The Alliance Adds Organizational Psychologist Dr. Connie Hadley to its Board of Directors
“I study how to make work life better for all employees – without sacrificing high-quality results for the organization.”
Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance recently announced the organization’s newest board member, Constance Noonan Hadley, Ph.D. Dr. Hadley is an organizational psychologist and founder of the Institute for Life at Work, a research laboratory and think tank. She also serves as a lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and a consulting researcher at Microsoft Research Lab. Her research and consulting on workplace culture, team effectiveness, and employee well-being aligns with the Alliance’s focus on leadership practice and organizational performance.
“We are thrilled to welcome Connie to our board and our Higher Ambition community,” adds Jeannie Diefenderfer, CEO, Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance. “Connie’s study of employee engagement and team effectiveness is a significant area of interest for our member organizations, especially in the tough business environment we face today. The Alliance strives to provide organizations with practical, data-driven practices that can help employees and the bottom line, and we know Connie will help us advance our mission.”
We spoke with Dr. Hadley about her work and what she looks forward to in her role with the Alliance community.
ALLIANCE
We’re excited to introduce you to our Higher Ambition community! Through the Institute for Life at Work you collaborate with scholars and practitioners from around the world to conduct research to learn what helps organizations thrive. What are your areas of research?
DR. HADLEY
Essentially, I study how to make work life better for all employees – without sacrificing high-quality results for the organization. My areas of research include the future of work, team dynamics, psychological safety, employee loneliness, well-being at work, leadership effectiveness, and inclusive cultures.
My collaborators and I are currently studying these topics:
How can we maximize remote and hybrid work for employee well-being and effectiveness?
What specific leadership behaviors increase psychological safety and feelings of belonging?
How can we increase a sense of purpose and satisfaction through team rituals?
How can we preserve a positive workplace culture in a period of layoffs?
What is the state of knowledge about workplace loneliness and its causes and consequences?
What are the key indicators of whether employees are thriving or not?
ALLIANCE
You say it’s important to ensure the results are usable by “real people.” How do you do that and why is it important?
DR. HADLEY
My goal is to help people and organizations. This means that everything I work on needs to have a real-world application right from the start. Typically, I begin a study by interviewing a range of workers to learn what their days are like on the job and what highs and lows they experience. I also spend time talking to senior leaders about their own perspectives and challenges. Ultimately, what I am looking for in these conversations are signals of misalignment, a sense that something doesn’t fit or could be better. That’s when I join up with collaborators to explore the topics in a more systematic manner and identify practical solutions.
I also enjoy writing and speaking about the issues I see in the work world. I try to take the knowledge that I and others have accumulated and present it in a way that is accessible, timely, and actionable for the audience.
ALLIANCE
Why did you decide to come on to the Alliance board and what do you look forward to in this role?
DR. HADLEY
The people involved in the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance are wonderful – it is an impressive group of members, advisors, staff, and directors. Moreover, I believe strongly in the mission of purpose- and human-driven leadership. The organizations involved are actively crafting a better and more sustainable way to operate. I am excited to support them in this endeavor by sharing best practices and research knowledge.