Center for Leadership
Studies

Raj Sisodia has taught marketing in American universities and has also authored several books, one of which is titled Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit From Passion and Purpose. Sisodia shares with MAOL candidates theories on conscious capitalism and conscious leadership—themes which spring directly from the work in his acclaimed book.

“Conscious capitalism basically says that there’s a way to be in business which is different than the traditional way, and that it is not only a good thing to do because it creates more happiness and well-being among the stakeholder universe, and does not have negative effects on the environment or on society in general, but that also, ultimately, it’s better business.”

In the MAOL Sisodia has found the perfect forum for conscious capitalism and leadership. He says that not only do other components of MAOL coursework dovetail well with the topics he teaches, but that the people who comprise the program are individuals who are engaged and interested in embodying this new kind of leadership.

“The program attracts a very thoughtful group of students; it’s almost a program in philosophy of business, if you will. If you listen to some of the conversations, they're full of very deep meaning and people are going way, way below the surface level,” Sisodia says. “Part of the joy of being part of this program is sitting in on these sessions and learning from some of the other faculty, and the students as well.”

Recognizing the brilliance of those around you ties directly into the notion of conscious leadership that Sisodia works to disseminate throughout global organizations. Conscious leadership, he says, requires humility and valuing the gifts that others have to bring.

“Conscious leadership recognizes that when we hire people to work in a company, we can buy their time and we can buy their intellect and we can buy their work – but we really can't buy their enthusiasm and their creativity, their motivation or their innovative abilities. We need to nurture the environment so that people not only think of their work as a job but, ultimately, as a calling,” Sisodia says. “When the individual passion matches the corporate purpose it results in profits of all kinds –financial profits and all other kinds of profits – it’s well-being, it’s happiness, it’s environmental protection, it’s all of those things.”

Dr. Rajendra S. Sisodia is Professor of Marketing at Bentley College, and was previously Trustee Professor of Marketing and the Founding Director of the Center for Marketing Technology. Previously, he was Director of Executive Programs and Associate Professor of Marketing at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and Assistant Professor of Marketing at Boston University. An electrical engineer from BITS, Pilani (India), Dr. Sisodia has an MBA in Marketing from the Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Bombay, and a PhD in Marketing & Business Policy from Columbia University.