Read the full story by Kirk Kardashian, published by the Tuck School of Business. 

Tuck School of Business Dean Paul Danos recently announced the appointment of Sydney Finkelstein as the faculty director of the Center for Leadership. Finkelstein, Tuck’s associate dean for executive education and Steven Roth Professor of Management, is replacing the center’s founding faculty director, management and organizations professor Pino Audia, who stepped down earlier this year to focus on research and teaching.

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“My vision for the center is for it to serve as a platform that will have an even bigger impact on leadership opportunities and development for students, alumni, and faculty members,” says Sydney Finkelstein, the new faculty director of the Center for Leadership. (Photo by Mark Washburn)

While the mission of the center—supporting and creating leadership-building curricula, activities, and research at Tuck—remains the same, Finkelstein hopes to expand and innovate upon this foundation, including further engagement with the broader Tuck and Dartmouth communities.

“My vision for the center is for it to serve as a platform that will have an even bigger impact on leadership opportunities and development for students, alumni, and faculty members,” Finkelstein said. “In addition to our courses, we’ll have a greater number and variety of visitors, panels, and research. I want the center to be a resource for all.”

Finkelstein recently answered questions about his devotion to leadership education and how he sees the center evolving under his watch.

You’re already a busy guy, with your teaching, writing, and involvement with Tuck Executive Education. Why did you want to take on yet another role at Tuck?Leadership education is what I’ve spent my career doing. I’ve written books on leadership, I teach leadership. So this is my sweet spot. The center is not just a natural place for me to be; I have an affinity and a passion for leadership education and I think it’s incredibly important.

Why do you find leadership so interesting, as a field of study and practice?Because leaders are the ones who change the world. But also because there’s really nothing you do in the world where leadership is unimportant. You can work 24-7 on a project by yourself, but if you can create an organization where you empower and inspire others, the leverage point is exponential. This is not just about business; it’s true for nonprofits, NGOs, government.