Frank Barrett

Frank J. Barrett, PhD, is Professor of Organizational Behavior and Faculty Director of the Masters in Positive Organizational Development program at Case Western Reserve University. A former Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School and Emeritus Faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School, Frank has written and lectured widely on social constructionism, appreciative inquiry, organizational change, jazz improvisation, and organizational learning. Throughout his career, he has consulted for a diverse range of global organizations, including Boeing, the U.S. Navy, Ford Motor Company, Nokia, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the Cleveland Clinic.

An accomplished author and lecturer, Frank wrote the award-winning book Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz, which has been translated into six languages and named Best Leadership Book of the Year by the Business Leaders of France. He also co-authored the best-selling book Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Building Cooperative Capacity. His research and writing on metaphor, masculinity, improvisation, organizational change and organizational development have earned multiple "Best Paper" awards from the Academy of Management.

Frank is also an active jazz pianist. In addition to leading his own trios and quartets, he has traveled extensively in the United States, England, and Mexico with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. In 2018 he walked the Camino de Santiago and was spiritually impacted by the experience. As a result, Frank took a leave of absence and received his Masters in Divinity (MDiv) from Harvard Divinity School. He has been a hospital chaplain intern in Boston.

Frank holds a BA and MA in Government and English from the University of Notre Dame and earned his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University.