Are we as good as we think?

As I listened to Dean Dan Smith articulate the meaning of being a Kelley student to newly admitted students last week, one message was indispensable: Forget the rankings, starting salaries and bragging rights that come with being in Kelley. The quality of student that Kelley launches into this world is the focus of our leader. Our faculty has the highest expectations for us, but sadly the majority of our student body does not hold itself to this elite standard.\nIf I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "All I want is a B from this course," I'd be a millionaire. Our students have talent, ambition and aspirations to be the best, but unfortunately the desire and strategic vision to achieve that goal is sorely lacking. It is not enough to identify where you would like to be in the future. Anyone can say they want to run their own company. What's difficult is meticulously constructing the bridge from where you are now to where you wish to be and then fearlessly walking across. It requires a profound commitment to uncompromising excellence, but more importantly, a dedication to yourself to stand by your vision in times of uncertainty. \nJust because we belong to a highly reputable business school does not guarantee future success. There are thousands of competing students who possess the same knowledge and skills as we do. The only way to differentiate ourselves is our explicit determination to maximize every ounce of our ability.\nNot enough students share this belief. We think of the tangible short-term benefits at the expense of the intangible long-term reimbursements. A professor once told me, "Students don't know how to learn. They memorize." In one class, my teacher highlights in red the parts of a slide that need to be written down. Students who takes responsibility for their education should never need this. The fact that a professor deems it necessary is a sad reflection on our students. \nIn my home country of England, students are forced to take responsibility for their education. There are no curves to bail you out. If you can't apply your knowledge, you will fail. The competition is you against yourself. Perhaps some of our students need to confront this scenario, realize they are no more than average and hopefully initiate action to elevate their standards and demand more of themselves. If I had one wish for Kelley, it would be that all students were infused with vision, drive and a personal pride in themselves and everything they do. We have the ability; we just lack execution.\nSo the next time we see a B-, let's ask ourselves: "Did I really use every resource at my disposal to do myself justice? Am I really as good as I think"