Biography

Justin F. Willett, Ph.D., MHA, is research director for the Novak Leadership Institute. His research examines how leadership communication and workplace respect influence employee outcomes such as engagement and well-being. Willett teaches Strategic Communication Leadership (JOUR 4242/7242) at the undergraduate and graduate levels, while mentoring students in their academic and professional development.

Selected Research Publications

Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Warner, B. R., Houston, J. B., & Duffy, M. (2024). Flourishing with flexibility: Leader communicative support of flexible work arrangements (FWA) enhances employee engagement and well-being. International Journal of Business Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884241291531

Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Shin, H., Houston, J. B., & Duffy, M. (2023). The role of leader communication in fostering respectful workplace culture and increasing employee engagement and well-being. International Journal of Business Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884231195614

See all publications on Google Scholar.

In the News

Knight, R. (2025, August 18). Building employee buy-in for strategic change. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2025/08/building-employee-buy-in-for-strategic-change

Diedrich, S. (2025, January 16). Thriving with flexibility. Show Me Mizzou. https://showme.missouri.edu/2025/thriving-with-flexibility/

McCuien, P. (2023, October 17). How leaders communicate with employees sets the tone for a respectful workplace culture. Show Me Mizzou. https://showme.missouri.edu/2023/how-leaders-communicate-with-employees-sets-the-tone-for-a-respectful-workplace-culture/

Professional Experience

Willett has over 20 years of professional experience spanning journalism, healthcare communications, and academic research. Prior to joining the Institute, he served as Communications Manager for MU Health Care and the School of Medicine. In that role, Willett oversaw external websites (muhealth.org and medicine.missouri.edu), publications, owned content, and social media operations. In 2020-21, Willett led MU Health Care's COVID-19 communication efforts, including promotion of the health system's COVID-19 vaccine program, which increased website pageviews by nearly 1200%. 

Education

• Ph.D., Journalism, School of Journalism, University of Missouri
• Master of Health Administration, School of Medicine, University of Missouri
• Bachelor of Journalism, School of Journalism, University of Missouri