Biography

Justin F. Willett is Program Director for the Novak Leadership Institute. He teaches Strategic Communication Leadership (J4242), directs content strategy and website operations, and conducts research on leadership communication and workplace respect. 

Educational Background

Justin is a two-time Mizzou graduate — he holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the School of Journalism and a Master of Health Administration degree from the School of Medicine. He is currently a doctoral student in the School of Journalism.

Scholarly Contributions

Journal Articles Under Review

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 [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Strategic Communication, Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Houston, J. B., Shin, H., & 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

Refereed Conference Papers

Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Warner, B. R., Houston, J. B., & Duffy, M. (2024, June 20-24). Flourishing with flexibility: Leader communicative support of flexible work arrangements (FWA) enhances employee engagement and well-being [Paper presentation]. International Communication Association 2024 Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Willett, J. F., LaGree, D., Houston, J. B., Shin, H., & Duffy, M. (2023, May 25-29). The role of leader communication in fostering respectful workplace culture and increasing employee engagement and well-being [Paper presentation]. International Communication Association 2023 Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Google Scholar

Professional Experience

Willett has professional experience in journalism, content marketing, publications, website design and strategy, and social media strategy and planning. He has worked as a newspaper journalist in Florida, Missouri, and North Carolina. 

Prior to joining the institute, he served as Communication 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 helped lead MU Health Care’s COVID-19 communication efforts, including promotion of the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine program.