Rob Cross

Rob Cross is a globally recognized expert in collaboration, network science, and organizational effectiveness, with over two decades of groundbreaking research on how high performers and effective organizations build and sustain powerful collaborative networks. As the Founder and Chief Research Scientist of Connected Commons—a research consortium of over 150 leading organizations—Rob helps companies unlock agility, innovation, and performance through people strategy, talent development, and organizational network analysis (ONA).

Rob is also the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College, where he teaches and studies the ways in which leaders can foster purposeful collaboration while avoiding burnout and inefficiency. His acclaimed book, Beyond Collaboration Overload, was named Best Management Book of 2021 by strategy+business, featured in the Financial Times, and shortlisted for the OWL Award in Management & Culture.

With a portfolio of over 50 peer-reviewed and practitioner articles in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, and Organizational Dynamics, Rob’s work consistently shapes best practices in employee experience, leadership development, and organizational culture. His research has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Fast Company, and more.

Rob has advised more than 300 organizations—including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and nonprofits—on how to drive collaborative performance, manage change, and accelerate innovation through network-based strategies. His work is especially relevant for HR leaders and People Operations professionals seeking to redesign work for a hyper-connected world without overwhelming their teams.

With his deep research insights and practical frameworks, Rob empowers leaders to build resilient, efficient, and human-centered workplaces—where collaboration fuels performance rather than drains it.