Two CEOs of consulting firms

“Vince had worked with a top management consulting firm before B-school. During his two years at Berkeley, he followed the stock market religiously, maintained contact with business associates, and read as many analyst reports as he could get his hands on. He graduated near the top of his class. Rich also earned impressive grades but maintained a relatively low profile in the process. To earn extra cash, he waited tables and tutored undergraduate students, and when he wasn’t working or in class, he could be found at the psychology lab where his wife-to-be worked. Because Rich spent so much time away from the business school, he didn’t establish quite as many close relationships with classmates as most others did. When Vince decided to start his own consulting firm just a few years out of school, no one was surprised. When Rich did the same thing two months later, no one noticed.”

Excerpt From: Patrick M. Lencioni. “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive.”