USD Alumnus Justin Wasserman Reflects On Lessons From USD

Alumnus Justin Wasserman ‘97 (BA) recently shared his reflections on his time at the university, highlighting the profound impact it had on his personal and professional development. Wasserman graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology and minors in biology and chemistry. When asked about his overall experience at USD, Wasserman described it as "phenomenal." He elaborated, "It was where I learned how to learn, think, built lifelong friendships and discovered my career passion."

Initially starting a pre-med path, Wasserman eventually switched to psychology. One of the most impactful experiences for Wasserman was a conversation with Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences Michael Ichiyama, PhD, during office hours. "He suggested I explore industrial organizational psychology as a career and recommended the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini," Wasserman recalled. This recommendation, along with another book on industrial organizational psychology, set him on the path to his ideal career. Wasserman has since spent the majority of his career as a strategy execution consultant and co-founded a consulting firm with a mission to excel in both driving cost and revenue enhancements and developing leadership and corporate culture.

Wasserman's education in psychology at USD significantly influenced his approach to business and leadership. With a master's degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University, he founded Empactful Advisors, a strategy execution firm. "Organizational psychology isn't always directly visible in my work, but it underpins everything I do," he explained. He believes that business is fundamentally about people and that leadership is a set of behaviors. Wasserman focuses on developing leaders at all levels by emphasizing principles like emotional intelligence, humanity and humility to drive change in large multinational companies.

In his company, Wasserman applies several key principles, including Dr. Cialdini's six principles of influence: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity. He also believes in involving people in shaping an organization's future to foster commitment and aid change management. "These seven principles probably most guide my work," he noted.

For psychology students interested in applying their degree outside of traditional psychology careers, Wasserman offers valuable advice. "Psychology offers insights into human behavior that are applicable to business," he said. These insights can be leveraged in various roles, including consulting, entrepreneurship, executive coaching and executive assessment.

Looking back, Wasserman sometimes wishes he had double-majored in psychology and business. However, he acknowledges the value of his scientific training, which has been crucial in designing "business experiments" to help leadership teams quickly test strategy hypotheses for performance improvement. Recently, Wasserman signed a book deal to write about the impact his firm is having on clients and how they drive large-scale change at pace, bringing his journey full circle.

Wasserman encourages current students to embrace their time at USD, build friendships, immerse themselves in learning and appreciate the journey. "It all adds up in unexpected ways," he concluded.