A Manager's Guide to Using the Force: Leadership Lessons from a Galaxy Far Far Away

Dr. Michael Urick examines management theories related to mentorship and learning, transformational and transactional leadership, ethical decision making, bases of power, mindfulness, multi-tasking, and more. As you learn to apply these theories, you can become at one with the Force to find balance in your leadership style.

Each theory is viewed through the lens of various aspects of the Jedi approach to exerting influence. Through these examples, readers will become familiar and comfortable with academically supported leadership concepts to adjust their own behaviors, becoming more successful in the process.

By examining leadership theories through the context of popular culture, the book encourages readers to think creatively about how they might adjust their own management approach. Readers will move from Padawan to Master quickly. May the Force be with you, Jedi Manager!

About the Author

Dr. Michael J. Urick is director of the master of science in management: operational excellence program and an associate professor at the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government at St. Vincent College. Dr. Urick is certified as a six sigma green belt and SHRM-CP. He is the recipient of multiple teaching awards and was internationally recognized by the Institute for Supply Management as a "Person of the Year" in 2015.

Urick is an associate editor of the Journal of Leadership and Management. His research focuses on issues related to intergenerational phenomena and leveraging popular culture to illustrate organizational behavior theories. Urick is a regular speaker on age-related issues in the workplace and is an active consultant on issues related to workplace interactions, organizational culture, and ethics. Urick is currently president of ISM-Pittsburgh, volunteers on the board of several non-profit organizations, and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management in addition to other professional organizations.

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