Modern Global Leadership

It turns out that people perceive idea theft as a greater transgression than money theft and judge it more harshly, according to new research from Darden Professor Lillien Ellis. Further, people perceive the theft of creative ideas as worse than the theft of practical ones.

Business decisions can be daunting; risk is a factor, stakes can be high, and analysis may integrate both quantitative and intangible dimensions. In the pursuit of more and better data, decision-makers should not neglect another essential element of the process: the evaluation of all possible outcomes.

Positive deviance is about how we can deviate from the norm in ways that are honorable and generative, authentic, and that have positive impact and open the door to others to do the same. Leveraging difference — mobilizing gender identity and minority status in this way — can activate a slew of personal, organizational and societal benefits.

Professor Jim Detert discusses the dangers of inferring individuals’ intentions and strategies leaders can use in efforts to ensure balance and objectivity in an organization.

The lady doth protest too much? Research shows that people are indeed likely to interpret anger as guilt in the face of an accusation — though it’s more likely an indication of innocence. Darden Professor Gabrielle Adams investigates various responses to accusations and how we interpret their veracity: angry denial, calm denial or silence.

Storytelling is a crucial skill for leaders to master in communicating with both internal and external stakeholders. In a companion piece, Darden expert Brian Moriarty discussed how to craft an engaging story. Here he provides tips on how to tell an engaging story.

Hype vs. discipline. Charisma vs. responsibility. The buzz around Adam Neumann’s WeWork went from enthusiasm for a unicorn with billions in venture capital to backlash for a company with a plummeted valuation and scrapped IPO. Yet with new leadership and governance structures, long-term profit may be in sight. What might we learn from WeWork?

Storytelling is a crucial skill that leaders use for many purposes: improving interpersonal relationships, strategy communication, culture building, engaging external stakeholders, raising capital and communicating with the media, for example. So how does one create an engaging story? Here are tips from a Darden expert.

Social mobility in the U.S. is increasingly rare. How does that play out in the workplace? Contrary to the arguments past studies posed about workers coming from lower social class positions, the upwardly mobile are just as likely as their high-class counterparts to speak up and share ideas at work. So what could be the barriers to advancement?

Sexism and rudeness: not mutually exclusive. New research shows that rudeness can hide sexism, as observers may dismiss perpetrators as “equal-opportunity jerks.” Darden professors explain how the phenomenon not only turns bad behavior into plausible deniability, it can also serve as a barrier to addressing sexism in the workplace.