Sustaining Culture through Leadership with Dean Francesca Cornelli

We have to build a better world for the next generation, and that requires great leadership. This requires leaders who are not afraid to highlight what is good now, and who can ensure sustainability. These leaders will create strong organizational cultures by demonstrating creativity, empathy and innovation.

 

In today's episode of Fifth Dimensional Leadership, I interview Francesca Cornelli. She talks about leading a dynamic academic landscape and immortalizing key values and principles. Francesca is the  Dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She is also a Professor of Finance and holds the Donald P. Jacobs Chair of Finance. 

 

Previously, Dean Cornelli was a Professor of Finance and Deputy Dean at London Business School. She directed and advanced the highly regarded Private Equity Institute of London Business School, building a bridge between academia and practice by partnering with private equity leaders in London, alumni, and top academics in the field.

 

Dean Cornelli is widely respected as an accomplished academic and a leader in business education. She has extensive international experience and has taught at some of the world's top schools, including the Wharton School, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, the London School of Economics, the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and the New Economic School in Moscow. 

 

Things you will also learn in this episode:

 

• What makes an institution of higher education excellent
• How to improve the continuity of culture
• Why good discussions don’t have to have consensus 
• Learn about “Authentic Evolution” and “Enlightened Disagreement”
• Clarify what "Empathy" really means
• The role of trust, communication, and transparency in strong leadership.

Quotes:

 

“A great institution is an institution that values research and intellectual effort and believes that it eventually will change the world.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Disruption is an opportunity as interesting as a space for being creative.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“The [Kellogg] culture just self-perpetuates without people planning and thinking about it.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Communication is important, and we have to keep innovating how we communicate.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“We are programmed to think a good decision will get consensus; we have to let that thinking go.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Empathy is treating others the way they want to be treated.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Becoming international is less about knowing some facts about behaviors in different countries, but more about having the sensitivity on how people will interpret things differently.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Not taking sides is still a point of view.” - Francesca Cornelli

 

“Even if you don’t change the point of view of where you should eventually land, it’s going to be very important to understand where people are coming from to work with them.” - Francesca Cornelli