What I Learned

Amy Gutmann
President, the University of Pennsylvania

I've had terrific male and female mentors, some of whom surprised me by taking an interest in me and my work. Some people think that mentors are people who sit down and give you advice on how to succeed. I don't think that's the way the best mentors work. The best mentors are people who are talent scouts and show you how to succeed by modeling it themselves and being supportive of very talented people.

I was a university professor for two decades, and I have former graduate students who are now professors at major universities all over the world. It gives me great satisfaction to have helped launch these amazingly accomplished people.

At Penn, half of my executive team and deans are women—not because I set out to have women, but because I hired the most talented, hardworking people. So many women in these jobs would not have been conceivable when I started out in academia. I have women running my computer operation, my budget operation, my police force. My deans of the veterinary school, arts and sciences, and nursing are all women. That's a revolution in academic life.

Mary Robinson
Former president, Ireland; chair, Council of Women World Leaders

I always joke that I came from a human-rights background because I was the only girl wedged between four brothers.