ABOUT THE AUTHORS
RICHARD BOYATZIS is Distinguished University Professor of Case Western Reserve University, Professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive Science, and HR Horvitz Professor of Family Business at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. In addition, he is an adjunct professor in the Department of Human Resources at ESADE Business School in Barcelona. Boyatzis holds a BS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and an MA and PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University. Using his well-established Intentional Change Theory (ICT) and complexity theory, he studies sustained, desired change at all levels of human endeavor, from the individual level to teams, organizations, communities, and countries. Since 1967 his research has focused specifically on helping and coaching. Boyatzis was ranked 9th Most Influential International Thinker by HR Magazine in 2012 and 2014. He is the author of more than two hundred articles on leadership, emotional and social intelligence competencies, emotional intelligence, competency development, coaching, neuroscience, and management education. His massive open online course (MOOC), Inspiring Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence, has over 780,000 students from 215 countries enrolled through Coursera. His nine books include The Competent Manager, the international bestseller Primal Leadership (with Daniel Goleman and Annie McKee), and Resonant Leadership (with Annie McKee). He is a Fellow of the Association of Psychological Science and the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
MELVIN SMITH is a professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Faculty Director of Executive Education at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (with Ellen van Oosten). He is also currently serving as Board Chair of the Graduate School Alliance for Education in Coaching (GSAEC). Smith’s research and teaching focus on leadership and emotional intelligence in the workplace, as well as on social exchange relationships, social networks, and the development and use of human and social capital in organizations. His work has been published in outlets such as Academy of Management Learning & Education, Frontiers in Psychology, the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Management Development, Leadership Excellence, and Organizational Dynamics.
Smith is a Board Certified Coach (BCC) and a highly sought-after speaker. He regularly provides training and education services to numerous US organizations in addition to working with executives in Canada, Dubai, India, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, and Trinidad.
Smith received his PhD in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business. He also holds a BS degree in General Management and Accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Prior to completing his doctoral work at the University of Pittsburgh, he spent over fifteen years in a series of sales/marketing management and organization development positions with several Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Pepsi-Cola, and H. J. Heinz.
ELLEN VAN OOSTEN is an associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Faculty Director of Executive Education at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (with Melvin Smith). She is also Director of the Coaching Research Lab, which she cofounded with Richard Boyatzis and Melvin Smith in 2014 to advance research in the field of coaching. Her research interests include coaching, leadership development, emotional intelligence, and positive change. Van Oosten has published scholarly and practitioner articles that cover topics such as coaching for change, coaching outcomes, leadership vision, and leadership development in organizations. Her work has been published in Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Frontiers in Psychology, the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal of Management Development, Leadership Excellence, and Organizational Dynamics.
As an instructor, Van Oosten teaches in the MBA, Executive MBA, Masters of Engineering Management, and undergraduate programs at Case Western Reserve and regularly delivers workshops for Executive Education clients. She leads the Weatherhead Coaching Certificate Program and is a highly requested executive coach. She holds both the Board Certified Coach (BCC) and Associate Certified Coach (ACC) designations.
Van Oosten received her PhD in Organizational Behavior and her MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management. She also holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dayton. Prior to joining the Weatherhead faculty, she spent eighteen years working with organizations to develop leadership talent and held numerous staff positions at Weatherhead, including Assistant Dean for Executive Education and Managing Director of Custom Programs.