12-01-2025
What does it take to not only learn, but lead in the world of business, finance and beyond? According to Tobias Moskowitz — Purdue alum, acclaimed Yale finance scholar, author, and the newest Distinguished Fellow at the Daniels School of Business — the answers lie less in getting everything right and more in embracing curiosity, challenge and the possibility of failure as part of growth.
Drawing on decades of experience as a leading academic, industry consultant and mentor, Moskowitz offers a candid and practical playbook for aspiring professionals aiming to make their mark:
Moskowitz’s first piece of advice is deceptively simple: “Be curious. Your job in school is to get the tools and ammunition to ask good questions.” He stresses that emerging professionals should focus less on having all the answers and more on developing the skill and courage to ask insightful, probing questions. This attitude, he says, fueled his own journey — from early days spent examining scientific ideas with a legendary chemistry teacher to his graduate years at Purdue and UCLA, where persistent questioning opened doors and won the respect of world-class mentors.
He encourages young professionals to push boundaries by exploring what they don’t know and not shying away from asking for help. “Some of those questions you’re going to be able to answer yourself, some you’re going to need help on — and if you can ask the right questions, you’ll get a lot of help,” he notes.
In today’s competitive environment, fear of making mistakes can hold both business students and early career professionals back from taking the very risks that lead to real learning. Moskowitz turns this anxiety on its head: “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not pushing hard enough.” He views mistakes as essential to growth, sharing that many of the most important lessons in his own career resulted from errors and setbacks, not just successes.
The key, however, is not to repeat mistakes. “Make a lot of mistakes. Just don’t keep making the same mistake,” he advises. Moskowitz attributes much of his professional wisdom to learning the hard way and emphasizes that a willingness to stumble — and to thoughtfully correct course — is foundational for anyone seeking lasting achievement.
Stagnation, he suggests, comes when you’re not challenged. “Put yourself in a room where you’re not the smartest person,” says Moskowitz. “If you are, find a different room.” This spirit of stretching oneself — seeking out environments and peers that inspire growth and stimulate new thinking — is vital for building a career in fast-moving fields.
He relates how persistent curiosity and “being the least comfortable person in the room” helped him learn from luminaries like Nobel laureate Gene Fama and ultimately opened up opportunities he never thought possible.
When it comes to big decisions, Moskowitz advises both business students and young professionals to “pick the path with the greatest option value and the greatest opportunity.” This sometimes means choosing a riskier, less familiar route rather than the safe or easy one. Importantly, he reminds us: “Nothing’s forever. Try stuff.”
Moskowitz demonstrates that the road to success isn’t linear and that the highest achievers are often those willing to ask questions, make mistakes, embrace discomfort and pursue the expansive, uncertain path. His example is a call to be brave, curious and resilient in the pursuit of knowledge and impact.
