Much has changed since my parents sent me to Jewish day school. Yet, the core lessons I learned back then remain the same.
What follows are three examples of lessons from day school that ultimately shaped my leadership style at work.
Questions create clarity
Day school education emphasizes not just what to think, but also how to think. We learn that good questions are more important than good answers. And, focusing on questions translates incredibly well to startups.
When evaluating startups, venture capitalists evaluate ideas by asking "What if it works?" In board meetings, the board member who asks the best question is often the most impactful. In company meetings, we encourage every team member to ask hard questions.
Good questions--when put into action--result in outperformance. The art of formulating questions is a skill I first learned and refined in day school.
Community compounds
Day school education emphasizes--and builds-community. The benefits of investing in community continue to pay dividends at work.
My first startup opportunity was with the parent of a day school classmate. My co-founder at Pinch is a day school friend with whom I reconnected years later. And nearly every opportunity in between touched on my day school network.
Years later, many of my childhood classmates now run tech companies around the globe, and we've reconnected decades later to help each other navigate professional challenges.
Relationships, like investments, compound over time. And, decades later my network from childhood is an incredible professional support system that only time can replicate.
Values create value
The study and application of values that I learned in day school also shaped my leadership style.
One such example is the concept of charity, as explained by Maimonides' Ladder of Tzedakah. Contrary to what one might expect, Rambam writes that the highest form of charity isn't just making donations-it is creating jobs to empower individuals to become self-sufficient.
Our company Pinch empowers healthcare entrepreneurs. We focus on enabling nurse practitioners-too often overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated-to gain the autonomy, flexibility, and purpose they deserve while doing something they love.
The key metrics we track are 1) the number of jobs we create each month and 2) the total earnings of the providers on our platform. Our mission and key metrics are a reflection of the values I learned in day school.
Call to action
My day school experience has shaped how I run startups--including prioritizing curiosity, community, and values--based leadership. To day school alumni, I'd encourage you to reflect on how Jewish day school education has influenced your professional lives. To families debating whether investing in day school is right for your family, I'd pose the question venture capitalists often ask when considering a startup investment: "What if it works?"
Elan Mosbacher is Co-Founder and CEO of
Pinch
(BookPinch.com). Before Pinch, he was an early executive at SpotHero. He is a graduate of Solomon Schechter Day School and Ida Crown Jewish Academy, met his wife in high school, and, together, they send their children to day school.
