Meet a 2012 Graduate: Dr. Gregory Campbell

Dr. Gregory Campbell is a recent PhD in Management with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Change graduate who has more than 20 years of experience in federal law enforcement. Currently deputy chief postal inspector for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, he manages nine western field divisions and provides strategic planning, program guidance, and policy interpretation for all criminal and security programs.

Before Dr. Campbell walks across the stage at commencement on Aug. 25, he shares with Spotlight on Walden some of his biggest accomplishments as a Walden University student and how he has applied what he learned in his career.

As a Walden University PhD student, what has been your biggest accomplishment and why?

One of my greatest accomplishments during my time as a Walden student was being selected by Dr. Walter McCollum, faculty member in the School of Management, to serve as lead peer mentor and graduate cohort leader to 25 doctoral students. As a leader and social change agent, my greatest passion is to serve others. My role as cohort leader included providing students a collaborative environment to enhance their research, evaluate writing, and improve oral presentation skills. I identified best practices and tools to help students develop their proposals and dissertations. As a result of the doctoral cohort, Dr. McCollum’s annual graduation rate for doctoral students increased by 50%.

How have you been able to apply what you learned at Walden in your career?

Policing in the 21st century is becoming more complex and dynamic as law enforcement executives deal with operational, political, and economic challenges. Organizational theory and research indicate positive relationships among emotional intelligence (EI), leadership effectiveness, leadership styles, and employee outcomes. But these relationships have not been investigated in law enforcement organizations. I conducted a quantitative study to fill this knowledge gap by exploring the relationships of law enforcement executives. The results of my study provided evidence that a statistically significant relationship existed between EI and all five measures of transformational leadership style and one measure of transactional leadership style. The social change implications of my study included using the results to expand leadership development programs that leverage a full range of leadership skills and EI traits to address the new reality of law enforcement.

I am proud to report that I am currently leading a project to develop an executive leadership program that incorporates EI and a full range of leadership skills for a federal law enforcement organization. My Walden experience has truly transformed me into a scholar-practitioner and enhanced my professional knowledge, skills, and abilities.

What advice do you have for other Walden students pursuing their degrees?

One of my most rewarding experiences at Walden was developing relationships with faculty members and students. I have established relationships that will last well beyond commencement. I encourage current Walden students to enjoy the journey, embrace their scholarly identity, and create their own student brand.

Now that you have completed your PhD, what’s next?

My life goals have been to teach at the university level, write books, and conduct leadership seminars. In addition, I have more than 20 years in federal law enforcement with the last seven years serving in an executive leadership position. This specialization has afforded me an opportunity to accomplish all of my personal goals but also effectively manage a law enforcement agency experiencing significant organizational change.