Dan Mulhern is a nationally recognized expert in creating strong, productive leadership cultures in corporate, educational, and government environments. Mulhern leverages his 30+ years of experience as a consultant, teacher and thought leader to offer valuable techniques for addressing the leadership needs required to compete and thrive now and in the future. His research on leadership and cultural changes in today’s workplace provide his clients with insights and new leadership techniques that consistently create positive change. Dan’s LeadingX2 programs provide companies with the tools for moving beyond the status quo and helping leaders in a diverse range of organizations to be more collaborative, effective and productive.
Mulhern works in all three major sectors through his consulting practice, focusing on top executive pairs. In the past he has facilitated leadership training with groups as large as 600 individuals, with top teams of CEO/COO/CFO’s, with small start-ups all the way to Fortune 500 companies. In addition, he works as a public speaker, radio personality, educator and writer.
Mulhern has published two books on leadership, Everyday Leadership: Getting Results in Business, Politics and Life and Be Real: Inspiring Stories For Leading At Home And Work. For almost twenty years, Mulhern has been writing an acclaimed blog, “Reading for Leading,” which is received directly by a list of over 10,000 readers.
In the late ‘90s, Mulhern created a successful leadership firm, called the Mulhern Hastings Group. He left Mulhern Hastings in order to better support his wife and children when she became Michigan’s Governor in 2002. During her two terms in office he chaired the Michigan Community Service Commission and Mentor Michigan and brought leadership training and development to the state government. In 2011, Mulhern co-authored A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future with his wife, Jennifer Granholm. The Washington Post political bestseller discusses leadership during difficult times and periods of intense change, focusing on how Granholm led Michigan out of its major economic meltdown, and the major challenges facing American leadership today.
Mulhern returned to private practice in organizational leadership development as President of Granholm Mulhern Associates. He now teaches courses on leadership, organizational behavior and public policy at the Haas School of Business and Goldman School of Public Policy at University of California, Berkeley. Mulhern has frequently won awards for his teaching and leadership in the mentoring field. In 2013, UC Berkeley’s Office of Student Affairs awarded Mulhern The Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching when UC Berkeley students voted him their favorite professor on campus. In 2017, he was received the coveted Cheit Award as the Oustanding Teacher at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Mulhern has also received praise for his work on the changing roles of men and his dedication to helping companies create great places to work. In 2010, he received the Phillip A. Hart award in recognition of his unique understanding and support of women’s issues and concerns. The Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association named him its Dennis Archer Public Service Award recipient in 2005 for his championing of volunteerism in Michigan.
Mulhern is an honors graduate from Yale University and Harvard Law School.
He’s an avid runner, guitar player, and claims he can still compete on a basketball court with his daughters and son.