Words to Lead By: Kim Cameron

Kim Cameron, William Russell Kelly Professor of Management and Organizations at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, shares some impactful advice he has received:

Kim Cameron recalls an early conversation with a mentor: “ I don’t want a subordinate, I want a colleague. I want to get better as a result of this relationship.”

Cameron describes not having realized that as a student he could contribute anything to a professor. “Recognizing that I actually have something to contribute and it’s valuable, was important to me.”

This advice changed  the way he approached his doctoral program and further education. It also affects how he treats his students and his colleagues.

“Instead of treating them as subordinates or people who don’t know much and I do, I treat them as people who have different experiences and I’m trying to learn from them – says the professor – I hope they take responsibility for contributing to me as much as I contribute to them. “

Find out more about Kim Cameron in our next issue!