Thinking Like a Leader

Pol Solanelles, Ph.D., arrived in the United States from Barcelona, Spain, 10 years ago, having earned a scholarship to run track and field and cross country for East Carolina University (ECU). It turned out to be a formative experience for him. As an undergraduate, Solanelles uncovered a deep affinity for learning, research and discovery. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in business administration from ECU, as well as a doctorate in business management from the University of Mississippi. Most important, he unlocked a passion for academia and for guiding other young people though their own journeys of discovery.

Today Solanelles serves as an assistant professor of management and leadership at the Madden College of Business and Economics, where he teaches courses on leadership, group dynamics, organizational behavior and human resource management. Solanelles was drawn to the College’s Jesuit mission to educate the whole person – mind, body and spirit. To that end, he works to build a classroom that is rigorous, interdisciplinary and student-centered. It is rooted in rich discussion of the issues that leaders face today, for example how to build a sense of trust and community within their organizations. Yet rather than simply providing his students with answers, Solanelles prompts them to think critically and come up with their own solutions to a variety of challenges. 

“My goal is not to shape my students’ thinking, but to help them learn to think more broadly,” he says. “By the time they graduate from Le Moyne, I hope that they will be able to look at a single issue from a variety of perspectives. I hope that they will be conscientious about listening and asking good questions so that they can facilitate the progress of the people around them, rather than simply telling them what to do.”

Most recently Solanelles has been conducting research into how humanity can apply social network analysis and social network theory to better understand organizations. That means, for example, looking past a company’s formal structure and into its informal one by asking: Who is friends with whom? Who seeks advice from whom? Who trusts whom? It also means finding structural patterns in those behaviors and relationships. Solanelles believes that is a better way to understand the dynamic, complex reality that organizations face today. He hopes that by the time his students graduate from Le Moyne, they will be able to apply these skills to benefit their communities and their employers.