Elementary Lessons for CEOs: Scott Morency ’06, ’07 MST

One could say that Scott Morency is a little ambitious. When not at work as an assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston, the alumnus promotes and sells What a CEO Can Learn From a 4th Grader, which he wrote and released in 2008 through his own publishing company.

The book chronicles lessons that Morency learned in creating and implementing a service–learning project at Bentley. He is pictured here with Brooke Gilson.

What inspired your idea for the book?
In 2003, I started a program through the Bentley Service–Learning Center called 2+2=5, which is based around improving team-building skills. The center helped tremendously by allowing Bentley students to test the program with fourth-graders. The program changed each semester based on student feedback. During my service–learning internship with [Professor of Management and Psychology] Aaron Nurick, I wrote an extensive thesis on team building and emotional intelligence that later seemed like a good idea for a book.

What led to starting your own publishing company? 
I discussed the project with a PwC client of mine who works in the publishing industry. It seemed that I’d be better able to control the end-product by creating my own company, rather than shopping the book around to big publishers that would manipulate what I envisioned. I had no idea how to launch a publishing company, but the business skills that I gained at Bentley gave me the right start. I believe that you really can do anything if you surround yourself with the right people.

How are you promoting the book?
I was a featured speaker at the Bentley First Week program last fall. It was great to tell my story in front of energetic new faces at the school. I’ve also promoted the book through PwC and Bentley, and through my personal network of friends and colleagues. Having a web site is also a key.

So what is it that CEOs should learn from fourth-graders?
One of the most surprising things I discovered at Bentley, especially in service–learning, was that you can learn something from anyone – even a fourth-grader. I had expected to be the one teaching the children, but they taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Their approach to team-building activities was refreshing and unexpected. The children were lucid in their thoughts on leadership, diversity and problem solving – and after a few short lessons, they were convinced that teamwork was the best way to get something done. It’s a value that most workplaces are lacking.

Any advice for aspiring young writers? 
At Bentley and beyond, students should keep a journal of their experiences. The art of storytelling is in all of us. You never know when you might look back in those journals and find something that re-inspires you in life or makes you see things in a new light. Something you do as part of your freshman English course may be tomorrow’s best-seller!