Meet Leon Prieto: Management Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leon Prieto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leon, what are you inspired by?
I tend to draw inspiration from individuals who are successful in their respective disciplines despite the trials and tribulations that they have faced along the way. Through the years I have met and read about regular people who have faced debilitating losses, tragedies and challenges and have somehow found the strength to persevere and find hope in a sometimes hopeless situation. When I started teaching 11 years ago, I had a student who unfortunately lost a parent due to suicide halfway into the semester, and yet the student managed to earn an “A” in the course in spite of the grief. I can’t even imagine what it was like for that student and how incredibly hard it was. I was inspired by that young man and learned that we cannot let the challenges that we sometimes face derail us from our purpose.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently serve as an Associate Professor of Management at Clayton State University, and Associate Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Centre for Social Innovation. My research interests are a bit different, but I absolutely love it. I focus on African American management history, social issues in management and critical management studies, and I am primarily interested in the contributions of minorities (gender as well as racial & ethnic) to the development of management as a discipline and the interrelationship between organizational management and society. I am especially proud of the book written by myself and Dr. Simone Phipps entitled African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage. We have also published articles in the Journal of Business Ethics, MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Management History, and Harvard Business Publishing (Inspiring Minds). I have received recognition and tremendous support from Thinkers50, USASBE, #Thinklist – Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS), and the Academy of Management. I have learned that you must find your own authentic voice and to engage in continuous learning to become better in your discipline. I felt that I needed to grow some more as a Management Historian a few years ago and that encouraged me to pursue a master’s in history at Harvard University, Extension School. It was incredibly hard being a family man, a fulltime professor and a master’s student at Harvard for these past few years but I needed to do this to get to the next level in my career.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Atlanta, I would take them to the Beltline, and we would grab a bite or two at Krog Street Market. On other days of the week we would visit the King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Piedmont Park and Little Five Points. Some other spots to grab a bite would be Desta, Negril Village, Paschal’s, Arepa Mia, and Tassa Roti Shop for some Trini food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to Clayton State University, and my colleagues who have supported my career during my tenure there. I have to especially credit Dr. Alphonso Ogbuehi, the former Dean of the College of Business and now the current Dean of Business at Stockton University for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to join the faculty at Clayton State. I have to also dedicate a shoutout to the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation, University of Cambridge Judge Business School for providing an opportunity for me to serve as an Associate Research Fellow. Dr. Neil Stott and Dr. Paul Tracey from Cambridge believed in my potential, and I am thankful to work with them and the rest of the team. In addition, I have to thank my soon to be alma mater, Harvard University, Extension School for the great education and all of the support they have provided me during my time there earning my Masters in History and graduate certificate in Social Justice.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leoncprieto/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leoncprieto