5 Key Takeaways from Our Enduring Excellence Conversation with Herminia Ibarra
Herminia Ibarra shares insights on career reinvention, leadership, and learning by doing across a lifetime of research and practice.
We were honored to kick off the Enduring Excellence series with Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO & President at Ariel Investments. Mellody has led multiple chapters of extraordinary impact: as a visionary business executive, a dedicated civic champion, a transformational philanthropist, and now as a trailblazer shaping the future of women’s sports. Her conversation set the tone for the Enduring Excellence series, offering timeless insights on leadership, purpose, and the power of persistence.
Drawing from her remarkable journey, we are sharing five takeaways that capture the wisdom and inspiration Mellody brought to our Enduring Excellence conversation.
1. Scarcity Can Be a Source of Strength
Mellody spoke candidly about growing up with scarcity and how it became her lifelong source of motivation. “My fuel was scarcity; my influence was wanting a better life,” she reflected. Watching her siblings navigate life’s choices helped her clarify her own path. “I’m the only one in my family who went to college,” she shared. “I’m a composite of all five of my siblings and their choices. Their lives gave me guideposts, and I’m very grateful to them for that.”
That early experience instilled in her a drive that has never faded. Even today, she says, that sense of scarcity remains a quiet motivator: “It never leaves you.” For Mellody, the challenges of her early life became the foundation of resilience and the beginning of a lifelong commitment to excellence.
2. Excellence Is an Input, Not an Outcome
Mellody revealed a distinctive philosophy of excellence, one that separates it from conventional notions of success. “Excellence is an input; success is an outcome,” she explained. This approach introduced a new idea of excellence, recognizing that is not a destination but rather a continual practice, something that evolves as we grow and challenge ourselves.
She credits mentors like John Rogers, who taught her that “everything matters,” along with formative experiences that reinforced the power of repetition and preparation in shaping her approach to excellence. Whether perfecting a speech as a child or refining professional communications until they reflected the highest standard of quality, Mellody’s journey reflects the discipline, humility, and persistence required to pursue mastery again and again.
3. True Leaders Are “Learn-It-Alls,” Not “Know-It-Alls”
When reflecting on her experiences serving on the boards of companies like Starbucks, JPMorgan Chase, and The Walt Disney Company, Mellody observed that the best leaders share one defining trait: curiosity. “They are not know-it-alls—they’re learn-it-alls,” she said.
The leaders she most admires demonstrate deep expertise in their domains and the humility to admit what they don’t know. “The older I get, the one thing I know is that I don’t know anything,” Mellody said, emphasizing that true excellence and strong leadership stem not from certainty, but from a commitment to continual learning.
4. Diversity Is a Prerequisite for Excellence
Throughout the Enduring Excellence discussion, a central theme emerged in Mellody’s message: excellence is impossible without inclusion. She recounted how her TED Talk on being “color brave” rather than “color blind” challenged people to see what and who is missing in their environments.
“If every member of a corporate board were Black, people would notice,” she said. “But when a board is all white and male, no one blinks.” For Mellody, diversity is a strategic advantage that strengthens companies and communities alike. “Most boardroom issues require significant brain power and diverse perspectives,” she said. “Without that, you lose.”
5. The Future of Sports—and Society—Is Inclusive
Mellody closed by highlighting how she is shaping a new era in the business of women’s sports. She sees a cultural shift underway: “When my daughter sees two women who are married, she just calls it marriage. I believe that, in the future, women’s sports will simply be called sports.”
She then shared that every metric, viewership, attendance, sponsorship, merchandise sales, is rising sharply for women’s sports. But beyond business, Mellody believes this evolution will shape culture itself. “Seventy percent of women in the C-suite played sports,” she noted. “Sports develop confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Their impact on society will be profound.”
Continuing the Conversation
We’re grateful for the many takeaways from this discussion, which will continue to shape our work, guided by Mellody’s deeply impactful insights on excellence and ongoing growth.
From lessons in persistence and mentorship to her belief that inclusion drives innovation, Mellody Hobson exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose and to pursue excellence that endures. Watch her full conversation.
Enduring Excellence continues this fall with more conversations exploring how extraordinary leaders build lasting impact. Register for our upcoming sessions.
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