Gerard Seijts, Executive Director of Ivey's Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership, has courted controversial speakers for his students in the last year. He recently hosted some big names, including former Enron CFO Andy Fastow, bond trader Nick Leeson, and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
In a podcast for CBC's Ontario Today, Seijts explains the importance of hearing these speakers' stories and having compassion for others. He points out that although it's always inspiring to listen to success stories, there's much to learn from those who have experienced hardships.
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"Many of the students don't always feel like successes," he said. "There are obstacles, setbacks, and outright failure. There was a real desire to hear from individuals who have failed, made mistakes, struggled, then learned from those mistakes, and became successful in life again."
