Faculty Corner: Insights and views on leadership and career growth

Kellogg faculty, through their dedication to cutting-edge research across the business landscape, deliver timely and relevant insights on the most important business topics.

Breaking into leadership roles, negotiating with confidence and navigating career transitions are all critical moments in a professional journey — yet they often come with hidden challenges.

Explore some of our faculty’s research and insights that offer actionable strategies to help professionals thrive at every stage. From negotiating more effectively to fostering inclusive workplaces, these thought leaders explore the key factors that shape career success. 

On strategies for career advancement  

Victoria Medvec is the Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management & Organizations and serves as the executive director of the Center for Executive Women. 

Medvec advises women to advocate and negotiate for themselves at critical points in their careers. She outlines five ways women can negotiate more effectively across their careers including being prepared. “Successful negotiations start with preparation,” says Medvec. “This means that if you find yourself caught off guard by a conversation, buying time is a good strategy. You need time to prepare in order to ensure that the right issues are put on the table. Consider ahead of time how your differentiators can help to address the employer’s pressing business needs.” 

On balancing empathy and boundaries 

Brenda Booth, an executive coach and a clinical professor of management & organizations, helps leaders grow professionally and personally. She is a strategic thought partner to C-suite executives and senior-level leaders. Recently, Booth developed a new MBA course called Leading with Empathy: Enhancing Your Emotional Intelligence to Lead Others in Diverse Settings. 

Strong leadership stems from emotional intelligence. Booth notes that leaders who demonstrate self-awareness, empathy and adaptability inspire trust and drive team performance. However, she emphasizes the need for boundaries. “You want to be empathetic, but you don’t want to become someone’s therapist,” says Booth.   

On the hidden effect of emasculating language at work 

Professor of Management and Organizations Maryam Kouchaki seeks to integrate theoretical and practical contributions with management and psychology. Her research focuses on decision-making, diversity and ethics. 

Kouchaki along with associate professors Keith Leavitt (Oregon State), Luke (Lei) Zhu (York University) and Anthony Klotz (UCL School of Management) found that phrases like “Man up”— when directed at men — can trigger workplace misconduct. Their research highlights that when male masculinity is threatened, men will try to reassert it through aggressive behavior. Their findings stress the importance of fostering ethical and inclusive workplace cultures — particularly from male leaders. 

On the power of networks in career success

Brian Uzzi is the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at Kellogg and serves as the co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems and the Ryan Institute on Complexity. 

A recent study by Uzzi, former Kellogg research assistant Yang Yang, and Nitesh Chawla of Notre Dame explored how different relationships influence career success. They found that networking dynamics vary by gender but reaffirm the importance of strategic connections for personal growth. “Social networks matter in job placement,” says Uzzi. “You need that private information to understand how to negotiate within a world where you’re being held to different standards.” While some career advice suggests women should adopt male behaviors to succeed, strong ties with female peers remain crucial. 

 

On unpacking bias

Lauren Rivera is the Peter G. Peterson Professor of Corporate Ethics and a professor of management and organizations at Kellogg. Her research unpacks how the way people define and evaluate merit shapes social inequalities. 

Rivera and András Tilcsik, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, recently found that numeric rating systems can be biased against women noting that the ten-point scale places women, especially those in male-dominated fields, at a significant disadvantage. Rivera believes that changing the scale from ten to six could act as a “bias interrupter” — removing the familiar and culturally fraught concept of the “perfect ten.” 

On navigating career comebacks with confidence

Ellen Taaffe is a clinical associate professor of management and organizations and also serves as the director of women’s leadership programs at Kellogg. With 25 years of experience leading Fortune 500 companies’ brand management efforts, Taaffe is passionate about helping businesses and people reach higher performance levels. 

Transitioning back into the workforce after an absence can be daunting. Taaffe offers four suggestions for relaunching your career after a long hiatus. The first piece of advice is to know your story and own it. “You want to share who you are, where you are in your career and what you can offer — with no apology,” Taaffe says. “Understanding this and communicating it confidently to others takes reflection and courage.” 

 

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