Teaching and engagement
Research translated into practical judgment.
I teach strategy, decision making, and organizational learning by helping students and executives reason better under noisy evidence.
Luck, learning, and contrarian thinking in the classroom.
My teaching translates my research on luck, behavioral biases, organizational learning, and contrarian strategy into practical decision frameworks. Across MBA, MSc, PhD, and executive education courses, I use cases, simulations, and behavioral exercises to help participants diagnose noisy evidence, challenge misleading success stories, and design better choices in organizations.
Practitioner articles with summaries.
Speaking and public engagement
Available for keynotes, executive education, panels, and media conversations on luck, behavioral strategy, AI-mediated learning, diversity, and smart contrarian thinking.
My work has appeared in leading academic outlets and practitioner venues including Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, Financial Times, PNAS, Organization Science, Management Science, and Academy of Management Review.
Press archive
- Interview with Professor Emeritus James G. March at Stanford Video
- Recruiting? Random selection can help you tap into diversity dividend I by IMD, 2021
- Exceptional Innovations: Leadership, Strategy or Luck? Forbes, 2021
- Could random selection in recruitment improve workforce diversity? HR Magazine, 2021
- Pay more attention to the second best KnowledgeBrief, 2020
- Four major global changes coronavirus may cause The European, 2020
- Everything just a coincidence? The magic formula for luck Tagesspiegel, 2020
- Review of Chengwei's book on luck BizEd, 2020
- MBA masterclass: when strategy is a matter of luck Financial Times, 2020
- Huge success in business is largely based on luck The Conversation, 2020
- Three Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Don Quixote About Strategizing Forbes, 2019
- Three Tips for Generating a Performance Bonus Through Diversity Psychology Today, 2019
- In Search of Behavioral Opportunities From Misattributions of Luck Academy of Management Scholar interview, 2019
- Machines vs Humans: How Can We Adapt Organizations to AI? Academy of Management Scholar interview, 2019
- Bonus in Mind Briefing Magazine, 2019
- Why There's More to Diversity than Doing the Right Thing Crowe, The Art of Smart Report, 2019
- How to increase your lottery winnings, and succeed in business, by being contrary The Conversation, 2019
- The Secrets of Success ALSO Festival, 2019
- Should Family Businesses get over Nepotism? Tharawat Magazine, 2019
- CV-blind faith? Briefing Magazine, 2018
- 2018 Best 40 Under 40 Professors: Chengwei Liu Poets&Quants, 2018
- Solving the Brexit Deadlock by Lottery Psychology Today, 2018
- Post-Brexit UK should use the EU's size for a winning strategy Yahoo Finance, 2017
- Why you shouldn't imitate Bill Gates if you want to be rich BBC, 2017
- Being second best can make you the real winner in the end The Times, 2017
- Battle Bias Briefing Magazine, 2017
- Chengwei Liu included on Thinkers50 list Thinkers50, 2016
- Lucky chief executives are on thin ice Financial Times, 2016
- Strike it lucky: the role luck plays in business success Warwick Business School, 2016
- Overrated top managers Der Spiegel, 2016
- Luck Rather Than Talent BBC World Service, 2016
- As luck may have it British Airways Business Life, 2016; original link unavailable
- Hire unlucky leaders, they're good value Financial Times, 2016
- Rolling the dice: the importance of luck in business Cambridge Network, 2016
- Who follows leader? Briefing Magazine, 2016
- What the David and Goliath story teaches business about getting ahead The Conversation, 2015
- Why damaging nepotism persists? CEO Magazine, 2015
- What's the best business strategy? The Telegraph, 2015
- Sometimes Second-Best Makes a Better Role Model New York Times, 2013
- Move Over, CEOs: Why The Second-In-Command May Be The Secret To Success Forbes, 2012
- Don't aim for the top unless you feel lucky Financial Times, 2012
- Random lady luck is the mother of success Irish Times, 2012
- To be a winner, learn from losers Futurity, 2012
- Should we reward success? BBC World Service, 2012
- Reward the second best, ignore the best LinkedIn archive, 2012