Leadership lecture series kicks off Feb.8


The Center for Leadership will launch its Leadership lecture series Feb. 8 with a presentation by Mary C. Gentile, a pioneer in business ethics. Gentile’s lecture, “The ‘How’ of Business Ethics” will address the questions: “What if I were going to act on my values? What would I say and do? How could I be most effective?”

A former Harvard professor, Gentile promotes higher level of integrity in the workplace in a program called Giving Voices to Values. The program provides teaching aids and a curriculum that focuses on ethical implementation rather than ethical analysis.

The lecture is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the College of Business Complex Special Events Center (CBC 232). All of the lectures in the Leadership series are free and open to the community.

Save the dates for the 2012 Leadership lectures

Presidential Election Campaigns and Presidential Leadership: The Myth of the Mandate
Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. in CBC 232

Nicol Rae, a senior associate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and professor of politics and international relations, will discuss the 2012 presidential election from three perspectives. The first is that electoral mandates are largely mythical and, further, that perceptions of an ideological or policy mandate from their election is invariably a political trap for presidents. The second perspective is what presidential campaigns tell us about presidential leadership: does the nature of the presidential selection process demand qualities from successful candidates that are also important for their conduct of the presidency once in office? Finally, Rae will discuss the 2012 campaign to date in the light of the first two perspectives and the current state of American politics and the party system.

Assessing the Total Value of Leadership to Organizations
March 6 at 11 a.m. in CBC 232

Bruce Avolio, an internationally renown researcher and practitioner in leadership, will share results from several studies that demonstrate the importance of expanding how organizations assess and monetize leadership. He will cover the practical implications of assessing, developing and placing a monetary value on the leadership system in an organization. Avolio is the Marion B. Ingersoll Professor and executive director at the Foster Center for Leadership, University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

Creating a Culture of Candor
April 10 at 3:30 p.m. in CBC 232

Based on his work with leadership icon Warren Bennis, James O’ Toole will discuss why no organization can be honest with the public if it is not honest with itself. He will show why candor is more difficult to achieve than is readily evident because individuals hoard information and engage in groupthink. Worse, they tell their bosses what they think they want to hear, and ignore facts staring them in the face. O’Toole is the Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.