Faculty staff profile

Karen Morley is Executive Director of Melbourne Business School's Asia-Pacific Centre for Leadership for Social Impact. As Executive Director, Karen is responsible for crafting a new Centre with a fresh approach to our understanding of leadership and the ways in which we develop leadership capability.

Karen has set the Centre's vision on an ambitious course, seeing it as a means for creating a positive, sustainable legacy through robust engagement in the major challenges our organisations and societies face. The Centre's greatest contribution is through the nexus it creates between all organisational sectors.

Karen is responsible for combining the best of the School's faculty and programs with breaking research developments, to create bold, new programs. She convenes a community of practice to promote the development of deeper insights and increased skills.

Prior to this role, Karen has had extensive experience in designing innovative, large-scale leadership projects, as well as delivering leadership development programs. She has combined academic rigour and insight with practical business wisdom to meld a powerful style of engagement and delivery.

For five years, Karen led the MBS Leadership Index, the only Australian research focusing on the challenges that leaders face in organisations. The Index was widely regarded by the media, businesses and individual leaders as the most significant portrayal of the reality of a leader's life. She is a regular contributor to The Melbourne Review and other media. She is currently exploring CEO succession, and the myths and archetypes of leadership.

Karen's leadership philosophy combines behavioural, hierarchical and temporal elements; at any moment, each individual has a choice of whether or not to lead, and whether or not to be led; seniority impacts the breadth and complexity of their leadership action.

Karen is highly regarded as a facilitator, leader, researcher and partner. She is passionately committed to developing and promoting leadership that creates a positive legacy.