World Class Faculty & Research / September 9, 2014

Smith Business Close-Up: Becoming a “Leader of One”

Thursday, July 31, 2014, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, August 3, 2014, 7:30 a.m.

“Leadership is not defined by titles and the future is not considered a destination, but a notion. It is a concept that is elusive yet we must strive to achieve it. In its pursuit, we executive our mission with excellence, we give renewed meaning to our purpose, and we shape ourselves in the process,” writes Gerald Suarez in his new leadership book. “We cannot take comfort in our present course because even if we are doing what seems to be fine today, it will not be enough tomorrow. Shaping the future is an ongoing, never-ending endeavor.

In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Gerald Suarez talks about his new book, “Leader of One: Shaping Your Future Through Imagination and Design.”

Suarez is a Professor of the Practice in Systems Thinking and Design. His book is a distillation and condensation of many years of research and his interaction and experiences with world leaders, corporate leaders, world-renowned educators and insightful students. He captured and vetted these ideas in real-life settings. Suarez says his book also pays tribute to the major influences in his thinking: the late Russell L. Ackoff, with whom he collaborated for 16 years; Dr. W. Edwards Deming, with whom he filmed the videotape series on Managing Fear in the Workplace; President Bill Clinton, with whom he traveled and worked for eight years, and Stephen R. Covey. The book extracts pragmatic insights from Suarez’s experience at the White House supporting two presidents from different administrations and from consulting and interacting with individuals and organizations in four continents. The book is rooted in sound theory and enhanced by the blend of real life applications.


Where to Watch

Smith Business Close-Up can be seen bi-weekly on Maryland Public Television's Your Business and Money. The program airs at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and is repeated the following Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on public television stations throughout Maryland and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, including:

  • WMPB-TV (Ch. 67), Baltimore
  • WMPT-TV (Ch. 22), DC metro/Annapolis
  • WCPB-TV (Ch. 28), Salisbury
  • WFPT-TV (Ch. 62), Frederick
  • WWPB-TV (Ch. 31), Hagerstown
  • WGPT-TV (Ch. 36), Oakland

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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