In my 41 years at Harvard, I have never experienced a president more open to debate, disagreement, and dialog than Larry Summers. It is utter nonsense for professors to claim that they are held hostage to fear. Summers welcomes debate and controversy more than any president I have ever served under.
I remember when I first came to HBS. I felt like a diamond in the rough that only needed the MBA-polish to fulfill its destiny - conquer the business world. I wanted to make a difference, mark my name in the history pages, and I thought that all I would have to do is choose between the Fortune 500 companies that would offer me the opportunity to become their CEO.