Interview with Youngme Moon '82

By Cyrielle Bazin Director of Communications and Marketing

Alumna Youngme Moon ‘82, who describes herself as a "lopsided person," has achieved an impressive career trajectory since her days at SFS, which were more tumultuous than one might expect from a Harvard Professor. Her unique perspective on success adds a refreshing twist to her captivating interview. Youngme's retrospective on her time at SFS highlights the invaluable lessons she learned through her participation in extracurricular activities and guidance from exceptional teachers. Her well-roundedness and collaborative spirit continue to shape her both professionally and personally, establishing her as a formidable presence in academia and beyond. Brace yourself for a tale of inspiration from this incredible SFS alumna!

Q: Youngme, thank you for connecting with us today. Let's start from the beginning. Can you tell us when you attended SFS and how long you were there for?

A: I started in third grade. I was born in the US, and right before I started third grade, my parents moved back to Seoul, where they are originally from. I think they did not want me to lose my English. And I think they always had aspirations for me to eventually end up attending university in the United States. And in addition, I have two sisters. So there were three girls, and I think they recognised that the opportunities for women in Korea were really rather limited. And I think they wanted us to feel like we could be anybody we wanted. I graduated from Seoul Foreign, so I was there the entire way through, with a year or two back in the US. But for the most part all the way through high school until I graduated in 1982. My graduating class was much smaller. I mean, there were only a few dozen of us graduating, it was very small, and the school was much more physically humble than it is right now. But still, I have very fond memories of the place. And it was obviously some very formative years for me.

Q: So you graduated in 1982. And then what happened after that? What was next?

A: I came to the US for university. I studied political science at Yale. Then, after graduation, what did I do? I did a bunch of stuff. I really believe that your 20s are for exploration and for trying different things and for getting a little bit out of your box. So I did lots of different things. I sort of ended up working as a producer for CBS News. And I guess that was the bulk of what I was doing professionally in my 20s.

At a certain point, I realized I became very interested in technology and media, and the business of media and technology. So I went to Stanford for my PhD. Then, I entered academia. My first academic job was on the faculty of MIT. I wasn't there very long, only for a year. Then I moved to Harvard, and I've been at Harvard School since then. It's been a really wonderful and really flexible perch from which I can do many, many different things.

Q: How do you reflect back on your time at SFS?

A: When I went to school, it was far from perfect, and I don't want to pretend that I loved every aspect of it. I mean, who does, right? I got in trouble quite a bit. I was quite a handful, and I think my visits to the principal's office can probably confirm that. But there were a couple of things that were really extraordinary.

One was that it was such a small school, and yet it offered so many extracurricular activities. As a result, everybody did something, whether it was some kind of sports activity, yearbook, chorus, or participating in a play. A lot of us did many of those things. So it was like a Venn diagram of overlapping circles because we all participated in these different activities. It helped me develop a well-roundedness to what I was interested in and interact with lots and lots of different people, which was really important.

The second thing was that I had two teachers in high school that were really instrumental in creating a standard of excellence for me academically. Jack Moon was one of them, and the other was Lois Rankin, who taught me calculus. She was extraordinary, and I just learned so much from her. I never thought of myself as being a studious person, but she cultivated a sense of seriousness of purpose with respect to learning that went far beyond thinking about grades or anything like that. And then Mr. Moon was just so tough. He was the toughest grader in the school. He pushed us really hard, and yet he was such a decent fellow. He was warm and affectionate. Those two really stood out for me.

When I went to university, I faced many challenges, but none of them were academic. The challenges were all about adjusting to a different environment and trying to figure out who I was. But academically, I felt like I was really ready to compete as a result of having those two teachers. So when I think back to SFS, it's really formed by those experiences.

Q: How did these experiences contribute to the person you became?

A: Let me give you an example. When I was in high school, by the time I was a senior, I was ready to take calculus. There were just three of us, myself and two other classmates, who were ready. So Miss Rankin taught us calculus. Every day, we would walk in and sit down at one of the student desks. As a class of three people, she would make each of us go to the boards, and she would give us a problem to solve. We would stand next to the boards, read the problem, and spend basically the entire class trying to figure it out. Because we were writing on the board, we could see each other's work and talk to each other, so it was like solving a puzzle together. Miss Rankin would sit there and could see all of our boards, so she could simultaneously give us a little coaching or advice on how to add it.

It was the first time as a student that it wasn't about the grade. It was just about how to figure the problem out. It was very collaborative. She would give us one problem for homework, and we would call each other at night to discuss how to solve it. It felt like solving a mystery every day. I never felt like it was work. It was challenging intellectually and personally. I remember feeling empowered and different by the time I finished that class. I don't even know where the learning happened; it was invisible. There was never a point where I remember her lecturing us or actually teaching us something, but somehow, she taught so much. It was really a very special experience, and I will never forget it.

I find myself in front of a classroom all the time now, and I often think about that feeling of empowerment that she somehow managed to give us. She would throw things at us and just expect us to be able to figure them out. Whenever she saw that we were really stuck, she would step in with just the right amount of coaching and instruction to get us on the path. Every time we were able to figure it out, we felt a sense of empowerment. She was fantastic that way. I hope every student has one teacher like that before they finish school. Not all teachers can be like that, but if you have one, all it takes is one to give you a sense of what you can do and what you're capable of. It's really very special.

Q: You wrote a book on the topic of brands competing with one another to outdo each other. Do you believe that the idea of excessive competitiveness can actually hinder improvement? And do you think this concept can be applicable to the life of a high school student applying to universities?

A: I discuss the concept of differentiation in my book. It is the opposite of homogeneity and can be applied to the educational system, which tends to breed well-rounded kids. I remember when my oldest child started school, he was a teacher's pet and was loved by his teachers. However, when my younger child started school, her kindergarten teacher told me about her weaknesses, such as her atrocious handwriting and lack of penmanship. The teacher tried to encourage me to think of my daughter's weaknesses and strengthen them. However, I pushed back against the teacher and said that my children have different strengths and weaknesses, and that lopsidedness can be an advantage. As a lopsided person myself, I have found that it has played to my advantage throughout my career. I believe that the world can accommodate both types of people, and our educational system should recognize and encourage students to embrace their strengths and who they are.

Q: What advice would you offer to high school students who are currently in the process of figuring out their place in the world? A significant portion of that relates to their university choices and grades, what advice would you give them?

A: So, I would say a couple of things. One is that there are many paths to success, and it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that success means following a specific formula, like going to a certain school, majoring in a specific subject, and achieving certain grades. But as someone who has met many successful people, I can tell you that everyone's story is different. It's fascinating to hear how some successful people describe their high school experiences and how they started out as screw-ups or almost got kicked out of school. I almost got kicked out of SFS multiple times myself!

The second thing is, time is limited, and it's important to explore various options while you're still young. When you're 40 or 50 and settled down with a family, it's challenging to drop everything and try something new. Try it while you're young. My kids are young adults now. And I say if you're gonna do crazy stuff, do it now, like this is the time. And so, to play it safe now is absolutely absurd. I think there are very few people on the planet, who have the luxury of getting to choose. And if you happen to be one of those lucky people, and that includes 100% of the kids who go to SFS, and to squander it by doing the same thing, every time is such a waste of human potential. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things, even if they seem scary or unconventional. The more experiences you have, the better sense you'll have of what really resonates with you. And once you find that thing that feels right, it'll just click, and you'll know that's what you were meant to do. It might take some time and exploration, but I have confidence that you'll find your way there. That's really what I was getting at.

Q: What was that thing for you?

A: In my 20s, I did a lot of crazy things and through those experiences, I learned a few important things about myself. First, I realized that I'm a rebel at heart and don't like having a boss. Second, I also discovered that I didn't enjoy being a boss either. I found that I got irritated easily and wasn't cut out for managing people. Instead, I knew that I needed to find something that was more entrepreneurial and allowed me to work independently. Originally, I pursued a PhD with the idea of starting my own consulting business. However, I ended up in academia and discovered that I enjoyed coaching, mentoring, and teaching.

One of the things I love about being a faculty member at Harvard Business School is that you can build a unique portfolio of activities based on your interests and strengths. I've been able to create a portfolio of activities that I absolutely love, such as enabling other people's success, unlocking their potential, and coaching businesses. Every faculty member has their own unique set of activities that can change from year to year, making it a dynamic and exciting environment.

Q: Tell me, how does a quite rebellious student at a school in South Korea end up being on the board of some of the most esteemed companies in the world and being a Harvard professor?

A: Well, first of all, I'm not nearly as impressive as you make me out to be [laughs]. I believe high school years are a crucial period for self-discovery. Looking back, I think a lot of my behavior during that time was an attempt to uncover who I truly was. I acknowledge that there were times where I was immature and acted like a jerk [laughs]. I had to learn to be more responsible, kind, and empathetic. So, when you find yourself in conflict or hitting a wall, it's essential to identify the source of the conflict. Some conflicts come from a place of integrity, while others stem from immaturity.

Regarding academics, I believe academic performance and intellectual engagement are two different things. To have an impact on the world, you need to find a way to become emotionally, mentally, and intellectually engaged in your surroundings. If the classroom setting doesn't work for you, then you need to find a different context to showcase your engagement and contribution. It's not enough to blame the educational system for poor grades; you need to find something that works for you.

And what would you say to our young female students who are trying to find their place in the world?

Oh, the world is their oyster, I promise, I promise you the world is their oyster. Here's the thing: there's not a day that goes by that I don't say two things to myself. One, every single day, I think - it is so hard to be a woman, it is so hard to be a woman. And then the second thing I say to myself every day is - it is so awesome to be a woman. I mean, it is so awesome. So every day, I experience both of these things, sometimes simultaneously, it is so hard, it is so awesome. And one of the reasons it's awesome is that I get to interact on a different level with other amazing women. And in my case, I get to interact in a really intimate way with other Asian women, because I'm an Asian woman, and it's a very, very powerful kinship. And so there's something really magical about that. They can be world beaters, and I have full confidence in them.

Thank you so much Youngme!