Harvard Business School

We educate leaders who make a difference in the world. When we talk about leaders, we mean people who embody a certain type of competence and character—both the competence that comes from the general manager’s perspective the School cultivates and the character to understand the difference between being self-interested and self-centered. It goes far beyond knowing that it’s not right to lie, cheat, or steal. It involves recognizing that you are a true leader only when you have earned the trust of others, and when others, whether in your organizations or your communities, recognize you as such.

Making a difference means people who create real value for society, and who create value before claiming value. It is worth noting here that there are many ways of making a positive difference: as an investor, as a general manager, as an entrepreneur, as an active citizen of your community. Indeed, what distinguishes Harvard Business School is that our graduates provide leadership in all walks of life.

In the world reflects our understanding of a rapidly changing, dynamic environment, and the fact that many of the world’s most challenging issues will require a global perspective. Moreover, it involves embracing the view that the world desperately needs more leaders to address its most urgent and challenging problems, and that virtually none of these problems can be addressed without business leaders playing a vital role. And, of course, the first component of the mission is educating, which we do in many ways—through our educational programs, through the ideas our faculty produce and disseminate, and through the influence we achieve by being close to leaders of all types, and of organizations all across the world.

HBS is the only top business school in the United States with a self-contained, residential campus that forms its own vibrant community in the heart of one of the world’s great cities.

Throughout our history, alumni and friends of Harvard Business School have provided extraordinary support for the School and its mission: to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Learn how we’re addressing the challenges and opportunities of environmental leadership through our teaching, research, student activities, and campus operations.