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Colonel Patrick Sweeney, Ph.D.
(USA, Retired, USMA 1982)

Expertise
Leader and leadership development, trust, building and leading high performing teams, leading organizational change, leadership in dangerous contexts, behavioral ethics, leadership coaching 

Experience
Dr. Patrick Sweeney is an experienced senior leader-practitioner and scholar whose research interests focus on character and identity development, trust, and building teams. He is a Professor of the Practice of Management and currently serves as the Executive Director for the Allegacy Center of Leadership and Character in the School of Business at Wake Forest University. Before joining Wake Forest University, he served over 29 years in the United States Army and retired as a Colonel. During his military career, his leadership assignments were both in the United States and abroad to include:  Deputy and Acting Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States Military Academy, West Point; Director, Eisenhower Leader Development Graduate Education Program, a joint venture with Columbia University and West Point; Liaison Officer and Deep Fires and Effects Coordinator at V Corps for the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom I; Commander of a 450-person artillery unit and Chief of Staff of a 1600-person organization in the 101st Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; and Executive Officer and Researcher for West Point’s Center for Leadership and Organization Research.  

Scholarly Work/Publications/Awards
Dr. Sweeney led a team of 62 prominent international scholars and practitioners to produce the book entitled, Leadership in Dangerous Situations: A Handbook for the Armed Forces, Emergency Services, and First Responders. Pat was recognized as a 2017 thought leader in the area of trust by Trust Across America. He has also published 36 articles and chapters on leadership across an array of academic and military professional publications, including:  American Psychologist, Applied Psychology: An International Review, Armed Forces Journal, Consulting Psychologist Journal, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Positive Psychology, and Journal of Student Development. His current research projects include longitudinal studies exploring: trust and cohesion development in organizations, leader development throughout a career, and enhancing organization members’ resilience to adversities.  


Education

PhD, Social Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC                                                     

MA, Social Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC                                                    

MA, Military Art and Science, U.S. Army Command General Staff College                                         

BS, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 

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Leadership Quote

"Your legacy is the people you develop. Have you developed the future?"
Colonel Patrick Sweeney, Ph.D.

Related Publications



Leadership in Dangerous Situations


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