Olivier Serrat

Georgetown University | GU · School of Continuing Studies

This presentation showcases qualitative, exploratory research on Leading Organizations of the Future. The presentation particularizes the problem statement, purpose of the study, research question, conceptual framework, review of the literature, research methodology and design, ethical assurances, pilot testing, population and sample, instrumentati...

Hybrid organizing that mixes hierarchy, market, and network forms challenges our fixation on 20th century styles of leadership.

The world is undergoing profound systemic change but discussions of leadership still all too commonly call for more supernatural leaders. Organizations are and will remain specialized arrangements for getting things done: but, managing them in the age of turbulence demands that new logics of leadership be found.

Until the late 2000s, it was conventional to frame organizations as ideal types: hierarchy, market, and network. In the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world of the 21st century, however, organizations increasingly engage in triadic forms of organizing so they might match the requirements of a situation. Therefore, the purpose of...

Serrat (2023) theorized a new leadership management framework to help organizations meet challenges and reap opportunities in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world of the 21st century. This précis brings to light the insights that 12 subject matter experts shared to inform Serrat (2023).

What moves you, makes you. The 32 poems in this collection are current, relatable, and approachable to those who like to ponder the future, speculate on the possible, pay attention to patterns, recast circumstances as impressions, and learn by thinking through. "Çoruh" is not a river in north-eastern Turkey: it is the name of a plane. "Gregory Whe...

It is often said that good educators are lifelong learners but not that lifelong learners are good educators. This précis suggests that, in the 21st century's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, all should embrace both learning and teaching for personal growth and performance; makes the case for teaching-learning philoso...

Amplified by information and communication technology (ICT), the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of situations challenge organizations to anticipate and reap opportunities. This précis maps out core concepts of agility that organizations can follow to renew themselves and succeed in turbulent environments, signifies principles th...

This précis argues that in the Internet of Things organizations must embrace the digital world if they are to survive and, preferably, thrive. Irrespective of the sector or industry an organization is in, digital transformation enables fundamentally different ways for it to think about clients, audiences, and partners, and to engage with them.Keywo...

Human beings have “managed” information from times immemorial but information and communication technology (ICT) surged from the mid-twentieth century and advances ever faster. Firstly, this précis points out the growing role of information in modern society. Exploring the historical context of technological revolutions but referencing in particula...

Digitalization is reshaping societies, economies, and governments worldwide and the leadership styles of the past no longer apply in organizations that are ever more answerable to algorithms. Leading in the digital age requires more from more leaders. Citing the latest research, this précis showcases emerging leadership behaviors and mindsets. Then...

With increasing impetus from the 1980s, information and communication technology (ICT) has become a powerful driver of change. Past the immediate dynamism that ICT has brought to organizations, this précis considers second-level impacts on economy, society, work, and the very act of organizing. The précis explains that organizations must now learn...

Friedman (1970) inspired waves of financial (and other) deregulation in the 1970s and 1980s, with tumultuous downstream effects. This précis offers quick takes on ethical points made by two related cinematic offerings and looks to the deeper integration of corporate social responsibility in stakeholder capitalism.

Digital Solutions: Reframing Leadership (Serrat, 2023) reflects on the pervasive use of technology in organizations and what it means to lead in the digital age.

This book acts as a valuable quick-access resource on the challenges and opportunities that the digital age presents to organizational leadership. Balanced, comprehensive, and thought-provoking, the book will be useful to professionals and practitioners. The book broadly follows a macro, meso, and micro approach to argumentation and is best read fr...

Organizational transformations are said to have a miserable success rate. This précis chronicles four short takes on theoretical foundations of organizational change; evolutionary and revolutionary change; the Change Formula; and levels of organizational change.

This précis chronicles eight short takes on theories of small groups; key components of teams; trust in teams; facing conflict in teams; working with conflict in teams; team recognition and rewards; principles of virtual teams; and leading teams.

Tacit knowledge is hard to communicate but can be shared in discussions, storytelling, and personal interactions. This presentation points out a wide variety of tools, methods, and approaches that help surface it.

Do you not have the time to read, or do you just think you don't? Introducing "Flash Fiction", a compilation of 22 very short stories or fragments of ordinary-and not so ordinary-lives. Each story encourages you to grow and develop the narrative from where the page leaves it. Where will the characters go next? Where might you take them? "Boxer Cod...

Digitalization is reshaping societies, economies, and governments worldwide and the leadership styles of the past no longer apply in organizations that are ever more answerable to algorithms. Leading in the Digital Age requires more from more leaders. Citing the latest research, this précis showcases emerging leadership behaviors and mindsets. Then...

This presentation outlines a research proposal for a qualitative dissertation on Leading Organizations of the Future. The major components of the proposal are a detailed statement of the problem to be studied and the context in which it is to be seen, a thorough review of the pertinent literature, and details of the overall design of the study.

A digital revolution is underway. This précis scrutinizes the intensifying role of information and communication technology (ICT) in organizations from economic, organizational, psychological, social, and technical perspectives. First, the précis elucidates first-order, intra-organizational results from past and recent advances in ICT. Second, the...

Leading Solutions: Essays in Business Psychology (Serrat, 2021) gives readers an unusually accessible, critical, and engaging take on what leadership means. In the form of précis—concise statements of essential points—the book combines rounded explanations of theory with article reviews, case studies, development plans, field observations, group wo...

Amplified by information and communication technology (ICT), the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of situations challenge organizations to anticipate and reap opportunities. This précis maps out core concepts of agility that organizations can follow to renew themselves and succeed in turbulent environments, signifies principles th...

This précis demonstrates how one can in written form apply intellectual standards such as clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance, and fairness to analyze and evaluate the reasoning behind an article or textbook.

This précis contextualizes Mintzberg’s work to expose the cult of leadership and restore management to the front and center, quickly elucidates Mintzberg’s (2009) Model of Managing, and makes the supporting point that if managing is indeed a practice then wide vistas open in coaching and training for competency-buliding.

This précis suggests that Cameron and Quinn’s (2011) competing values framework and Weisbord’s (1976) Six-Box Model can be leveraged in concert to make organizations more effective.

This précis describes how, from origins in Mintzberg (1989) and Morgan (2006) and in consideration of their assumptions and shortcomings, a personal mental model of organizations—more suited to the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the 21st century—was arrived at.

This précis introduces Blustein (2006) and its new perspective for career development, counseling, and public policy.

This précis uses a critical psychology lens for minority population analysis. Specifically, the précis characterizes indigenous peoples and their vulnerability; researches the treatment of the Aeta, an indigenous people living in the mountainous areas of Luzon in the Philippines; and reflects on their experience of domination, marginalization, and...

A personal mission statement defines who you are: it identifies your purpose, explains why it matters, and describes how you intend to pursue it. This précis reproduces one such statement. Anchored in positive psychology and positive leadership, the précis references Quinn’s (2005) fundamental state of leadership and leverages its four questions fo...

More and more, the literature recognizes that work is influenced by contextual factors: this précis traces the argument, considers of the relative importance of individual, group, and global factors in this researcher’s work experience, and sketches ways of coping with the global contextual factors of work.

Very few leaders are born: most need experience and the earlier one starts, the better. But, if leaders need exposure, they must seek or be presented with a wide variety of work experiences and truly learn from these. This précis discusses how effective leaders learn, distinguishes social and personal contexts of learning, and illustrates theory wi...

Groups that range from two persons to many are a very big part of social life—in all its facets—and most organizations rely on teamwork: the justification is that teams are better at solving problems and learn more rapidly and with more effect than individuals (Serrat, 2009). This précis offers reflections on personal experiences of teamwork, notin...

Ethics, or moral philosophy, investigates concepts of right and wrong conduct; it is not limited to the acts of a single person but seeks also reasoned, principled, positions vis-à-vis the practices of corporations, governments, and many other groups. Using the case method, a teaching approach that uses decision-forcing role-play, this précis explo...

Life-markers are points of inflection: some are shared (e.g., birth, baptism, graduation, our first job); others are yours alone (e.g., a book, a person). Personal life-markers hold one-of-a-kind energy that frames our values and imbues our lives with sense, coherence, and meaning.

This précis offers early reflections on a personal experience of teamwork, noting what had worked as of this writing and drawing attention to important next steps in relation to performing. The précis underscores in particular the utility of team charters, designed expressly to promote a healthy and positive experience, that look to the storming–no...

Human beings have “managed” information from times immemorial but information and communication technology (ICT) surged from the mid-twentieth century and advances ever faster. Firstly, this précis points out the growing role of information in modern society. Exploring the historical context of technological revolutions but referencing in particula...

This précis presents a description, critical analysis, and evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences (Seidman, 2013).

The situational leadership theory holds that leaders should change their style based on the competence and commitment of followers. This précis critiques Blanchard, Zigarmi, and Nelson’s (1993) research article on the subject, which offered a 25-year retrospective of the Situational Leadership Model, one of the more widely recognized approaches to...

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire generates a psychological inventory from propositions that aim to assess leadership styles and leadership outcomes: it is a multi-rater (or 360-degree) instrument, which means that its output—the MLQ 360 Leader’s Report—interprets and compares a leader’s self-assessment with ratings contributed across the sa...

This précis submits a business proposal for idealized design of virtual teaming at General Electric, a multinational conglomerate that retains more than 313,000 employees around the world and so must synergize a dispersed workforce.

This précis outlines the Reflective Judgment model, defines its seven stages, notes the basis for their articulation as a developmental process, flags intrinsic and extrinsic limitations, and ponders a desired relationship between cognitive development, leader development, and organization-wide learning.

This précis argues that leadership and ethics are inherently intertwined: for higher effectiveness, leader development needs to foster moral capacity, efficacy, courage, and resiliency.

The classical view of a manager’s role has been that he/she organizes, coordinates, plans, and controls. In 1973, Mintzberg clarified that on any given day managers are very busy, frequently interrupted, and at pains to control what they do. Revisiting his observations 35 years later, Mintzberg (2009) delineated a Model of Managing that depicts man...

People can hold deeply-held beliefs about why their particular moral choice is best; but, it is always essential to justify why one thinks a decision is right and another is wrong. Considering ethical predicaments from a variety of different perspectives will profit all.

Leaders are in positions of power and their decisions impact others: therefore, it is imperative that their values should have strong ethical foundations and, above all, that these be aligned with external behaviors and actions that advance the common good.

This précis identifies strengths and weaknesses of the idealized design approach and suggests why and how it might be used to better effect.

This précis tables a preliminary statement of a personal philosophy of leadership. The statement is informed by theoretical perspectives on leadership—themselves based on new-wave leadership literature; key leadership influences; cultural identity; trends in the development of post-bureaucratic organizations; and sundry work experiences.

With attention to cultural dynamics, diversity, power, and privilege, this précis investigates the contribution of critical psychology to organizational performance. The précis flags the case of the United Nations system, especially the General Assembly, to identify key challenges in the twenty-first century and consider how it might advance social...

This précis contends that hitherto unnoticed minority populations, subject to an even more systemic and tenuous dynamic of domination, oppression, and privilege, have appeared in the wake of globalization. The précis suggests that critical psychology can advocate justice-focused policy making better across an even larger constituency if it integrat...

Reading research articles does not come naturally. This précis reviews the contribution that critical thinking can make to discerning proof.

Day, Harrison and Halpin (2009) articulated five variables that frame individual differences in leader development (i.e., self-regulatory strength, goal orientation, self-efficacy, self-awareness, and implementation intentions). Referencing environmental factors, this précis locates self-regulation processes and points up the potential contribution...

Deming, Drucker, Maslow, McGregor, Schein, Senge, Taylor, Weber … This précis references influential management theories in the last hundred years: in each instance, the taxonomy flags the historical foundation, highlights basic theory and application, lists principally cited publications, and passes comment on how the theory is viewed today.

This précis outlines the process consulting style and notes three reactions to the exclusive division of alternatives it intuits, the assumptions of the approach, and the concept of client.

Team A was formed in early September 2019 to engage in hearty, learning activities over the period September–December 2019, aiming to suggest tips for managers to implement or empower teams in their organizations. Concluding the short journey synopsized in Serrat (The self in teams [Unpublished manuscript]. The Chicago School of Professional Psycho...

This précis locates critical psychology in the discourse of critical theory. The précis reflects on historical and social events that shaped decolonization, postcolonialism, and globalization and identifies a relationship between them. The précis proposes that critical psychology must now find ways to enrich policy with research if it is to better...

Day, Harrison, and Halpin (2009) specified that leader development focuses on the three domains of expertise and expert performance, identity and self-regulation processes, and adult development; this précis explores the theoretical propositions they submitted toward developing expert leadership.

Leveraging the approach to critical thinking advocated by Paul and Elder (2008), this précis makes a short argument for a research topic on linking doctoral research to practice to contribute new knowledge to the field and help address a real-world issue or opportunity.

This précis records seven short takes on personal leadership development; social identity theory; authentic leadership; relationships with careers; leader development; social barriers; and integrating adult, leader, and leadership development.

This précis chronicles five short notes on the General System Theory; the nature of a system; open and closed systems; leverage points; and the learning organization.

This précis argues that in the Internet of Things organizations must embrace the digital world if they are to survive and, preferably, thrive. Irrespective of the sector or industry an organization is in, digital transformation enables fundamentally different ways for it to think about clients, audiences, and partners, and to engage with them.

This précis revisits an opening statement on a personal philosophy of leadership: that initial statement was informed by theories of leadership; formative experiences of leadership; cultural identity; trends in the development of post-bureaucratic organizations; and sundry work experiences. This revised edition offers reflections on the initial sta...

Personal leadership development plans are fluid documents that open up opportunities, beget more impact, and lead to greater overall satisfaction.

Informed by trends and citing predictions about the future of evaluation, this précis lays out requirements, considerations, and steps for planning and delivering change that would support the recalibration of independent evaluation so it might better serve learning.

This précis presents a research concept paper for Leading Organizations of the Future: it specifies the primary reasons for undertaking the proposed study, states the problem to be examined, particularizes the research question, articulates the conceptual framework for the expanded literature review while flagging one key text, and justifies what m...

The demise of the learning organization has seemingly been enacted: Google Trends chronicles the worldwide waning of the search-term “learning organization” from the high of 100 in April 2004 to 10 in June 2018. This précis means to talk down trends in management ideas whose particularized if not proprietary vocabulary largely explains why what is...

This précis presents a snapshot of leadership theories and notes their shortening lifespan; it comments on why leadership theories emerge and names the most recent. Next, the précis covers organizational paradox and social neuroscience, approaches that are not conditioned by organizational boundaries and seem relevant to the quickening complexity o...

Yip and Wilson (2010) offered challenging insights into the well-quoted saying that “experience is the best teacher”, notably by distinguishing the main event cluster of experiential learning to be challenging assignments, not the corporate staple of coursework and training. This précis comments on the main precepts of learning from experience incl...

With increasing impetus from the 1980s, information and communication technology (ICT) has become a powerful driver of change. Past the immediate dynamism that ICT has brought to organizations, this précis considers second-level impacts on economy, society, work, and the very act of organizing. The précis explains that organizations must now learn...

This book on business psychology—particularly organizational leadership—crosses industries, continents, and business environments: it includes 45 précis on emerging theories of leadership; ethical and cultural considerations; group and team leadership; leadership self-development; management philosophy and practice; organizational diagnosis and cul...

Human beings have "managed" information from times immemorial but information and communication technology (ICT) surged from the mid-20th century and advances ever faster. Firstly, this précis points out the growing role of information in modern society. Exploring the historical context of technological revolutions but referencing in particular rec...

This short Q&A article was prepared for the social innovation class of Roberto Fasanelli, Ph.D., Department of Social Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II".

Focusing on human rights, this presentation uses a critical psychology lens to articulate the business case for an action plan to imbed the Global Compact in the strategies and operations of Nike, Inc., with an eye to engaging its contract factories. The action plan integrates best practices proposed by the Global Compact. Because of their ambitiou...

This précis uses a critical psychology lens for minority population analysis. Specifically, the précis characterizes indigenous peoples and their vulnerability; researches the treatment of the Aeta, an indigenous people living in the mountainous areas of Luzon in the Philippines; and reflects on their experience of domination, marginalization, and...

This presentation uses a critical psychology lens for minority population analysis. Specifically, the presentation characterizes indigenous peoples and their vulnerability; researches the treatment of the Aeta, an indigenous people living in the mountainous areas of Luzon in the Philippines; and reflects on their experience of domination, marginali...

With attention to cultural dynamics, diversity, power, and privilege, this précis investigates the contribution of critical psychology to organizational performance. The précis flags the case of the United Nations system, especially the General Assembly, to identify key challenges in the 21st century and consider how it might advance social justice...

This précis contends that hitherto unnoticed minority populations, subject to an even more systemic and tenuous dynamic of domination, oppression, and privilege, have appeared in the wake of globalization. The précis suggests that critical psychology can advocate justice-focused policy making better across an even larger constituency if it integrat...

This précis locates critical psychology in the discourse of critical theory. The précis reflects on historical and social events that shaped decolonization, postcolonialism, and globalization and identifies a relationship between them. The précis proposes that critical psychology must now find ways to enrich policy with research if it is to better...

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire generates a psychological inventory from propositions that aim to assess leadership styles and leadership outcomes: it is a multi-rater (or 360-degree) instrument, which means that its output—the MLQ 360 Leader's Report—interprets and compares a leader's self-assessment with ratings contributed across the sa...

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire generates a psychological inventory from propositions that aim to assess leadership styles and leadership outcomes: it is a multi-rater (or 360-degree) instrument, which means that its output—the MLQ 360 Leader's Report—interprets and compares a leader's self-assessment with ratings contributed across the sa...

Yip and Wilson (2010) offered challenging insights into the well-quoted saying that "experience is the best teacher", notably by distinguishing the main event cluster of experiential learning to be challenging assignments, not the corporate staple of coursework and training. This précis comments on the main precepts of learning from experience incl...

A personal mission statement defines who you are: it identifies your purpose, explains why it matters, and describes how you intend to pursue it. This précis reproduces one such statement. Anchored in positive psychology and positive leadership, the précis references Quinn's (2005) fundamental state of leadership and leverages its four questions fo...

This presentation outlines a business proposal for idealized design of virtual teaming at General Electric, a multinational conglomerate that employs more than 313,000 employees around the world and so faces the challenge of synergizing a dispersed workforce.

Ethics, or moral philosophy, investigates concepts of right and wrong conduct; it is not limited to the acts of a single person but seeks also reasoned, principled, positions vis-à-vis the practices of corporations, governments, and many other groups. Using the case method, a teaching approach that uses decision-forcing role-play, this précis explo...

Referring to Erin Brockovich (2000), a biographical film featuring Julia Roberts, this presentation reviews the respective contributions that stakeholder analysis, conflict of interest analysis, cost–benefit analysis, case study analysis, and ethical decision-making frameworks can make to the exploration of business ethics.

This presentation maps out Gandhi's life story; singles out the life-markers that encouraged a constant process of reflection–action–reflection and framed his values; and proposes that stewardship, obligation, partnership, emotional healing, and elevating purpose characterized his servant leadership. Gandhi took on an empire with the ethics of trut...

People can hold deeply-held beliefs about why their particular moral choice is best; but, it is always essential to justify why one thinks a decision is right and another is wrong. Considering ethical predicaments from a variety of different perspectives will profit all.

The Ethisphere Institute is a player in the increasingly crowded field of business ethics ratings. In 2019, Dell Inc. was recognized as one of 128 honorees of Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies awards, which spanned 50 industries in 21 countries. This presentation reviews the World's Most Ethical Companies awards and comments on Dell Inc.'...

Life-markers are points of inflection: some are shared (e.g., birth, baptism, graduation, our first job); others are yours alone (e.g., a book, a person). Personal life-markers hold one-of-a-kind energy that frames our values and imbues our lives with sense, coherence, and meaning.

Leaders are in positions of power and their decisions impact others: therefore, it is imperative that their values should have strong ethical foundations and, above all, that these be aligned with external behaviors and actions that advance the common good.

Team A was formed in early September 2019 to engage in hearty, learning activities over the period September–December 2019, aiming to suggest tips for managers to implement or empower teams in their organizations. Concluding the short journey synopsized in Serrat (2019a, 2019b), this précis on the self in teams considers its author's performance as...

This mini-lecture makes out the fundamental differences between groups and various kinds of teams; specifies the rationale for team formation and notes what important outcomes are typically expected from performing teams; singles out common recommendations (and recognized pitfalls) on the subject of teams; and isolates two perspectives to enrich un...

This précis offers early reflections on a personal experience of teamwork, noting what had worked as of this writing and drawing attention to important next steps in relation to performing. The précis underscores in particular the utility of team charters, designed expressly to promote a healthy and positive experience, that look to the storming–no...

Groups that range from two persons to many are a very big part of social life-in all its facets-and most organizations rely on teamwork: the justification is that teams are better at solving problems and learn more rapidly and with more effect than individuals (Serrat, 2009). This précis offers reflections on personal experiences of teamwork, notin...

This précis chronicles five short notes on the General System Theory; the nature of a system; open and closed systems; leverage points; and the learning organization.

This presentation provides an up-close examination of MediSys Corp. and its contextual conditions and tables recommendations to resolve the problems affecting the IntensCare project and safeguard MediSys Corp.'s future.

This journal records seven short takes on personal leadership development; social identity theory; authentic leadership; relationships with careers; leader development; social barriers; and integrating adult, leader, and leadership development.

Day, Harrison, and Halpin (2009) articulated five variables that frame individual differences in leader development (i.e., self-regulatory strength, goal orientation, self-efficacy, self-awareness, and implementation intentions). Referencing environmental factors, this précis locates self-regulation processes and points up the potential contributio...

This précis submits a business proposal for idealized design of virtual teaming at General Electric, a multinational conglomerate that retains more than 313,000 employees around the world and so must synergize a dispersed workforce.