Gordon Curphy has traveled a unique path in life. He grew up in Lake County and gradated from Two Harbors High School. He left rural Minnesota upon graduation and joined the Air Force where he found an interest in the scientific study of what makes organizations work effectively. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the Air Force Academy and taught leadership there before going on to pursue a Masters degree and PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Saint Mary’s University and the University of Minnesota, respectively.
For those not familiar with the field of organizational psychology, it is the study of human behavior in the workplace that helps businesses around the world shape and improve effective leaders and working groups within their organizations.
Curphy has spent over 30 years researching, teaching and consulting on strategies that help to maximize effectiveness among business leaders and teams. He has written extensively on the subject, including publishing 25 books and numerous articles in the field of Organizational Psychology. His book, Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience, has sold over 100,000 copies and is used in over 450 Colleges and Universities from the U.S. and Canada, to Europe, India and China.
Curphy’s many areas of expertise include identifying and developing high-potential leadership talent, coaching senior leaders to perform at peak levels, helping leaders improve their management systems and processes, and teaching business leaders and human resource staff how to build high performing groups within their organizations. Companies that have benefited from Curphy’s work include Johnson & Johnson, William – Sonoma, Spring Health, Mass Mutual, 3M, Ecolab, and Pfizer, just to name a few.
In 2012, Curphy’s book, The Rocket Model: Practical Advice For Building High Performance Teams, was published and the book is used by a wide array of companies around the world. Since 2013, Curphy has been the Managing Partner, Global Leadership and Senior Teams Expert at Curphy Leadership Solutions, based in the Twin Cities.
Earlier this month, Dr. Curphy attended the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) in Denver Colorado where he was awarded an SIOP Fellowship. The SIOP Fellowship is a prestigious recognition and honor awarded to individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of I-O psychology. It’s one of the highest honors a member of SIOP can receive, recognizing individuals who have advanced the science and/or practice of I-O psychology.
