They don’t call it a “people business” for nothing.
Forget models and methods. Customers rarely make purchases strictly from the logic. And they don’t follow people or plans because it’s in their best interests, either. There’s an emotional component: a mix of trust and hope – a shared purpose and belief in a better tomorrow. Without these elements, every product or program is destined to fail.
Coming into the Wharton School, Leah Elesinmogun pictured business in terms of technical considerations: “spreadsheets, models, and outcomes.” Over time, Elesinmogun began shouldering leadership roles like the president of Black Wharton Undergraduate Association. Coupled with classwork and team projects, she came to a realization: “Numbers only tell part of the story.”
“What really drives decisions are people: how leaders show up, how teams work together, the values behind choices, and who those choices affect,” continues Elesinmogun, who joined Goldman Sachs after graduating in this spring. “I saw how the same data can lead to completely different outcomes depending on incentives, personalities, and culture. As a pre-law student, that perspective mattered a lot. It reminded me that law and business both operate in human systems, where decisions have real consequences. Business taught me to slow down, look beyond the surface, and think about impact—not just results.”
PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
Nate Wallace, Lipscomb University
At the Lipscomb University College of Business, Nate Wallace majored in Entrepreneurship, a discipline that demands close contact with potential clients. As a student, Wallace came away with an unforgettable lesson: “If everybody is your customer, nobody is your customer.” This mantra – to make the right people the center of your efforts – is something that he guides his thinking every day.
“I approach life with an entrepreneurial mindset,” adds Wallace, who’ll be returning to Lipscomb this fall to pursue his MBA. “It reminds me to be focused, intentional, and clear about my purpose rather than trying to appeal to everyone.”
That people-over-metrics mindset was equally ingrained at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Here, you’ll find Tyler Coffee, a Deloitte hire who collected four scholarships at the school. During his time as a Business Administration major, Coffee took to heart the foundation of the consulting industry: “People are the greatest asset in the world.”
“If you don’t understand how people think, what motivates them, and what they’re truly looking for, you’ll struggle to succeed,” he warns. “No matter how much technology evolves, business will always center around serving people.”
The important of people is just one of the biggest lessons that the Class of 2026 absorbed during business school. As part of Poets&Quants’ recognition of the Best & Brightest Business Majors in April, we asked top seniors to share the biggest lessons they gained from their studies. From personal branding to managing pressure, here are the 12biggest takeaways that the Class of 2026 will be taking to their jobs this summer.
1) Business Is A Way of Thinking: “The biggest lesson I’ve gained from studying business is how fundamentally versatile and empowering it is.
“Business isn’t confined to one industry or one type of career – it’s a lens for understanding how decisions are made, how people work together, how organizations operate, and how ideas turn into impact. Once you understand the foundations of business, you gain the freedom to build a career on your own terms. You can bring your interests, values, and strengths into any field, and you have the tools to adapt, pivot, and grow as your passions evolve. That sense of possibility is what has shaped my path the most.
Beyond the professional skills, studying business has helped me navigate life with more clarity and confidence. It teaches you how to think critically, communicate effectively, evaluate trade‑offs, and understand the incentives and behaviors that drive people and companies. It gives you a more grounded way of seeing the world – one that helps you make better decisions, manage complexity, and stay open to opportunities. Ultimately, business has taught me that success isn’t about following one predetermined path; it’s about having the knowledge and mindset to create a path that feels authentic and meaningful to you.”
Julia Birchfield, University of Delaware (Lerner)
“Business is all about arming yourself in the face of uncertainty, getting ahead of the game, and pivoting when necessary. When I first started hearing stories about successful business turnarounds, I felt enamored with the fact that in the business world, you can create solutions out of nothing and invent a new game where you can win. While this concept is very important to business itself, I have found that this lesson has been most applicable in my own life so far. When I find myself “failing” or in a situation that is not ideal, my mindset has shifted from despair to excitement, knowing that an opportunity is around the corner if I search for it.”
Lillian Bedard, Babson College
Lucia Buscaglia, IE Business School
2) Everything is Business-Related: “Even subjects you believe you won’t specialize in eventually become essential. Business school is a four-year “Corporate 101” experience: finance sharpens decision-making, marketing builds empathy, operations develop structure, and strategy connects everything. Every course has been translated directly into professional value.”
Lucia Buscaglia, IE Business School
3) Learning Doesn’t Stop After Graduation: “Over the past four years, I have realised how quickly the business landscape evolves, driven by technological innovation and changing market dynamics. It is essential to continuously update my knowledge and stay ahead of emerging trends. Through my studies, I also discovered that learning fuels curiosity. The more deeply I engage with a subject, the more motivated I become to explore it further. Although learning can sometimes feel repetitive or frustrating, especially when grappling with complex concepts, I have come to understand that persistence through discomfort is a fundamental part of growth.”
Shuwei Shi, Alliance Manchester Business School
4) Answer The Why: “Many of us can point to both good and evil examples of business. My biggest takeaway from my undergraduate experience is to always ask “why?” As we continue to grow older and more cemented in our way of thinking, remembering to question the reason for our actions is what keeps us innovative. By interrogating our motives, we prevent the “how” of efficiency from eclipsing the “why” of our impact. This persistent curiosity acts as a safeguard against the ethical complacency that often accompanies professional routine. Ultimately, the ability to challenge our own status quo ensures that our contributions to the business world remain not only profitable but purposeful.”
Ayman Elhassan, University of Minnesota (Carlson)
“The most important lesson I gained from studying business is to always seek to drive change. To do that, it is essential to never lose sight of the bigger picture and to always ask yourself, “So what?” As a business analytics major, it is incredibly easy to lose yourself in the intricacies of your machine learning model or Excel sheet, but as businesspeople, every task we do ultimately serves a larger purpose. Insight that does not drive action is just analysis. To create real value as part of an organization, the work you do should always be helping someone make a better decision.
Through my various analytics projects at Neidorff, I learned that technical skill alone is not what makes a great business professional. What sets you apart is your ability to derive action from complexity. You can build the best financial model or an impeccable balance sheet, but if you cannot take your output and create recommendations that drive lasting change, it has no impact.
Early on in my academic career, I often worked as hard as I could to arrive at the most technically sophisticated solution in the room. It was in my Data Science course when tasked with a case competition to help Sunoco LP predict gasoline demand that I came to the realization that what stuck the most with the judges was not the R2 of our model, but the actionable recommendations that came after. Ever since that project, the question of “So what?” drives everything I do.”
José Manuel Salazar Bogado, Trinity University (Neidorff)
Paige Yu, Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)
“Studying business has taught me how important it is to ask the right questions, even when they’re uncomfortable. In client work, I’ve seen how easy it is for teams to get attached to solutions they’ve already invested in, even when those solutions are more complicated than they need to be. Some of the most impactful moments come from stepping back and asking whether the problem we’re solving is actually the right one. That shift in perspective has shown me that good business decisions aren’t about complexity or effort, but about clarity and focus.”
Paige Yu, Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)
5) Your Network Is Your Net Worth: “One of the biggest lessons that I learned from studying business is that opportunities are often built through taking initiative. During my freshman year, I was encouraged by a business club that I was in to start building my LinkedIn network. While I initially connected with classmates and professors, I also took the chance to connect with alumni and companies that resonated with me.
One message changed my life more than I could have ever expected. I reached out to the CEO of Enterra Medical to express my gratitude for the work that the company was doing for patients with Gastroparesis, a rare stomach disease that I have. After receiving his response, our initial conversation led to internship opportunities that ultimately shaped my career path. This experience taught me the value of reaching out, even when there’s no guarantee of a response. Always be willing to start the conversation, because you never know where it can lead you.”
Jonna Crocker, Cornell University (Dyson)
“It’s not what you know, but who you know” is a classic refrain in the business world. While often true, it misses a critical dimension: how they know you. Reputation has one of the strongest grips on reality. A truth I take comfort in, as reputation is malleable, durable, and built through repeated choices.”
Grant Huddleston, Emory University (Goizueta)
Next Page: Managing Mess, Knowing Your Business, and more.
© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.
