J. Sterling Livingston
Encyclopedia
J. Sterling Livingston was a professor at the Harvard Business School
following WWII to 1974. Dr. Livingston founded or co-founded a number of leading consulting companies over the course of his business career. He founded Sterling Institute, a management development and consulting firm in 1967 which continues to develop leaders and managers to this day. Dr. Livingston was well known for two classic Harvard Business Review
articles, "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" and "Pygmalion in Management."
to the late Julius Edward and Fanny Lucillia (Scott) Livingston on June 7, 1916. He and his four siblings grew up in and around Chino, Glendale and Pomona, California. In 1931 Sterling's mother died and his father, who had abandoned the family, told the oldest daughter, Peg, to put her brothers in an orphanage. Refusing that advice, 18-year old Peg and her four brothers (Sterling was 14) stayed together and "brought themselves up" during the Great Depression.
Following graduation from Hoover High School, Sterling got a job as wiper on a freighter bound for Shanghai. He did not intend to go to college but his high school debate coach encouraged Sterling to pursue his formal education. Sterling followed that advice and became a debate champion at both Glendale Junior College and later at the University of Southern California
where he was the Captain of the 1938 Debate Team and a member of Phi Kappa Tau
fraternity. He graduated cum laude in Business Administration from USC in 1938. He was accepted at the Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1940 with High Distinction at the top of his MBA class.
Sterling met Ruth E. Flume on a blind date while he was completing his MBA at Harvard and she was in her Junior year at Wellesley College. He was so smitten by her beauty, intelligence and poise that he proposed on their first date. They were married for 67 years.
Sterling taught the Navy Supply Corps during World War II
. He was in charge of writing the Manual of Naval Procurement and became the Navy's youngest Commander.
Following the war, Livingston returned to Harvard where he earned his PhD in Business Administration (DCS) in 1948.
Despite his many honors and achievements, Sterling didn't much care for accolades or resting on his laurels. He was an entrepreneur, through and through, always interested in the new, new thing. He was at the forefront in everything he pursued. He founded or co-founded a number of companies, including Harbridge House, a management consulting firm that started in Harvard Square and moved to Arlington Street in Boston, consulting often for the Defense Department.
In the early 1960s, he was brought in by Paul R. Ignatius and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara
to help launch the Logistics Management Institute, a nonprofit set up to advise defense officials. The Sterling Institute which he founded in 1967 continues his legacy of developing managers and leaders in both the public and private sectors.
He died at the age of 93 in Bolton, Massachusetts
.
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
following WWII to 1974. Dr. Livingston founded or co-founded a number of leading consulting companies over the course of his business career. He founded Sterling Institute, a management development and consulting firm in 1967 which continues to develop leaders and managers to this day. Dr. Livingston was well known for two classic Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
articles, "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" and "Pygmalion in Management."
Early life and education
Sterling Livingston was born in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
to the late Julius Edward and Fanny Lucillia (Scott) Livingston on June 7, 1916. He and his four siblings grew up in and around Chino, Glendale and Pomona, California. In 1931 Sterling's mother died and his father, who had abandoned the family, told the oldest daughter, Peg, to put her brothers in an orphanage. Refusing that advice, 18-year old Peg and her four brothers (Sterling was 14) stayed together and "brought themselves up" during the Great Depression.
Following graduation from Hoover High School, Sterling got a job as wiper on a freighter bound for Shanghai. He did not intend to go to college but his high school debate coach encouraged Sterling to pursue his formal education. Sterling followed that advice and became a debate champion at both Glendale Junior College and later at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
where he was the Captain of the 1938 Debate Team and a member of Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906...
fraternity. He graduated cum laude in Business Administration from USC in 1938. He was accepted at the Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1940 with High Distinction at the top of his MBA class.
Sterling met Ruth E. Flume on a blind date while he was completing his MBA at Harvard and she was in her Junior year at Wellesley College. He was so smitten by her beauty, intelligence and poise that he proposed on their first date. They were married for 67 years.
Sterling taught the Navy Supply Corps during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was in charge of writing the Manual of Naval Procurement and became the Navy's youngest Commander.
Following the war, Livingston returned to Harvard where he earned his PhD in Business Administration (DCS) in 1948.
Career
Sterling then became a professor at the Harvard Business School where he taught in the MBA and Doctorate programs for over twenty years. As a professor at the Business School, he taught a multitude of subjects and taught them all well. He was truly a great, great educator. Year after year, he was rated as the best professor by the student body (of all his honors, we think he was most proud of this). Two of his articles, "The Myth of the Well Educated Manager" and "Pygmalion in Management", were published by the Harvard Business Review and remain amongst their best sellers.Despite his many honors and achievements, Sterling didn't much care for accolades or resting on his laurels. He was an entrepreneur, through and through, always interested in the new, new thing. He was at the forefront in everything he pursued. He founded or co-founded a number of companies, including Harbridge House, a management consulting firm that started in Harvard Square and moved to Arlington Street in Boston, consulting often for the Defense Department.
In the early 1960s, he was brought in by Paul R. Ignatius and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
to help launch the Logistics Management Institute, a nonprofit set up to advise defense officials. The Sterling Institute which he founded in 1967 continues his legacy of developing managers and leaders in both the public and private sectors.
He died at the age of 93 in Bolton, Massachusetts
Bolton, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,148 people, 1,424 households, and 1,201 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,476 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.30%...
.