|
Your favorite moment from teaching in the OCL Program?
I have taught in OCL since its inception and have taught every cohort. There is a consistent pattern that I have observed that I always find joyous, and it is a two-part experience. I love Immersion I (particularly the games we play to explore why it is hard for a group of exceptional people to perform easy tasks). Despite every OCL student being awesome, they all are stressed and worried as new students. They're intimidated by USC and their peers. That is the beginning of the journey when they are trying to develop as a cohort and to find their legs as doctoral students. I love juxtaposing that with graduation, where a group of exceptional people have become a graduating OCL cohort and proud Trojans and know they have the tools to lead change. Seeing that growth is always cool!
Any words of advice for our OCL students?
The first is that this isn't easy - it is a doctoral program at an elite institution, not for the faint of heart. But OCL is fairly unique in that the staff, faculty (and your peers) have your back. Trust that and believe you have the skills to succeed; while it will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do, you can do this! Second, you cannot iterate and procrastinate, and iteration is the name of the game - think of feedback as a gift and seek and embrace direct feedback so that you can improve your work. Don't let aspirations of greatness lead to procrastination. Be okay with good and embrace the feedback to make it better.
Could you share an example from your career of translating organizational change theory into practice?
I came up with an exercise, the failure resume, some 20 years ago and it seems to be enormously valuable to leaders. When I teach, I model it and walk through my many failures and we dissect them trying to assertation patterns. We do this because, to quote Marhsall Goldsmith, "what got you here won't get you there." While students find it painful, the vast majority suggest it is the single most useful exercise in terms of recognizing patterns that get in the way of their leading change.
Can you share an exciting project or something else you are currently working on?
One consistent thing I'm proud of is the USC Ed Tech Accelerator. I created it several years ago and it has emerged as quite impactful with some 23 million learners touched and $150 million raised. It is also one of the most diverse programs of its kind in the country with over 80% of founders being women or people of color.
What is one book every OCL student should read?
May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans. Excellent book on how we would rather believe than think. It's a good take down of tons of myths pervasive in leadership and management circles.
| 
