I think that if I were running a business again, I’d be recruiting B students. It seems to me that B students get the balance right. Rather than obsess over grades and strive to please others, they master the effort/reward ratio in a very practical way. They learn the material well enough to suit themselves, and they manage to enjoy the world beyond school at the same time.

Many C and D students struggle to do better, and learn to work very hard, but some perform poorly because they are just goofing off. The A students work hard, but often focus on the wrong objectives. They spend their youth learning to please others. Ultimately they learn to be good students without learning how to make their own way in the world. I want coworkers who think for themselves, live balanced lives, and know how to get things done without relying on a written assignment with clear parameters.

I’ve often repeated what my mother told me: after graduation, the A students work for the B students, the C students run the companies, and the D students dedicate the buildings. So if I were looking for someone to manage resources effectively, I’d look for a B student. What do you think? Can grades tell us anything useful about a prospective coworker?