{"id":934,"date":"2026-05-04T12:54:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/?p=934"},"modified":"2026-05-04T12:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:56:13","slug":"the-art-of-teaching-celebrating-dr-larry-lads-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/2026\/05\/04\/the-art-of-teaching-celebrating-dr-larry-lads-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Teaching: Celebrating Dr. Larry Lad\u2019s Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After more than 35 years of shaping minds and inspiring future leaders, Dr. Larry Lad<\/a> is preparing to retire this June \u2013 leaving behind a legacy defined by creativity, mindfulness, and deep human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since joining the Lacy School of Business in 1991, Dr. Lad has brought a distinctive and powerful perspective to the classroom. For him, teaching has never been just about delivering content, it has been about creating moments that spark reflection, evoke emotion, and inspire self-discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are all artists searching for the canvas to express ourselves,\u201d he often says. That belief has guided his entire career, transforming his courses into dynamic spaces where ideas, emotions, and experiences come together. In his classroom, students don\u2019t just learn strategy \u2013 they learn how to see the world differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before joining Butler, Dr. Lad spent time teaching at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and working in executive education, experiences that broadened his perspective and deepened his appreciation for the classroom. After those roles, he felt drawn back to the energy of teaching in a university setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI missed the classroom,\u201d the associate professor of management shares. \u201cAnd Butler felt like the right place at the right time. A place that was on the move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since that moment, he has been a constant and guiding presence through decades of transformation: teaching across eras marked by five presidents, five deans, and remarkable growth within the university. Along the way, he has taught more than 6,000 students across undergraduate, MBA, and executive education programs, each one leaving with more than knowledge \u2013 they leave with perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents may forget the content,\u201d he reflects, \u201cbut I hope they remember that I cared. That there was passion in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That care is unmistakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lad\u2019s courses consistently challenge students to think beyond the textbook, connecting strategy to leadership, and leadership to life. One of his signature assignments, developed more than 20 years ago, asks students to create a personal leadership development plan, linking business principles to their own lives and futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrategy isn\u2019t just about a company,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about your life, how you make decisions, how you prepare for the future, and how you see your role in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of his teaching is a belief in mindfulness: the idea that awareness, reflection, and presence are essential to both leadership and learning. He encourages students to pause, consider, and feel \u2013 to recognize not just outcomes, but meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That philosophy extends beyond business and into his creative practice. As both a published poet and visual artist, Dr. Lad brings creativity into everything he does. Whether guiding collaborative art projects or incorporating poetry into his lessons, he invites students to engage with ideas in ways that reach beyond logic alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArt taps into all the senses,\u201d he says. \u201cIt helps us experience awe, and when we experience awe, we learn differently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout his time at LSB, Dr. Lad has also been a dedicated servant-leader. He has served on Faculty Senate multiple times, contributed to the university\u2019s growth and evolution, and remained actively engaged in the broader community through service, including his volunteer work with Second Helpings and other initiatives addressing hunger and homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the relationships that matter most,\u201d he says. \u201cThe classroom, working with colleagues, serving the community; those moments stay with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has also been a witness to, and a contributor to, Butler\u2019s rise as a nationally recognized institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been incredible to watch the university grow,\u201d he shares. \u201cThe programs, the faculty, the students \u2013 we\u2019ve built something truly special. And we walk our talk. There\u2019s an authenticity here that students can feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That authenticity has defined his work from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across his career, Dr. Lad has also taught internationally and at other leading institutions, including Purdue, LSU, and Harvard, extending his influence well beyond Butler. His research explores mindfulness, strategy, and business ethics, with publications in respected academic journals, further reinforcing his commitment to thoughtful, human-centered business education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he prepares to retire, Dr. Lad reflects on his journey with gratitude and pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a great ride,\u201d he says, pausing with emotion. \u201cAnd it\u2019s also been a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recognition of his distinguished career and lasting contributions to the university, the Board of Trustees has awarded Dr. Lad emeritus status, effective upon his retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retirement, however, is not an ending \u2013 it\u2019s a new canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lad looks forward to spending more time in his art studio, continuing his creative work, and eventually relocating to Nashville to be closer to his family. He also plans to remain engaged in service, particularly around issues of hunger and homelessness, causes that have long been close to his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done my art to make the art,\u201d he says. \u201cNow it\u2019s time to share it in new ways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though he is stepping away from the classroom, his impact will endure \u2013 in the thousands of students he has taught, the colleagues he has inspired, and the countless lives he has influenced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because at its core, Dr. Larry Lad\u2019s legacy is not just about teaching business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is about teaching people how to see differently, think deeply, and lead with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that is a work of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want to find Larry over the next year before he heads to Nashville, you can find him in his studio in the Factory Arts District.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After more than 35 years of shaping minds and inspiring future leaders, Dr. Larry Lad is preparing to retire this June \u2013 leaving behind a legacy defined by creativity, mindfulness, and deep human connection.<\/p>\n

Since joining the Lacy School of Business in 1991, Dr. Lad has brought a distinctive and powerful perspective to the classroom. For him, teaching has never been just about delivering content, it has been about creating moments that spark reflection, evoke emotion, and inspire self-discovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all artists searching for the canvas to express ourselves,\u201d he often says. That belief has guided his entire career, transforming his courses into dynamic spaces where ideas, emotions, and experiences come together. In his classroom, students don\u2019t just learn strategy \u2013 they learn how to see the world differently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2812,"featured_media":990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[38],"class_list":["post-934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-insights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":995,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934\/revisions\/995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}