David L. Bradford

The Eugene D. O’Kelly II Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Emeritus
David L. Bradford

Bio

David Bradford is the Eugene O’Kelly II Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Leadership. He received his PhD in social psychology from the University of Michigan and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before coming to Stanford in 1969.

His research interests have led to six  books, numerous articles, three training programs and a MOOC on leadership, team performance, and the influence process. He also has consulted and conducted executive programs to a variety of organizations in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Cisco Systems, Levi Strauss & Co., Roche Pharmaceutical, Raychem, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

In addition, Dr. Bradford has been involved with educational innovation at the college level. He was the founder of The Organizational Behavior Teaching Society and the first editor of their journal. He received the Exemplar of Excellence in Education award from The University of Phoenix. Dr. Bradford is on the editorial board of The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Journal of Management Education, and The Academy of Management Learning and Education.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD, University of Michigan, 1966
  • BA, Oberlin College, 1960

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 1969
  • Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin, 1966–1969

Service to the Profession

    • Editorial Board, The Journal of Management Education, Academy of Management Learning and Education
    • Member, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
    • Member, Academy of Management
    • Member, American Psychological Association
    • Member, National Training Laboratory: Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences (past member of the Board of Directors )

    Research Statement

    How can one develop both individual competencies and the appropriate social setting to permit more effective interpersonal interaction and learning.

    Books

    David L. Bradford, Carole Robin
    Currency
    February 9, 2021
    Allan R Cohen, David L. Bradford
    Wiley
    June 26, 2012
    David L. Bradford
    Wiley
    Hoboken
    2005
    David L. Bradford, W. Warner Burke
    Pfeiffer
    San Francisco
    2005
    David L. Bradford
    Wiley
    1984

    Book Chapters

    David L. Bradford
    The Portable MBA, 2nd edition
    2002

    Teaching Statement

    Dr. Bradford’s interests are in the areas of leadership, interpersonal influence, and executive teams. In all of these, he has focused on the question, “What does it take to achieve high performance?” The results have suggested that, especially in knowledge-based organizations, excellence is most likely when leaders build strong teams where the members’ role is significantly expanded so that they share responsibility for the management of the unit (including making the core decisions jointly and holding each other accountable for performance). His recent work on influence has led to exploring the conditions for a “feedback rich organization” where team members, through a structured process, give each other face-to-face feedback to improve individual and team performance.

    Cases

    David Bradford, Davina Drabkin
    2016

    In the Media

    Insights by Stanford Business

    July 07, 2022
    The latest books from Stanford GSB faculty and lecturers.
    February 18, 2021
    In this podcast episode, we discuss how our behavior impacts our relationships and sharing our feelings can lead to more success as a leader.
    January 07, 2021
    They’ve taught the keys to forming deep connections in the MBA classroom — now they’ve turned those lessons into a book.
    October 08, 2013
    The co-author of Influencing Up describes how to build a more productive relationship with the boss.
    February 15, 2010
    Laura Sanchez, MBA ’94, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, is honored by the Hispanic Business Students Association

    School News

    May 20, 2016
    Stanford GSB Voices: Onsu Natalie Wegner, MSx ’16
    January 31, 2011
    Structured trips provide intellectual and emotional experiences with other cultures for Stanford MBA students learning to lead in a global economy.
    December 01, 2005
    Bradford honored for his teaching in seminal course, Interpersonal Dynamics, known as "Touchy Feely," and similar leadership workshops for alumni.