Q & A with Dr. Joshua Weiss

Program Director Dr. Josh Weiss, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Co-Founder of the Global Negotiation Initiative, and President of Negotiation Works, Inc.  As a leadership, negotiation and conflict resolution consultant he has worked with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, the United Nations, and various governments. Dr. Weiss is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Book of Real World Negotiations and The Negotiator in You book series. He also is known to younger audiences through four children’s books about creative conflict resolution: 1. Dr. McFiddle's Brilliant Book of Creative Conflict Potions and Other Magical Things, 2. Trouble at the Watering Hole: The Adventures of Chickie and Emo, 3. Bullied No More!: The Continuing Adventures of Chickie and Emo, and 4. Phony Friends, Besties Again: The Continuing Adventures of Chickie and Emo. Informing his teaching at Bay Path is his research on how contemporary technology and storytelling impacts negotiation and conflict resolution. Outside the University, he enjoys staying active with his wife and three daughters, playing numerous sports, hiking, watching Boston sports teams, and spending time at the ocean.

What do you love about Leadership & Negotiation?

Being an effective leader and negotiator is a journey, not a destination. There is always more to know and more to learn. There is no cookie cutter model or standard level people can reach -- everyone has their own ceiling and can grow to that with hard work. To be an effective leader and negotiator you have to engage in both an intellectual and personal pursuit, which makes for a very challenging and rewarding journey.

What’s the value of a Master of Science in Leadership & Negotiation?

Career readiness: Study after study* of employers shows that the skills most wanted in 21st century workers are those associated with leadership and negotiation. These include effective communication, problem solving, emotional intelligence, the ability to work and lead teams, creativity, and assertiveness. Students not only get these skills, but they learn to develop a resilient and creative mindset to handle any challenges that come their way.

*The Deloitte 2023 Global Human Capital Trends survey explained that leadership is more important than ever and increasingly difficult to find. Ninety-four percent of respondents believe leadership capabilities and effectiveness are important or very important to their organization’s success, representing the highest importance score across all trends. Yet only 23% believe their organization’s leaders currently have the capabilities to manage in... today's world.

Why choose Bay Path for graduate work in Leadership & Negotiation?

• For our unique curriculum: Bay Path offers the only master’s degree program in the country that combines the interconnected realms of leadership and negotiation. Students learn not only the theory and strategy for handling various situations, but also are immersed in practical skills they will need to carry forth leadership and negotiation efforts.
• For our community of learners: Because the program is entirely online, some students worry that they will be out in cyberspace on their own, but that does not happen in this program. In fact, students have to work with each other frequently and, as a result, really bond, become close, and continue their relationships even after they graduate. It is one of the things I am most proud of when I think about the program.
• For the flexibility of an entirely online, accelerated program that can be taken full-time or part-time.