Michael R. Carey, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Organizational Leadership

Dr. Michael Carey came to Gonzaga University in 1987 to teach in and direct the newly created Organizational Leadership graduate program. In 2004, he was instrumental in making the master’s degree available to distance students through online and...

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Contact Information

Education & Curriculum Vitae

Ph.D., Educational Leadership, Gonzaga University

M.A., Educational Administration and Curriculum, Gonzaga University

B.A., English, Loyola Marymount University

Curriculum Vitae

Courses Taught

ORGL 510 - Renaissance Leadership for the 21st Century

ORGL 522 - Leadership and Community: Empowerment, Collaboration, and Dialogue

ORGL 530 - Servant-Leadership

ORGL 600 - Foundations of Leadership

ORGL 535 - Listen, Discern, Decide

ORGL 518 - Transforming Leadership


Dr. Michael Carey came to Gonzaga University in 1987 to teach in and direct the newly created Organizational Leadership graduate program. In 2004, he was instrumental in making the master’s degree available to distance students through online and hybrid courses.

Before coming to Gonzaga University in 1987, Dr. Carey served as a teacher, campus minister, and vice principal at Catholic secondary schools in Los Angeles and Spokane over a period of thirteen years. He received his B.A. degree in English from Loyola Marymount University, and both his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in educational leadership from Gonzaga University. Dr. Carey’s master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation were both on the topic of the mission preparation of lay administrators in the Jesuit secondary schools in the United States, and his dissertation was published by Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus. He has also published articles and books on the topics of transforming leadership and servant-leadership, and has served as a consultant for a variety of organizations.

Hired in 1987 to direct the newly created Organizational Leadership graduate program at Gonzaga, Dr. Carey made use of his background in Jesuit education by taking responsibility for the mission orientation of all new faculty and staff at the University for eight years and, with Fr. Pat O’Leary, S.J., he co-founded the Council for Partnership in Mission at Gonzaga in 1989. Dr. Carey has published articles and delivered major presentations to the University community on the Jesuit, Catholic, and Humanistic character of Gonzaga University and on the dynamics of lay-Jesuit collaboration in the Ignatian vision of education; he has experienced the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, and has been a director of the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL) for faculty and staff at Gonzaga University; he has made a pilgrimage to Pamplona, Loyola, Montserrat, Manresa, Barcelona, and Rome to visit the key sites related to Ignatius of Loyola’s own transformation experience and his development of the Spiritual Exercises; and he developed the original proposal for Jesuit Commons, which links Jesuit educational resources throughout the world with Jesuit social apostolates. Dr. Carey was instrumental in the development of a successful online version of the M.A. in Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga, working to replicate the experience of Ignatian pedagogy that has defined the learning of campus-based Organizational Leadership students.

Dr. Carey has served in a variety of formal administrative roles during his 32-year tenure at Gonzaga: seven years as the first Director of the Organizational Leadership program; five years as the first Coordinator of the Council for Partnership in Mission; two years as Executive Assistant to the President; four years as the first Director of Distributive Learning for the School of Leadership Studies; four years as Chairperson of the Department of Organizational Leadership; multiple years on the University’s Graduate Council, Academic Council, Graduate Committee of the Academic Council, and Strategic Planning Committee; one year as the chairperson of the ad-hoc Committee on Racial Equality and Cultural Understanding that responded to specific incidents of racial harassment at the University; three years as Vice President and then President of the Faculty Assembly; five years as a member of the Faculty Senate; and one year as the chairperson of the Mission and Community Committee of the Faculty Senate. After serving two years as Interim Dean of the School of Leadership Studies, in 2012 he was appointed the first Dean of the newly created Virtual Campus at Gonzaga University, and served in that position for five years.

Dr. Carey and his wife have been married for 45 years, and have five daughters, all alumnae of Gonzaga Preparatory School and Gonzaga University.

Publications

  • Carey, M.R., & Tran, D. Q. (forthcoming). Seeking meaning for the contemporary workplace: Insights from the desert fathers and mothers. In S. K. Dhiman, G. E. Roberts, & J. Crossman (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of workplace well-being: Reimaging human flourishing (pp. xx-xx). New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillian.
  • Tran, D. Q., Spears, L. C., & Carey, M.R. (forthcoming). Building relational bridges: The inclusive spirit of servant-leadership.  In S. K. Dhiman, & J. Marques (Eds.), Positive leadership and change – A practical guide for workplace transformation (pp. xx-xx). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2019). Relational leadership and Laudato Si’: Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home.  In S. Steffen, J. Rezmovits, with S. Trevenna, & S. Rappaport, (Eds.),Evolving leadership for collective wellbeing: Lessons for implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 161-181). Bingley, U.K.: Emerald.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2018). Cherishing the wisdom of community: A Benedictine model of leadership for turbulent times.  In S. K. Dhiman, G. E. Roberts, & J. Crossman (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of workplace spirituality and fulfillment (pp. 883-900). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2018). Toward a discerning mind and heart: An Ignatian approach to workplace spirituality and spiritual leadership.  In S. K. Dhiman, G. E. Roberts, & J. Crossman (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of workplace spirituality and fulfillment (pp. 753-772). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2017). Mercy within mercy: The heart of Pope Francis’ inclusive leadership in a broken world. In A. Boitano, H. E. Schockman, & R. Lagomarsino (Eds.), Breaking the zero-sum game: Transforming societies through inclusive leadership (pp. 231-248). Bingley, U.K.: Emerald.
  • Ferch, S.R., Spears, L.C, McFarland, M., & Carey, M.R. (2015)Conversations on servant-leadership: insights on human courage in life and work.  Albany: State University of New York Press.
  • Simha, A. & Carey, M.R. (2012), “The encyclical letter (Caritas in Veritate)—A shout-out to social entrepreneurship?.” Journal of Entrepreneurship, 21:1.
  • Carey, M.R. (2005), “’Thus have we made the world’: using the filmthe mission to explore the choice for servant-leadership.” The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 1:1, pp. 257-265.
  • Carey, M.R. (1999) Heraclitean fire: journeying on the path of leadership.  Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
  • Carey, M.R. (1995) "Art and transformation in Murder in the Cathedral" in Public Administration Illuminated and Inspired by the Arts (Charles T. Goodsell and Nancy Murray, Eds.).  Westport, CT:  Praeger Publishers.
  • Carey, M.R. (1992) "Transformational leadership and the fundamental option for self-transcendence." Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 217-236.
  • Kohls, J. & Carey, M.R. (1992), "When good people make bad choices:  an exploration of reasons for unethical business behavior,” Paper presented at the Thirty-third Annual Meeting, Western Academy of Management, Spokane, WA.
  • Carey, M.R. (1991) "Transformative Christian leadership."  Human Development, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 30-34.
  • Carey, M.R. (1990) "Lay-Jesuit collaboration:  Vive L'indifference!," Presence, Vol. 3, pp. 3-5.
  • Carey, M.R. (1989) "Confessions of a lay collaborator," America, Vol. 160, No. 20, pp. 500-502.
  • Carey, M.R. (1987) Lay administrators in Jesuit secondary schools:  sharing both vision and responsibility in genuine collaboration (doctoral dissertation).  Portland:  Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus.
  • Carey, M.R. (1986) "School discipline:  better to be loved or feared?"  Momentum, Vol. XVII, No. 2, pp. 20-21.

Selected Scholarly Presentations

  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2019, July13). Disruption and dialogue in online organizational leadership education: Insights from Ignatius of Loyola and Paulo Freire.  Paper presented at the 3rd Global Business Ethics Conference and the 22nd Annual Meeting of Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2019, June 28). Thomas Merton and the formation of authentic leaders. Paper presented at the 16th General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA.
  • Tran, D. Q., & Carey, M. R. (2018, October 26). Francis @ five: An appraisal of servant-leadership characteristics. Paper presented at the 20th Annual Meeting of the International Leadership Association, West Palm Beach, FL.
  • Carey, M. R., Tran, D. Q., Caputo, J., & Wade, S. (2018, October 25). Exploring Renaissance insights for the 21st century.  Roundtable discussion at the 20th Annual Meeting of the International Leadership Association, West Palm Beach, FL.
  • Carey, M. R., Heiser, D., & Tran, D. Q. (2018, April 21). Servant-leadership: From theory to practice. Panel discussion at Leadership and Challenging Landscapes, the 6th Annual Student Leadership Symposium at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. 
  • Carey, M. R., & Tran, D. Q., (2018, March 19-21). To do the right deed for the right reason: toward a more mindful and self-aware leader. Presentation at the International Leadership Association Philosophy, Religion & Worldview Expressions: Leadership for the 21stCentury Conference, California-Baptist University, Riverside, California.
  • Carey, M. R., Tran, D. Q., Horsman, J. H., & Han, B. (2017, October 12-15). A monastic model of leadership for turbulent times. Roundtable discussion presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the International Leadership Association, Brussels, Belgium.
  • Tran, D.Q., & Carey, M.R. (2017, August 10-13), “Digital concepts via direct contact: Integrating Ignatian ideals in hybrid and online study abroad course design for adult students.” Paper presented at Through the Eye of the Needle: Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education, a conference presented by The National Steering Committee on Justice in Jesuit Higher Education at Seattle University, Seattle, WA.
  • Tran, D.Q., Carey, M.R. et al (2016), “Breaking the zero-sum game: Transforming societies through inclusive leadership.  Panel discussion at the 18th Annual Meeting of the International Leadership Association, Atlanta, GA.
  • Tran, D. Q., Carey, M. R., Hoover, K. F., Leger, S.J., A. F.  (2015), “Beyond Barcelona: a pilgrimage to the mountaintop monastery at Montserrat.” Pre-conference Workshop at the International Leadership Conference, Barcelona, Spain, October 2015.
  • Carey, M.R. (2013) “Ignatius of Loyola before Jesuit education: sources of Ignatian pedagogy.” Presentation made at Gonzaga University: Virtual Campus.
  • Carey, M.R. (2012), “Servant-leadership: process or product?.” Workshop for new students in the doctoral program, College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ.
  • Carey, M.R. (2011), “Servant-leadership: process or product?,” Workshop for new students in the doctoral program, College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ.
  • Hazel, M. & Carey, M.R. (2010), “Leadership and community course.” Paper presented at the Religious Communication Association, San Francisco, California.
  • Wilson, S., Francovich, C., Crandall, H., Armstrong, J. & Carey, M.R.(2010), “The cube: an integrated framework for leadership studies curriculum at BA, MA, and PhD levels.” Paper presented at the Association of Leadership Educators, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 2010.
  • Carey, M.R. (2010), “Servant-leadership: process or product?” Workshop for students in the doctoral program, College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ.
  • Carey, M.R. (2006), “Ignatius online.” Keynote for SU Connects, Seattle University, Seattle, Washington.
  • Carey, M.R. (2005) “Approaches to servant-leadership.” Workshop at the Leadership Institute for Education, Greenleaf Center for Servant-leadership, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2005.
  • Carey, M.R., Albert, J., Dysinger, L., Ferch, S.R., O’Donnell, S. & Wilson, S. (2003), "Monastic puritas cordis and contemporary leadership: The dynamics of individual and organizational health.” Paper presented at the Forty-fourth Annual Meeting, Western Academy of Management, Palm Springs, California.
  • Carey, M.R. (2000) “Stability, obedience, and conversatio:  monastic metaphors for the post-modern organization.” Paper presented at the Forty-first Annual Meeting, Western Academy of Management, Hawaii.
  • Carey, M.R. (1997) “Jesuit, catholic and humanistic: separate bedrooms or strange bedfellows?”  Presentation made at Gonzaga University: The Jerry Tucker Memorial Lecture on the University Mission.
  • Carey, M.R. (1996) “Confessions of a white administrator." Paper presented at the Conference on Multi-cultural Affairs, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Gonzaga University.
  • Carey, M.R. (1992) "If you meet Ignatius on the road, kill him!"  Paper presented at Companions/2000, a meeting of the Jesuits of the Oregon Province and their lay collaborators, Spokane, WA.
  • Carey, M.R. (1990) "If you meet Ignatius on the road, kill him." Gonzaga University: The Arnold Lecture on the Humanities.

Current research centers on servant-leadership, transforming leadership, leadership formation, and Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy