ABSTRACT
This chapter profiles Gretchen Spreitzer, who teaches management at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Her teaching experience in degree courses and executive education includes a variety of topics, such as leadership, empowerment, human resource management, and change management skills for consultants, managers, and change agents. In our interview, Professor Spreitzer discussed the reasons why she decided to become a teacher, her mentors and training, preparation for class, her teaching tools, the use of research in teaching, and advice for new professors. A visit to the classroom (when she taught her course titled “The Art and Science of Designing Your Life to Thrive in the New World of Work”) reveals Professor Spreitzer’s innovative approaches to teaching. For example, students co-create the learning experience, and she uses an interactive style through a variety of active learning exercises. Among the topics covered in the course are the disruption caused by technology, self-reflection, reciprocity, multitasking, gratitude, crowdsourcing, listening skills, and reflection journals, Professor Spreitzer’s impact beyond the classroom includes her heavily cited research on empowerment and positive organizations, and her leadership positions at the Ross School of Business.
