9 Things You Learn Out of Business School

1. The way to keep a job is to understand what success looks like. Commit to aggressive and achievable goals. Then deliver more than others.
2. Get voted onto the team every day. In football and the real world, when you try to solve today’s problems no one gives you credit for past accomplishments. People care about how well you get today’s hard stuff done.
3. Operate with a mind-set that reflects a meritocracy. That's opposed to displaying a sense of entitlement -- no matter how proud you are of your education. Having a pedigree doesn't mean you can look down on others. People sense that -- and won't like it. And while Harvard or Stanford may open the door to opportunities, capitalizing on those opportunities is all about how well you do the job.
4. Be ready to demonstrate how you handle adversity. When I hire, I often look at educational achievements as a basis for assessing someone's raw intellectual prowess. But I spend way more time looking at the challenges they've tackled, what they've achieved and how sought after they are.   
5. Be open to seeing excellence wherever it is. You’ll find it often comes in the most unlikely of places.
6. Leverage your network. That’s one of the most valuable assets of any degree. Work it. 
7. Understand that it’s not all about you. MBA programs spur a lot of competition; there’s an intense race to be the top of the class. But that individualistic focus isn’t always welcome at the workplace, where a “company first” not a “me first” attitude is desired.
8. Learn a new culture. Don't adhere to what you learned in school. Do extra-credit projects that provide exposure to executive management and hopefully the board. Watch how people handle themselves at these meetings and modify your behavior accordingly.
9. Give back and continue to enhance and help others on their path. If you have an MBA, use it for good.