When he assumes his new role as dean of the faculty of business at the University of New Brunswick's (UNB) Saint John campus on March 1, he intends to put that philosophy to work.
"My career choices have generally been driven by the potential to develop people and make a difference in the community, and UNB is a place where I see significant potential to do both," Dr. Taleb said.
Dr. Ali Taleb measures success by impact.
Dr. Taleb comes to UNB from MacEwan University in Edmonton, where he was an associate dean and associate professor of strategy and global management. He served as the director of MacEwan's Institute for Innovation in Management Education from 2015 to 2017 and has been a research faculty member since 2012.
He earned a doctorate in international strategic management from HEC Montreal, an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University and an MSc in engineering/telematics from the University of Paris.
He served on the steering committee of United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education North America until recently. He was also on the boards for the Professional Chapter of Net Impact Edmonton and the Edmonton Social Planning Council. He currently sits on the international advisory board of Woxsen University's School of Business in Hyderabad, India.
"With over 30 years of international experience in business and academic settings, Ali is a vision-driven, forward-thinking leader who promotes inclusiveness and champions impactful initiatives," said Dr. Petra Hauf, provost and vice president academic.
"His collaborative style has led him to engage community leaders, faculty, staff, students and alumni in building mutually beneficial partnerships that improved outcomes for the university and the community."
Dr. Taleb plans to build on the UNB business faculty's various strengths while expanding community engagement and experiential learning opportunities for students.
"There are quite a few things I would like to achieve," he said. "One is to develop competent and future-ready graduates who are confident in their capabilities and conscious of the potential impact they can have in their communities."
Beyond preparing students for the workforce, Taleb sees his role as fostering a flourishing and inclusive academic culture.
"I appreciate nurturing organizational cultures where people can collaborate, thrive, grow and feel supported by a whole community," he said.
"This applies to students, alumni, faculty, staff, partners and everyone involved in our ecosystem."
Key to his vision is strengthening ties with the business community. Dr. Taleb wants to create opportunities for students and faculty to work with industry partners in mutually beneficial ways.
"Engaging the community is an opportunity for students to learn while making a difference," he said. "There must be something positive in a good partnership for all the parties involved. We will foster meaningful connections and synergistic initiatives."
Dr. Taleb envisions multiple ways of building these connections.
"It could be in the form of work-integrated learning for students," he said.
"It could also be an action research project involving faculty and students or a joint strategic initiative between the faculty of business and a community partner."
Dr. Taleb also values inclusivity and diversity and believes institutions must make these words meaningful.
"We need to be intentional and walk the talk' when it comes to our institutional values and strategic choices," he said.
"We will have opportunities to exemplify our institutional values and celebrate diversity and inclusivity across the faculty of business and beyond."
Dr. Taleb believes listening is a crucial leadership skill.
"I would like to engage all stakeholders, when the time comes, in the faculty's strategic planning process," he said. "The process is as important as the outcome, and listening to people's insights and suggestions is a key driver of engagement and success."
That extends to fostering grassroots initiatives.
"We need to encourage grassroots initiatives at the faculty of business and collaborations with other faculties and supporting units across UNB," he said.
"It is important to build bridges between organizations, people, cultures and disciplines. Outreach and teamwork will be crucial to achieving great things for UNB and the community."
Dr. Taleb sees his new role at UNB as an opportunity to build something lasting.
"I look forward to building meaningful relationships with our internal and external partners," he said.
"By working together and co-creating unique initiatives, we will be more innovative and impactful."
