St. Vincent professor releases LOTR-themed book on workplace leadership
Dr. Michael J. Urick, associate professor of business administration and graduate director of St. Vincent College’s Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence program, has written a new book entitled “Leadership in Middle-earth: Theories and Applications for Organizations.”
The book examines management theories related to motivation, team composition and development, diversity and inclusion, leader emergence and other related concepts. Each theory is illustrated through examples of Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien, famous for “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” novels.
“Leadership in Middle-earth” is the third book authored by Urick. It follows “A Manager’s Guide to Using the Force: Leadership Lessons from a Galaxy Far Far Away,” released in April.
He also co-edited a three-book series on leadership in 2018 and plans to author two more books on leadership over the next two years. He regularly speaks at organizations and events on issues related to leadership.
“Leadership in Middle-earth” is the second installment of the “Exploring Effective Leadership Practices through Popular Culture” series, of which Urick serves as editor. The book was released on May 25 by the United Kingdom’s Emerald Publishing.
Urick is a 2004 alumnus of St. Vincent College and has masters’ degrees in leadership/business ethics from Duquesne University. His doctorate, focused on organizational behavior, is from the University of Cincinnati. He has been part of St. Vincent’s Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government faculty since 2012 and has directed the nationally ranked Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence program since 2014. Urick is a recipient of several teaching awards including “Learning/Education Person of the Year” from the Institute of Supply Management and “Excellence in Teaching” from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.