home Run Derby, a fishing trip off Long
Island Sound, Red Sox tickets and much more! If you have
a vacation home, tickets to an event, or something you can
donate to help raise money please let us know!!

We are trying to surpass last year’s record
attendance of 108 golfers so don’t wait to sign up! I will
be ordering some excellent food and beverages soon so I
need to know that you are going to be in Hanover! ...

For the printable brochure and entrance form, click here.