The Leadership Lab Emphasizes Cultural Awareness as Key to Corporate Global Success

The redesigned leadership initiative focuses on navigating across cultures. 

Dallas (SMU) Feb. 11, 2026 – The redesign of a longtime leadership initiative at the Cox School of Business positions cultural awareness as an essential driver of corporate global success. Newly named, The Leadership Lab (TLL) is rooted in science and grounded in cultural and self-awareness. Originally launched in 2013, the precursor to the SMU Cox TLL helped Fortune 1000 companies enhance their leadership pipelines. The updated hands-on curricula have evolved from that previous initiative with a broadened goal of transforming high potential corporate employees into high-impact leaders who navigate across cultures, thus enabling themselves and their companies to thrive in a complex world.

The Leadership Lab is a Center of Excellence housed within Executive Education at the SMU Cox School of Business, and focuses on leadership and organizational development, research and business insights, and community engagement. By emphasizing cultural intelligence as a corporate strategy, TLL programs help companies solidify a foundation for effective leadership and create a strategic advantage in a global marketplace by improving retention and recruitment; strengthening team collaboration and innovation; and better positioning them to seize emerging and multicultural market opportunities. 

“In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to lead across cultures isn’t just a soft skill, it’s an essential strategic advantage for every organization and every audience,” says Ana Rodriguez, executive director of The Leadership Lab at SMU Cox. “This name change reflects our desire to help more companies and employees grow and succeed.” 

TLL programs are open to all. Participation is based on individual achievement and the demonstrated contributions of each applicant to their respective organization’s purpose and business objectives. A virtual open house will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and at the same time on Tuesday, March 24. The virtual event will give company leaders and HR representatives an opportunity to ask questions about The Leadership Lab. There is no cost to take part in either open house, but registration via one of the above links is required. For registration questions, contact sclopez@smu.edu or (214) 768-6055.

About SMU Cox

The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University (SMU Cox) is committed to influencing the way the world conducts business via prolific research that provokes innovation, change and global thought leadership. SMU Cox offers a full range of business education programs including B.B.A., Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA (part-time), Executive MBA, MBA Direct (online, for early-career professionals), Online MBA, Master of Science degree programs, graduate certificate programs, and Executive Education. In 2020, the Cox School celebrated 100 years of business education at SMU. Consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools, SMU Cox maintains an active alumni network globally. SMU Cox is accredited by AACSB, the leading U.S.-based organization for global business school accreditation. 

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Media Contact: Anna Martinez
214-768-4474
annam@smu.edu