Allegacy Center for Leadership & Character Article Archives

In partnership with a national group of senior business leaders, a team from the Allegacy Center for Leadership & Character is currently developing a comprehensive “Exemplary Leadership” model. The model will combine the development of leadership philosophies and the balancing of tensions inherent in leading complex organizations with thorough attention to character and “business virtues.”…

Allegacy Financial Center for Leadership and Character’s Research Associate Stephen Smulowitz recently presented his natural language processing research at the Academy of Management’s annual meeting.  During the Professional Development Workshop, Smulowitz shared his research on using natural language processing to measure CEO meanness and how that trait impacts mergers and acquisitions. The talk, “Content and…

On Friday, the Wake Forest’s Business School’s summer management program teamed up with local non-profit A Bed and A Book to build ten beds for children in need. This Pro-Humanitate service project served as a hands-on conclusion to the curriculum, blending business strategy, teamwork and project management with community leadership.  At no cost to the…

Amy Reynolds was recently presented with the ACLC Excellence in Leadership Alumni Award. The award aims to recognize Wake Forest Business School graduates who demonstrate exceptional leadership within their organizations and communities.  Reynolds is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Customer Engagement at Flow Automotive Companies. She holds an MBA from WFU and is…

The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) in the School of Business celebrated the school’s second leadership scholars program cohort on Friday, April 4. The six graduate students were recognized for their completion of the academic year-long program and were given the opportunity to present their leadership project. The 2025-2026 scholars—Callie Dammeyer (MSBA), Huda…

For the 14th year, the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character sponsored five undergraduate students to attend leadership conferences held at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy.  Meant to serve as ambassadors for Wake Forest University, the students were selected for the ACLC Service Academy Leadership Program…

Spring and the Pro-humanitate spirit was in the air outside Farrell Hall on Thursday afternoon.  Once again students from Dr. Douglas Johnson’s Calloway Leadership Experience courses, the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character, business school staff and partners from Allegacy Federal Union teamed up with local non-profit, A Bed and a Book, to assemble bed kits…

The story told in the locker room before taking the field against Loyola Marymount University on Saturday was one of perseverance. Head Coach Tom Walter spoke of student-athlete Will Ray, who arrived at Wake Forest from Pennsylvania without a guaranteed roster spot. Despite battling injuries and setbacks, Will persevered and even committed to a position…

On Thursday, two Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character scholars,  Matthew Littrell (MSA) and Sailor Troutman (MSM), acted as moderators during the Face to Face student conversation with Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster.  After several preparation sessions where they learned best practices for a moderator and through extensive research, Matthew and Sailor facilitated a discussion with…

On Wednesday, February 25th, more than sixty students in the Foundation of Leadership course participated in a unique learning experience as part of their midterm exam. The class, co-taught by Pat Sweeney, Professor of the Practice of Management and Executive Director of the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character, and Kenny Herbst, Associate Professor or…

The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character encouraged faculty, staff and students to open their hearts to community members in need this February. A food drive benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank was held February 3rd – 12th.  The “With Love, from the Forest” campaign offered the chance to give online and to donate non-perishable…

Stephen Smulowitz’s recent research findings explained in The Conversation. Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character’s Research Associate Stephen Smulowitz is sharing his findings in regards to the question, “Do women board members make a company more innovative or risk averse?”  In a recent feature of The Conversation, Smulowitz explains that the answer is “both” -…

The Business School and Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) hosted more than 50 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends in a virtual learning session with former football coach and ACLC Executive Affiliate, Dave Clawson, last week.  The event, which was moderated by ACLC Executive Director Pat Sweeney, provided insight into Clawson’s decades-long leadership…

Did you know that 1 in 6 people in Northwest North Carolina is food insecure? Even more startling, 1 in 5 children lacks the food they need to thrive. As Valentine’s Day approaches, the ACLC is asking for your help to support our neighbors through our “With Love, From the Forest” campaign. Monetary and food donations collected will go a long way in…

Click to see 2025 highlights from the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character. 2025 ACLC Wrapped

ACLC Scholars Reflect on a Semester of Leadership Development The six graduate students who are a part of the Allegacy Center of Leadership and Character’s Scholars program took the time just before break to reflect on their experiences. Since September, the cohort has engaged in a team-building kickoff at Graylyn Conference Center, self-character assessments, enrichment…

The fall has been a time of service for the ACLC, faculty staff and students in the business school.  Service began with the assembly of bed kits on the terrace, in partnership with A Bed and A Book—a local Winston-Salem organization that aims to provide all children with a soft place to dream. Undergrad students…

John Sumanth, ACLC Research Associate, James Farr Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Management, and his co-author David Hofmann, of UNC-Chapel Hill, have recently learned that the Harvard Business Review will include their article “A Growth Strategy that Creates and Protects Value” in an upcoming special issue of the Harvard Business Review.  The article, which…

Stephen Smulowitz, ACLC Research Associate, was recently quoted in a Bloomberg article on how the elimination of quarterly earnings reports would change how CEOs lead their teams. Smulowitz explained that shifting away from quarterly reporting could alter managerial behavior in meaningful ways. “If we are moving from quarterly to biannual reporting, which would make it…

Since 2013 the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character (ACLC) has been proud to sponsor five undergraduate business school students each year to attend leadership conferences at our country’s service academies. The conferences—which will take place early next year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and the…