“Leadership is not about a title or a position. It is about influence, impact, and inspiration.” — Robin Sharma
In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, effective leadership has become one of the defining qualities of successful business professionals. At the Advanced International Business Administration Program, Foreign Trade University, students develop this competency through the Leadership course, where management theories are enriched by global perspectives and real-world insights.
Professor Joseph Cervantes is an internationally recognized scholar with extensive academic and professional experience.
He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 40 years of experience in mental health assessment and treatment.
Professor Cervantes currently teaches in the Department of Counseling at the College of Health and Human Development, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), where he has been a faculty member for over 30 years. He has also taught internationally at Carlos Albizu University (Puerto Rico) and Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Guatemala), and has been a visiting professor at Foreign Trade University since 2016.
His primary research focuses on Global Leadership Studies, particularly Servant Leadership and Global Leadership, with publications appearing in leading international journals such as the Journal of Value Based Leadership and the Journal of Leadership Studies. In addition, he has served as an expert witness in mental health cases, conducted numerous professional workshops in psychotherapy, and is an active member of the Community Service Board and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Drawing on more than three decades of university teaching and over four decades of clinical practice, Professor Cervantes brings students a distinctive perspective that connects leadership theory with the psychology of human behavior.
Through the Leadership course, students explore topics including the psychological foundations of leadership, Global Leadership, cross-cultural leadership, Servant Leadership, and the role of personal values in leading others. The course enables students to develop their own leadership philosophy while strengthening strategic thinking, communication, teamwork, and the ability to lead effectively in multicultural business environments.
The participation of internationally renowned professors such as Professor Joseph Cervantes reflects the global orientation of the Advanced International Business Administration Program at Foreign Trade University. Beyond developing business knowledge, the program prepares students with the leadership mindset, international perspective, and professional competencies required to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.