When asked about what it takes to be successful, Associate Professor of Management Michael Roberto doesn't talk about his education, even though he's earned a BA, an MBA, and a DBA from Harvard. He doesn�t list his many impressive accomplishments and awards, or mention his acclaimed book "Why Great Leaders Don�t Take Yes for an Answer."
Instead, he talks about what he gained from being the son of Italian immigrants. �My parents had minimal amount of education and material wealth but possessed an enormous sense of gratitude, humility, and passion for a better life in America,� he recalls.
�They imbued in me a tremendous work ethic and a steadfast belief that education is the vehicle to success, even though neither of them had much education. They also instilled in my brother and me the importance of staying intellectually curious and maintaining a vigorous hunger for knowledge.�
Roberto is one of 12 faculty members who joined Bryant in 2006. After six years as a Harvard business professor, he became very interested in Bryant after a visit to campus and a meeting with President Ron Machtley. �President Machtley not only had a vision, but he also had concrete, measurable goals and has realized many of them,� said Roberto. �Not everyone can transform ideas into an actionable strategic plan and execute on it. That is a pretty compelling thing about Bryant.�
As a management professor, Roberto uncovers lessons for business leaders from the lives and decisions of people such as Churchill, Eisenhower, and Lincoln. �I try to read quite broadly across a range of subjects, though history is one of my favorites. I don�t believe it�s productive to focus too narrowly on business books and articles.�
His interdisciplinary view of management and business practices is reflected in Roberto's approach to education, research, and life. He sees that every area of life and academics informs everything else- a belief he found reflected in Bryant's academic programs. "One of the things that intrigued me about Bryant is that business concentrators study liberal arts and the liberal arts concentrators study business," Roberto said.
"You develop much stronger critical-thinking skills if you're forced to have that broader educational experience. You think differently in economics than you do in political science or marketing. And the ability to think differently is tremendously powerful."
In addition to being a dedicated scholar and educator, Roberto keeps the practice side of his work strong with a number of consulting, research, and writing projects. His book "Why Great Leaders Don't take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus" (Wharton Press, 2005) is a critical and commercial success. He's currently conducting research for a book on organizational failure and resilience, and may draw on the experiences of some Bryant alumni for the publication. "Coming back stronger after major setbacks is part of virtually every successful person's or organization's story," he observed.
His advice for students, "Whatever you choose to specialize in, stay curious, work hard and learn everything you can. Don't narrow your focus so much that you miss wonderful opportunities that inform and enrich your life."
