Prof. Randall Peterson

Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School

Professor Randall S. Peterson research and teaching focus on CEO personality, top management team interaction, board dynamics, leading diverse teams, conflict management, and the effects of member personality on group interaction and performance. Randall has won the Academy of Management’s ‘Best Paper’ award, as well as the ‘most influential article’ award. His research was similarly awarded ‘most influential article’ by the International Association of Conflict Management and ‘Best Paper’ published in small group research.

Randall’s newest book is ‘Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand.’ His earlier book is ‘Leading and Managing in the Dynamic Organization.’ He has also published more than 50 articles in top scientific journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly and the Journal of Applied Psychology, as well as top managerial journals including Harvard Business Review and Sloan Management Review. His research has also been featured in major news outlets around the world including the BBC, Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, Board Agenda, The New Yorker, and Zawya.

Randall is also an outstanding mentor, having won the Academy of Management’s ‘Best Mentor’ award and teacher as a winner of London Business School’s ‘Excellence in Teaching” award. Randall has been invited to teach and consult across the world, for companies such as ADNOC, Alcan, AREVA, Barclays, Chevron/Texaco, Deutsche Bank, Emirates Bank, E.ON, GIB, IBM, Lufthansa, Nestlé, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and Roche.

Randall holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining London Business School, he was on the faculty of Northwestern University and Cornell University's SC Johnson Graduate School of Management. He is a former Deputy Dean (Faculty), Faculty Director of the Leadership Institute, Subject Area Chair of Organisational Behaviour, Chair of the Ph.D. Programme, Research Ethics Committee Chair, and Vice President of the Campaign Committee of London Business School.

To learn more about Professor Peterson’s research, awards, and teaching, please visit: www.randallspeterson.com

Contributions

  • Somebody in the room has the right answer.

    A good board, at a minimum, ensures that management operates in the interests of the organisation. Beyond this, a good board is also a helpful asset to the business and has well-connected expertise, as well as the experience to look towards the future development of the business. As the business evolves, so should the board. Bad boards are characterised by individuals “winning” an argument or putting their own interests before those of the organisation.

    Boardroom disasters go back at least 300 years. Bad decisions in the boardroom can lead to costly outcomes – environments can be ruined (Deepwater Horizon), people lose their lives (Boeing 737-MAX), and tax bases can be destroyed (RBS). These mistakes go beyond the ups and downs of doing business: They are specific, negative decisions made when somebody in the room had the right answer. 

    In this INSIGHTS session, Randall introduces the Six Dysfunctions of Boardroom Dynamics with examples of corporate disasters. We discuss what went wrong and why, with Randall offering solutions and specific considerations for organisations in the life science industry.

  • Little of what is published on board effectiveness by HBR or McKinsey or taught in MBAs is really that helpful or even relevant for a life science venture.

    Over the past 2 1/2 years Prof Randall Peterson, the Academic Director of the Leadership Institute at London Business School and a world-renowned expert on board governance and board dynamics, has met with many of our CEOs, spoken to numerous life science investors, independent directors and board chairs to understand the unique needs and dynamics of biotech and medtech boards.

    In this session, Randall shared:

    • The unique challenges you will face as a board member of a life science venture

    • What skills you should aim to master and how this can be achieved.

  • What differentiates people who have the analytical skill from people who can really lead are their interpersonal skills. Above all else, the research shows that:

    Self awareness is a critical part of leadership.

    In this INSIGHTS, Randall talks about the qualities people want in a leader and how a CEO must balance personality and the organisation’s goals in shaping company culture. He also shares his research into how a CEO’s personality, as defined by the Big 5 personality traits, affects the organisational performance of their company.  

    This research is based on Randall’s paper The Impact of Chief Executive Officer Personality on Team Dynamics. You can also take the personality test discussed in this session until the 24th December 2021 and compare how your profile matches with other CEOs - the results may surprise you! Randall shares an array of free resources on his website, Talent Sage.

    Self awareness and company culture