Loyola Business Professor Unveils “The Seismic Shift in Leadership”
Top business leaders weigh in on what’s working and what’s not as we look toward the future
(New Orleans – February 16, 2022) Well, there’s one good thing out of the pandemic: A Seismic Shift in Leadership, according to a top business professor at Loyola University New Orleans.
Gaston Chair of Business Dr. Michelle K. Johnston had spent years as an executive coach, management professor and leadership expert, when she saw some of her top clients suddenly fail. She started looking for reasons why, and developed the theory that became the basis for her new book.
The Seismic Shift in Leadership: How to Thrive in a New Era of Connection, slated for launch on February 22, spotlights the business and leadership need for authenticity, empathy and connection, particularly in a digital post-pandemic world. Some of New Orleans’ top business leaders, from Times-Picayune executive John Georges and retired Saints quarterback Drew Brees to Loyola University New Orleans President Tania Tetlow, share their personal experiences in an effort to explore how leaders can heighten financial performance by creating more meaningful connections.
National and international business leaders such as Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, U.S. Department of Justice, Todd Graves, Founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Juan Martin, Global President of Kind Bars and Nature’s Bakery, and former NFL Coach Jim Mora are profiled too. They detail their pain and progress, leading large organizations down bumpy roads and past disaster by using – or not – the power of connection.
“Authenticity, compassion, and alignment are the new paths to leadership success. A leader’s new power lies in their ability to connect,” said Johnston. “Whether you’re the coach of a sports team, a nonprofit executive, the president of your family’s business, or leading a small organization or a Fortune 500 company, the secret sauce lies in your ability to connect.”
While many leaders might consciously understand that connection is important, they don’t necessarily know how or what to do, said Johnston, an award-winning professor studying leadership and business whose research has shown a clear link between a team’s effective communication and its positive financial performance.
In The Seismic Shift in Leadership: How to Thrive in a New Era of Connection, she fuses her years of experience as an executive coach and business professor with the voices of eighteen leaders at large and small organizations across North America, South America, and Europe to empower you to project your authentic leadership style, to show compassion to your team, and to align yourself with your company.
The command and control days are over, Johnston said, pointing to collaborative work spaces, working remotely and leadership meetings held over Zoom. It’s all about meaningful connection.
“Many books have been written about authenticity, but not about connection,” Johnston said. “I have seen leaders who have gotten to a high level being charming, only to see their careers stall or unexpectedly fail. You’ve got to be connected.”
Let her show you how. Johnston’s book hits the shelves on February 22 and can be purchased on pre-order through Amazon.com, Target.com, and Wal-mart.com. An audio book, recorded in Willie Nelson’s Studio, launches February 22 too.