Sean Martin

Americans cherish the idea of the truly self-made man or woman. So why does an elite pedigree often win the day when it comes to hiring for the top jobs? What prevents managers from rewarding those who make the leap from one social class to another, and more importantly, what are we missing when we favor the well born?

A collection from the editors of Darden Ideas to Action:

Valuable: employees who can connect with diverse people to improve relationships, facilitate information flow and communication, increase coordination and reduce conflict. Research shows that “social class transitioners,” people who move between socioeconomic classes, can bring a special skillset to the workforce.

Football is typically a major source of revenue for university athletics departments — so when game attendance shrinks, money’s left on the table. In this case in point, Professors Sean Martin and Jim Detert discuss ideas UVA explored to energize the fan base, as well as tenets of any strategic turnaround.

Effective leadership is essential to progress in both business and society. But what is leadership really, what influences leadership effectiveness and how can the relevant skills be developed? Professor Sean Martin introduces and discusses key concepts to the big idea.

The months must-reads for managing in the digital age, curated by the Ideas to Action editors

A study in basketball, team culture, effectiveness and star power: Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan had vastly different styles in leading their teams to victory, both on the court and off. Darden Professor Sean Martin discusses what we can learn from these all-star athletes and what sports have to do with organizational behavior.

Darden Ideas to Action offers words of wisdom from six experts for graduates (and anyone else) on how real people with a real sense of purpose can make the workplace more productive, responsible and, well, happy.