Dr. “Bow Tie” Todd Jenkins was working on his dissertation when he noticed a phenomenon. He wore bow ties everywhere he went, and often people would ask him about them. Over time it became clear the article of clothing was helping him to connect with people.
Bowtie Leadership and Development was born.
“The bow tie is a first impression … it’s a conversation starter,” he said. “It’s disarming. It gave me the opportunity to get to know people better.”
Started in 2011-12, the company went global in 2015, he said. Bowtie Leadership works with corporations, nonprofits and small businesses to develop leadership and other workforce skills. About 37 are employed with the company, and it also uses subcontractors.
Bowtie Leadership delivers these services in the form of seminars, coaching, consultations, project planning, diagnostic analysis of an organization, workshops and others. The goal is to align the company culture and what’s best for the workforce in those places.
Many companies such as Walmart and Microsoft have a business model that relies on speed, and it can be difficult for employees to adjust. Add in rapid technology advancements and other factors, and this can have an impact on the mental well-being of those within the organization, he added.
“It takes time to change the culture,” he said.
When he’s not involved in his business, Jenkins is a researcher at Harvard Business School. His dissertation for his doctorate studied how minorities perceive their supervisors in the workplace. It provided him with the research and science to form his company.
One thing Jenkins doesn’t do is make bow ties.
“People give them to me. I could wear a different bow tie every day of the year.”