Dr. John Burrows

Biography

Alongside his role at Oxford Saïd, John is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and a member of the teaching faculty at Chicago Booth. He teaches leadership, negotiations, and decision-making strategy in MBA, Executive MBA, Master of Public Policy, and executive education programmes. His work explores how social capital—trust, informal networks, and influence—shapes negotiation outcomes and decision quality in complex organisations. John has cross-sector experience advising clients in finance, technology, healthcare, and government. Known for blending rigorous insight with real-world applicability, he teaches leadership in degree programmes across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. John holds a PhD in Behavioral Science from Chicago Booth and an MSt in Practical Ethics from the University of Oxford. His research interests focus on social capital, negotiation, and decision-making in complex hybrid organisations, particularly how trust and informal networks shape influence and collaboration under conditions of uncertainty. John is currently co-authoring a book with Seth Rachlin, entitled "Leading Connection: Harnessing the Power of Social Capital at Work," which draws on case studies, interviews, and interdisciplinary research to explore how leaders can build high-trust, high-impact teams in a fragmented and digitally mediated world.

Research Interests

Experience