By Adriana Betancourt
Recently Brian McCormick, associate professor in management, discussed his career and his ability to impact Huskies in the College of Business. His passion for helping leaders to make the most of their talents and skills drives both his leadership research and his work in the classroom:
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in management and higher education?
A: Through exploration and self-discovery, I realized that pursuing a career in management higher education would enable me to help others in their own development as business professionals while allowing me to invest my time in teaching and researching around my passion for leadership and optimizing one’s potential.
Q: What is one key lesson or takeaway you hope your students remember after taking your class?
A: It seems to me that there is a twofold process to getting what we want out of our jobs and educational pursuits. We need to explore and reflect on precisely what outcomes we are seeking. Often, life and our environment naturally push us in certain directions that may or may not be aligned with our preferences if we aren’t mindful about what and where we aspire to get. If we see the value in the direction we are headed, then we are more likely to be willing to (a) invest the sweat needed to get over the hurdles that will inevitably be in our way and (b) seek out and develop the resources in our lives that can help us get where we want to go.
Q: What has been your most rewarding experience as a professor at NIU?
A: Without a doubt, interacting with the amazing students, alumni, and coworkers affiliated with NIU. It’s so inspiring to be in a space where I consistently get to see people’s passion for investing in themselves and their peers for the betterment of their lives.
Q: How do you connect your research to teaching?
A: My research focuses on how individuals and teams are able to optimize their potential. I examine the ways in which leaders are a powerful force in either helping or hindering people’s pursuit of their potential, and I also explore how the unique factors that differentiate us as people – things like our personality, ability, and a variety of other individual differences – impact that potential.
Q: What do you think makes NIU’s College of Business stand out from other business schools?
A: The efforts of our College of Business faculty and staff result in an amazing culture in which students can thrive. The people that work in the college are passionate about helping students achieve their dreams, so they are focused on creating the kinds of experiences, like real-world application of knowledge, networking with practicing professionals, which can meaningfully change lives. College of Business alumni stay connected and have been so selfless in giving back to the next generation of Huskies in a variety of ways, through mentoring, networking, guest speaking, and more. Through their work ethic, our students create the kind of context in which people are motivated to achieve.
Q: What’s something students might be surprised to learn about you?
A: I grew up in a small Illinois town – Savanna – and both my parents received their degrees from NIU. NIU has been in my blood for my entire life.
Q: Outside of teaching and research, what are some of your hobbies or interests?
A: My research and teaching interest in leadership and optimizing potential was originally shaped by my experiences in athletics. I love how athletics provides an opportunity for us to push ourselves beyond our limits in pursuit of our aspirations, and I love seeing how leadership within teams can enable some teams to outperform their potential. In my prior career I was a high school athletic director, and I have invested a lot of time in coaching amateur and youth sports throughout my adult life.
This year, I have taken on an additional role as the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) at NIU. Each university has a FAR, and the FAR serves as the liaison between the faculty and the athletic department, engages in a variety of meetings and activities with our athletic conference affiliations, and gets the chance to highlight and support student athletes in a variety of ways. It has been fulfilling to get to interact and closely observe the dedication and commitment exhibited by NIU student athletes. Go, Huskies!
