Paul McManus

A Boston native and BU Alum (QST ’86), I returned to teach at Questrom in 2006 after a 30+-year career in industry.

As a member of the practice faculty at Questrom, my focus is teaching and service.

I teach a wide variety of core, elective courses in strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability across a broad range of formats, from immersive studios and field-based action-learning labs to large-scale virtual platforms for accredited programs, as well as specialized micro-credential, professional development, and life-long learning experiences.

My formal service to the community focuses on roles as faculty advisor for the MBA Strategy Club and MBA Strategy Learning Community, faculty mentorship/development/advancement, committee member for program development and governance of the Online MBA, Social Impact MBA, and MS/MBA in Digital Technology programs,

In addition, I am an affiliated faculty member of the following cross-university research institutes:

– Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University
– Sussilo Insitute for Ethics in the Global Economy at Boston University
– Institute for Global Sustainability
– Initiative on Cities at Boston University
– Digital Business Institute
– Innovate@BU at Boston University

About

As we turn the New Year, I find myself energized by the building momentum of our transition from the recent era of economic, social, and environmental crises toward the coming age of rebirth, renewal, and regeneration.

Leading players in core sectors, such as ag/food, energy, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and infrastructure are beginning to drive nature-based, deep-tech/digital innovation, embrace a new outcome-oriented strategic narrative, and play a new game with new rules.

At the same time, industries such as sports/entertainment, along with leading NGOs & Public institutions, are rapidly emerging as powerful platforms for innovation in stakeholder engagement & activation, sustainable development, social justice, and environmental stewardship.

Within this rapidly changing landscape, I work with organizations in three main areas:

1) Strategic Design – the design of outcome-oriented, future-ready strategies,
2) Strategic Innovation – the creation of responsible growth strategies, new product categories, innovative services, and new ventures, and,
3) Strategic Management – managing the strategic workflow over a multi-horizon timeframe, focusing on implementing strategic transformation/innovation initiatives/pivots related to regenerative business models, platforms, and ecosystems.

This advisory work informs my teaching, which blends the theories and frameworks of strategic management with the humanistic practices of learning organizations and adaptive leadership to help scientific, technical, and functional experts bridge the gap to becoming effective general managers in today’s rapidly evolving environment.

Academic programs are delivered across various formats, from immersive studios and field-based action-learning labs to large-scale virtual platforms for accredited programs, as well as specialized micro-credential, professional development, and life-long learning experiences.

New curriculum development explores: 1) new approaches to strategic theory building and knowledge creation, 2) worldbuilding and speculative design as tools for creating strategic narratives, 3) serious gameplay for enhanced observation skills, situational awareness, and contextual orientation, 4) experiment-based decision-making, and 5) autonomous collaboration in innovation-driven teams.

Co-curricular programs address the physical/mental health/wellness needs of the whole student and introduce elements of human performance psychology to enhance the manager’s ability to sustain high performance over time while operating in VUCA business environments.