He earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Iowa and worked as an accountant prior to graduate school. His research focuses on employee empowerment and the development of effective leadership and teamwork, and he has consulted for companies such as John Deere and the Veterans Health Administration on these issues. In addition, his research has been published in leading academic journals and has garnered awards from organizations like the Academy of Management and the Society for Human Resource Management. His work has also been featured in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and BusinessWeek.