Forefront

A key aspect of successful CFOs is a thorough grounding in business and predictive analytics, as well as training in IT and human resources, says Phil Renaud, executive director of the Risk Institute at The Ohio State University.

In other words, if you have a great business idea, try telling it to the sharks on Shark Tank - not the guy on the next barstool. In a set of studies led by Fisher's Howard Klein, it was found that people show greater commitment to their goal and performance when they told their goal to someone they believed had a higher status than themselves.

A new study from Professor Howard Klein suggests that you're more likely to meet a goal when you share it with someone with a "higher status" than you.

So what makes for a good apology? You have to mean it, sure. But there’s a narrative structure that a good apology should follow. Roy Lewicki, the Irving Abramowitz Memorial Professor Emeritus of management and human resources, has spent years researching the ideal apology, and he’s broken it down the perfect apology into six distinct components.

World-renowned leadership expert Tim Judge, the Joseph A. Alutto Chair in Leadership Effectiveness, shares his award-winning approach to shaping young minds.

Experts in crisis management say the damage to the Mount Carmel brand is significant but not beyond repair. Deborah Mitchell, who teaches marketing at Fisher College of Business, says there are plenty of examples of company brands surviving extraordinary damage. 

According to a forthcoming publication, extroverts tend to have consistent advantages over everyone else in the workplace, which jibes with other research on the benefits associated with extroversion. For example, extroverts are more likely to become leaders and to lead effectively, according Timothy Judge, the Joseph A. Alutto Chair in Leadership Effectiveness and executive director of the Fisher Leadership Initiative.

A good leader needs some kind of presence around the office—how else do you communicate that there’s an authority around? But it seems that while a little attitude can go a long way, too much of it can be counterproductive, according to research by Fisher's Jasmine Hu.

Bennett Tepper, the Irving Abramowitz Memorial Professorship at Fisher, coined the term abusive supervision. Complaints about bosses may be age old, but Tepper helped formalize the field by developing a 15-point checklist of bad-boss behavior, including “tells me my thoughts or feelings are stupid,” “tells me I’m incompetent,” and “lies to me.”

Extroverts are often seen as natural leaders in organizations. But a new study by Fisher's Jasmine Hu suggests that some leaders may have too much of a good thing. Researchers found that informal leaders were better liked and more sought after for advice when they hit a middle “sweet spot” on levels of assertiveness and warmth, two facets of extroversion. 

As part of the "There's a Better Way" podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Dr. David Rushlow, chief medical officer at Mayo Health Systems Southwest Wisconsin region and MBOE alumnus, about how adding 5-10 minute daily care team huddles has proven to be incredibly effective in improving performance in patient safety, quality and satisfaction.

A study conducted by marketing PhD student Junha Kim and a colleague shows that when creative professionals or participants received criticism from a boss or a peer, they had a tendency to be hurt by that criticism, showing less creativity in what they produced next. However, if they received criticism from an employee who was lower on the totem pole than them, they became more creative.

Research by Grant Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing, suggests that simply telling colleagues "I don't have time" for their requests can make them feel less valued and less likely to trust you.

The social events we get invited to usually require the investment of time, money or both. Research by Grant Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing, and his colleagues shows that giving an excuse about not having enough time can hurt relationships, whereas giving an excuse about not having enough money can help them.

Corporate culture is built over time and defines the unique business values, traditions, beliefs and attitudes of a company. In fact, according to new research from the National Center for the Middle Market, nearly three-quarters of middle market business leaders say culture is a top priority for their firm.

As part of the "There's a Better Way" podcast, Aravind Chandrasekaran, associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence, talks with Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce (MBOE '11, EMBA '16), executive director of University Hospital and professor of surgery. She shares her journey from clinician to senior-level administrator, and her advice to others who are looking to grow as an individual and as a leader. 

A boss who “demands” excellence is no more likely to produce it than the boss who requests or nurtures it, and likely less so, the research suggests. Demanding excellence often is just a handy excuse, said Bennett Tepper, the Irving Abramowitz Memorial Professorship at Fisher and a leading researcher of the effects of abusive leadership.

Tim Judge, the Joseph A. Alutto Chair in Leadership Effectiveness and executive director of the Fisher Leadership Initiative, shares his insights into some obstacles that may prevent individuals from becoming leaders with vision and purpose.

Running, for the most part, is all about goal-setting.