The Science of Personal Leadership and Transformation

Leadership involves understanding people. However, leading others starts with leading the person we have the most influence over—ourselves. In this series of four webinars, we will study principles from the leadership research to learn how to lead ourselves and others.

Presenter: Dr. Ted Cross

Dr. Ted Cross is the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs in the College of Business at Western Governors University.

Previously, Cross was a clinical assistant professor of leadership and management, as well as the director of online programs at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. Before coming to ASU, Ted worked in a variety of faculty and leadership positions at Grand Canyon University. Cross holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, an M.A. from Arizona State University, an M.S.Ed from The University of Pennsylvania, a doctorate from Pepperdine University, and a post-graduate certificate from The Wharton School of Business.

Dr. Ted Cross

The Science of Personal Leadership & Transformation

Session 1 – Escape the myth of work/life balance: Finding meaning in work and life.

Finding meaning in work and life is essential to becoming a good leader. If you want to lead you need to have a clear cause or purpose that resonates with others. In this session, learn how to home in on your own personal “why,” how to escape the myth of work/life balance, and how to make subtle changes that can have a big impact on your work and life satisfaction.

Session 1 recording | Finding Personal Purpose document | Ted's LinkedIn page | WGU's MBA | WGU's M.S. Management & Leadership

Session 2 – Got grit? Understanding passion and persistence for long-term goals.

Do you have what it takes to reach your goals? Grit is a new way to measure passion and persistence for long-term goals. Studies on grit have shown that those that score higher on the grit scale do better in school, are less likely to quit tough tasks, and are able to achieve things that take lots of time to complete. Join us in this webinar to learn more about grit and how we might increase our own grittiness.

Session 2 recording | Grit Scale | Ted's LinkedIn page | WGU's MBA | WGU's M.S. Management & Leadership

Session 3 – Positive psychology: The science of happiness.

"Guided by the belief that good is the opposite of bad, mankind has for centuries pursued its fixation with fault and failure.... Faults and failing deserve study, but they reveal little about strengths... To excel in your chosen field and to find lasting satisfaction... you will need to become an expert at finding and describing and applying and practicing and refining your strengths” — Marcus Buckingham.

This is the crux of positive psychology. The scientific study of what is right with humanity. This short session will provide an introduction to positive psychology and its current implications for personal well-being, happiness, and mindset.

Session 3 recording | The Psychology of Life Stories PDF

Session 4 – Convinced: The science of persuasive leadership.

The goal of this session is to provide information and context from the scientific literature on how leaders can be more persuasive. Participants will learn how studies on decision making, persuasion, and leadership can be translated into real-world applications. Participants will leave the session with new mental models, as well as practical examples, of how to incorporate leadership practices that are supported by research.

Session 4 recording