Episode 061: The Actor, the Audience, and the Business of Belonging with Dr. Conwell Worthington III
About this episode
The episode explores leadership and organizational culture through the lens of Broadway with Dr. Conwell Worthington III.
What can Broadway teach us about leadership, organizational culture, innovation, and inclusion? In this episode of DBA Chronicles, hosts Dr. Kelly Burich and Dr. Valrie Grant welcome Dr. Conwell Worthington III—Broadway Stage Manager , Educator, and newly minted DBA, for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of theater, business, and applied research. Drawing on more than two decades of experience managing Broadway stages for national productions, Dr. Worthington shares how working behind the curtain shaped his philosophy of leadership, communication, and creating psychologically safe teams. He explains why the best managers often go unnoticed, much like the countless professionals whose work makes every successful production possible. The conversation explores his transition from stage manager to university educator and how he brings the principles of stage management into the business classroom, helping students understand leadership, adaptability, marketing, and organizational behavior through real-world stories from the performing arts. The episode also highlights Dr. Worthington's doctoral research examining racial representation in theatrical casting and its…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dr. Kelly Burich, Dr. Valrie Grant
Guest: Dr. Conwell Worthington III
Topics covered
- leadership
- organizational culture
- innovation
- inclusion
- theater
- business education
Keywords
- leadership
- organizational culture
- theater
- inclusion
- stage management
- audience engagement
- racial representation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Broadway, theater, university
More episodes of DBA Chronicles
- Episode 062: Distracted but Driven with Dr. Jennifer Adelhardt
- Episode 060: Sustaining the People Who Do the Work with Dr. Jeff Frey
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