James R. Detert

Trends and predictions for the AI world. The importance of careful communication. Groundbreaking research using neuroscience to predict human choices. Employee disengagement and what to do about it. The importance of generalists in a tech-driven working world. Darden Ideas to Action insights draw from faculty expertise, books, research and cases.

For more than 50 years, organizational scholars have been documenting why employees are disengaged, why they “quit on the job,” and why they actually do quit. Only 32 percent of employees reported feeling engaged with their work in 2022. One way to improve the trend? Call “quiet quitting” what it often is: “calibrated contributing.”

Professor Jim Detert discusses the dangers of inferring individuals’ intentions and strategies leaders can use in efforts to ensure balance and objectivity in an organization.

The pandemic, social unrest, and political and economic conditions are leading to serious career re-evaluation as well as mental health challenges. Coaches and counselors help people increase self-awareness, grow skills, and eliminate barriers to success. When one is more useful and appropriate? How does one determine the best fit?

Millions are quitting in the “Great Resignation.” And the pandemic, major social unrest, and frightening political and economic conditions are leading to serious re-evaluation and mental health challenges. Coaches and counselors help people increase self-awareness, grow skills, and eliminate barriers to success. What might be a good fit for you?

Strategic thinking, sound decision-making, critical thinking, persuasion, empathy. There are a host of qualities that effective leaders should model in the workplace if they want to influence others and deliver truly positive outcomes. But chief among these is one that might not be on your radar: the willingness and ability to act courageously.

It doesn’t matter how big your leadership toolkit is if you won’t be courageous enough to use those tools when it counts. Just like any other competency, you can learn, practice and strategically deploy the ability to act skillfully in high-stress moments. Here we dig into practical recommendations for getting to the other side of workplace fears.

Courage: the lynchpin of leadership. It’s also the key to solving problems, innovating, pursuing opportunities and safeguarding the welfare of others. In a new book — and this Darden Ideas to Action series — Professor Jim Detert discusses courage as a skill that can be learned and developed.

Hiring and promoting decisions can easily come down to a candidate’s abilities versus “fit,” which can be more about identity and social behavior. Darden Professor Jim Detert presents a case in point on these company-defining decisions — and the importance of looking for clues to spot and overcome implicit biases.

Leadership and management: synonymous? Nope. Both are associated with defining behaviors, and research shows which are consistently seen more positively. But organizations need both leaders and managers to function. Here’s how to ensure the right people are hired for the right jobs.