Often, M.B.A.s will parachute around from one company or industry to another, without really understanding what's behind it.

My feeling about executive bonuses is that any candidate for a chief executive job who even raises the issue of bonuses should be dismissed out of hand.

Companies are communities. There's a spirit of working together. Communities are not a place where a few people allow themselves to be singled out as solely responsible for success.

What you get out of an M.B.A. programme, no matter how much experience, is functional tools and understanding in disciplines: you'll understand economics, you'll understand marketing, finance, accounting. That, M.B.A. programmes do very well.

Think about all the great leaders. Think about Obama. Think about Clinton. Think about Nelson Mandela. Think about all the people that we know who are very successful in business, in politics and religion. What are they? They tell purposeful stories. They move people to action by aiming at the heart.

One of my most rewarding congressional duties is nominating future military leaders to study at America's service academies. The exceptional young men and women who receive these coveted nominations earn a top-of-the-line education and the opportunity to serve their country as a military officer.

I tell young entrepreneurs to use the leader in their industry and as a benchmark as they work to create their own brand. Don't look at what your competition is doing - if you emulate the leader in your industry, you will achieve a higher level of engagement with consumers and make their buying experience richer.

I really never saw an obstacle for me in taking leadership positions because, in a very ridiculous way, I thought, 'If Mary Robinson can do it then why can't I?'