MEMBER PROFILE: Brad Shuck
During 2018, each monthly Brief will include a member profile where we ask our guest to answer three questions we believe other members would be interested in learning more about.
Our first member profile features Dr. Brad Shuck who is Associate Professor and Program Director of the Organizational Leadership and Learning program in the Department of Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development at the University of Louisville.
Q. Can you share a story about a grassroots leader who is helping you advance well-being in your organization?
A. I am fortunate to serve and lead a team of faculty who do research and teach in the human resource space. Two years ago, we started a grassroots effort to use a ‘people first strategy’ at the center of every decision that we make, which means that we consider how each decision will impact our faculty and staff’s personal and professional lives.
Q. Can you share a story about an executive leader who is helping you advance well-being in your organization?
A. I work at the University of Louisville, and well-being is at the center of our University mission. Instead of one person, there is a team of people who help me advance well-being each day. Patricia Benson, Assistant Vice President for Health, Wellness and Disease Management has been a constant supporter and fellow colleague, in her initiatives around risk profile analysis development (a predictive analytic tool that sniffs out pockets of organizational dysfunction) as well as the physical and mental programs available through the Get Healthy Now Program that she leads. These programs support my physical and mental well-being and ensure that I have a space where I can be healthy each day. Dr. Jerry Rabalais, CEO of University of Louisville Physicians, has been a person who grounds the work that I do both at the School of Medicine and through the College of Education and Human Development, which supports my professional well-being beyond the classroom. More, my friend Dr. Kevin Rose, a close colleague and writing partner, keeps me accountable to my physical and professional goals which helps drive my professional identity and overall wellbeing every day.
Q. What’s on your professional reading list that you’d recommend to fellow HERO members?
A. On my reading list are two books. The first is The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. This books details how and why certain experiences that engender pride and connection elevate our life and can have an extraordinary impact. The second is a book entitled Grace is Greater, by Kyle Idleman. This book looks at the role of grace in our lives and challenges us to live a life that is transformational and full of grace for ourselves and those around us. The center of this message is that grace is greater than my past and grace can help define my future. For me, the book has been powerful.
