Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership

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Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership

The Johnson Institute seeks to enhance ethics and accountability in leadership through teaching, research, and public service.

Located within the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, the Johnson Institute addresses ethical leadership issues through:

-Curriculum design and faculty development programs
-Cutting-edge research
-Public forums, workshops and conferences
-Consulting and technical assistance
-Leadership Portfolio Program

10/15/2026

Join us for a conversation on the state of democracy worldwide

Our friends at the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies are hosting a webinar next week, and we’re excited to share it with you, especially because our very own Professor of Practice, Julia Santucci, will be moderating.

The panel will look at where democracy is heading around the world and why it’s slipping in some places. The speakers will talk through how things look different from region to region, how democratic institutions and basic rights get worn down, and what’s driving it, from artificial intelligence and disinformation to war and counterterrorism policies. They’ll also get into the hopeful side: what helps democracies and rights-based governments hold up under pressure.

Panelists:
Miriam Lanskoy, Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia, National Endowment for Democracy
Lisa Schirch, Richard G. Starmann Sr. Chair in Peace Studies and Professor of the Practice, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, Professor of International Affairs, Political Science, and Economics, University of Pittsburgh, and Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Online via Zoom

Registration is required, and you can sign up here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iqwNs0YvQauSKK2M2r9riQ

We hope you’ll join us!

10/08/2026

Pittsburgh nonprofits, this one's for you! 📣

Applications are open for the 2027 Nonprofit Clinic. Get four months of pro-bono consulting from Pitt graduate students, guided by experienced faculty and coaches.

Topics might include: strategic planning, program evaluation, human resources, AI tools and more.

Got a challenge you'd like help with?

Learn more about this amazing program, and submit your project application TODAY!
https://johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu/nonprofit/nonprofit-clinic

Important Dates
November 14, 2026: Application Deadline
Mid-December 2026: Selected Nonprofits Notified
January – April 2027: Nonprofit Clinic Cycle
Mid-Late April 2027: Final Deliverables Sent

10/06/2026

"Accountability matters because AI may influence many small decisions, but humans still carry the consequences."
Ronith Reddy, Leader to Leader, Vol. 2026, No. 122

AI is speeding up how work gets done, but speed doesn't take responsibility off the table. The tools can suggest, sort, and draft. People still own the outcome.

In his new Leader to Leader article, "When AI Makes Work Faster, Leaders Must Protect How People Grow," Ronith Reddy, a software engineer at Amazon working on AI-enabled experiences for Alexa, looks at what this shift means for judgment, professional growth, and the way leaders develop their teams.

It's a timely read for anyone leading people right now. How are you keeping accountability clear on your team as AI becomes part of the daily workflow?

To receive the Leader to Leader Tip of the Day in your inbox visit: https://www.hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu/publications/leader-leader-journal

09/25/2026

Leader to Leader - Tip of the Day

"Leaders who are healers and unifiers use listening to include, not exclude." – Frances Hesselbein

It's easy to think of listening as the quiet part of leadership. Frances saw it as one of the most powerful things a leader can do. When we really listen, people feel seen, and that's where trust starts. The goal isn't just hearing the voices we already agree with. It's making room for the ones that don't always get a seat at the table.

Who's one person you could make a point to really listen to this week?

To receive the Leader to Leader Tip of the Day in your inbox visit: https://www.hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu/publications/leader-leader-journal

09/10/2026

Sandra built her career across global advertising and nonprofit management before landing at Girl Scouts of NNJ, where she now leads growth strategy, mission-driven innovation, and leadership development for girls. She also sits on the Girl Scouts of the USA Marketing Advisory Committee and the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association Board, and speaks widely on nonprofit leadership and girl empowerment.

Her point is worth sitting with: the skills that make someone a strong leader often come from the detours, not the straight line. The career change. The unexpected project. The role that didn't look like "the next step" on paper.

Where has your own path taken an unexpected turn that ended up shaping how you lead? Tell us in the comments.

To receive our leadership Tip of the Day vist: https://www.hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu/publications/leader-leader-journal

09/01/2026

Congratulations 🎉 to our very own Julia Santucci, Professor of Practice and Director of the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership and the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum. This honor is a direct result of your hard work and dedication, to faculty, staff, students and beyond!

08/11/2026

Shellye Archambeau said it best: "This is how success begins: by setting a clear goal and committing to go after it, ambitiously, unapologetically, and strategically."

From IBM to Blockbuster, Shellye became one of the first Black women to lead a Silicon Valley tech company as CEO, and is now sitting on boards at Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies, and Okta. Shellye built her career on exactly this: clarity, ambition, and strategy working together.

What goal are you setting today?

To receive the Leader to Leader Daily Tip, visit: https://www.hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu/publications/leader-leader-journal

07/02/2026

New this year: the Johnson Institute and the Ridgway Center launched a program called "Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism," and it took our SPIA graduate students all the way to Windsor, England.

Working with the University of Northampton and Cumberland Lodge, students spent the year in monthly virtual discussions with UK-based grad students and early-career professionals, digging into topics like authoritarianism, trust, and accountability.

Then they capped it off with a 4-day trip to the UK, where they presented policy proposals, talked populism with a leading British academic, and met with a Northern Irish political leader to understand post-conflict politics firsthand.

The conversations happened at historic Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Students wrapped up the trip with two days in London, meeting with Muslim leaders at Finsbury Park Mosque and learning about career paths in the private sector and think tank world from experts at bp and RUSI.

One student, Mariam Moaz, said it best: "The chance to collaborate with international peers and dig into research beyond the classroom is what made this program stand out."

We're proud to be building this kind of transatlantic network for the next generation of leaders. Read more about this and all our AY2026 programs in our annual report: https://johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu/about/annual-reports

06/25/2026

We're proud to share two highlights from our 2025–2026 Annual Report.

This year, 20 students partnered with 10 nonprofits through our Nonprofit Clinic, delivering 16 weeks of free consulting to organizations in our community.

And through our Board Governance Course, 11 students served on 11 nonprofit boards, with 100% of nonprofit partners reporting satisfaction, and two students stepping into permanent board roles.

This is what it looks like when education meets impact.
Read the full report at: https://johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu/about/annual-reports

06/12/2026

"I believe that when one door closes, another door opens, new opportunities and collaborations are an exciting part of our leadership journey."
— Frances Hesselbein

Frances Hesselbein spent her life proving that leadership is about people first. As the former CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, she transformed the organization and left a lasting mark on what servant leadership looks like in practice. She went on to become the founding president of the Drucker Foundation and editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in the country.

Fortune magazine named her one of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders, and her legacy lives on through the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.
Her words are as relevant today as ever.
New doors are always opening. 💛

Address

230 S Bouquet Street, Posvar 3916
Pittsburgh, PA
15213

Website

http://www.johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu/

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