Larry Senn

Dr. Larry Senn is the founder of Senn Delaney, the culture shaping unit of Heidrick & Struggles. He has been referred to in business journals as the Father of Corporate Culture, based on his field research: the first systematic study ever conducted on the concept of corporate culture. His studies were published as his doctoral dissertation in 1970. This led him to an early personal vision of finding a way to enhance the lives of people, the effectiveness of teams, and the spirit and performance of organizations. That vision became Senn Delaney, the first firm dedicated to shaping the culture of organizations.

Senn Delaney has worked with over 100 Fortune 500 CEOs and their teams, university presidents, state governors, and members of U.S. presidential cabinets. He is also co-author of several books, including the best-selling Winning Teams, Winning Cultures and 21st Century Leadership. Larry has a B.S. in Engineering, an M.B.A. from UCLA, and a doctorate degree in Business Administration from USC, where he later served as faculty. He was a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in Southern California.

Larry’s passion for health and fitness started with his interest in sports during high school and college. He was team captain and the Pac 10 champion in gymnastics at UCLA, and coached UCLA gymnastics after graduation. Today Larry runs, swims, bikes, lifts weights, water skis, rides off-road motorcycles, and stand-up paddles. He competed in his first sprint triathlon at the age of 70, and has completed in over 50 triathlons in the more than ten years since, including first place wins in Long Beach, Newport Beach, Redondo Beach, and Hermosa Beach in his age group last year.

Larry is a husband, father, and grandfather. He lives in Sunset Beach, California, with his wife, Bernadette, and their teenage son Logan, who is mentioned often in the book. The Senn family has a deep commitment to family, faith, fitness, and well-being. Larry and his wife, Bernadette, have five children and five grandchildren, all who share an equal passion for family, well-being, and personal growth. Bernadette retired from Senn Delaney to be a full-time mother. She was SVP HR at Senn Delaney, and was co-author with Larry of an earlier book, The Human Operating System – An Owner’s Manual.

Larry’s personal purpose is to help an ever-widening circle of people live life at their best mentally, emotionally, physically, and purposefully. That purpose led him to add the Mood Elevator as a concept to Senn Delaney culture-shaping seminars, which have reached tens of thousands of people, and to write this book to reach even more.

Education

• USC, Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior
• UCLA, MBA in Engineering
• UCLA, BS in Engineering