Compiled by Caroline Collier

Lindy Crawford
Professor of Special Education and Ann Jones Endowed Chair in Special Education
College of Education

Confidence –
coupled with caring.
Humility –
to hear the voice of others.
A healthy ego that can withstand dissension –
once a decision has been made.
Negotiation, not manipulation –
a fine line.
Doing the right thing –
at that time, in that moment.
Accepting your decisions and the decisions of others –
maintaining perspective.
Learning from mistakes and successes –
moving forward.

Kelly McCormick
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
AddRan College of Liberal Arts

I believe that a good leader is someone able to strike a balance between integrity and empathy. In other words, someone who is strongly committed to the goals and principles of the project or group they are helming, while also having the ability to listen and attend to the passions, concerns, interests and difficulties of those they lead.

Aesha John
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences

As someone with a keen interest in parenting literature, I equate effective leadership to [Diana] Baumrind’s concept of authoritative (not to be confused with authoritarian) parenting. Much like an authoritative parent, a good leader is able to strike a balance between compassion and discipline. She or he is able to create an environment where the team members feel safe and cared for, but at the same time remain cognizant of responsibilities and boundaries.

Lynn Hampton
Lecturer
John V. Roach Honors College

Highly effective leaders are gifted at fostering dialogue and being bridge-builders, connecting people from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. Good leaders are intentional about serving others and sharing power as well as resources in order to inspire growth and success in people. Finally, a truly great leader is not focused on short-term wins, but keeps his or her eye on the long-term behavioral and institutional changes that might lead to a radical transformation of our society.

Hettie Richardson
Professor and Chair of Management Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Neeley School of Business

Rather than looking for good leadership in the heroic acts of high-profile individuals, I look for it in the often uncelebrated behaviors of those around me. These small but potentially transformative acts of leadership occur when someone speaks up and steps up, even if there is personal risk to doing so. When combined across individuals, small-scale leadership may produce cumulative influence and results to go far beyond those of any single large-scale effort.

Omar Harvey
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
College of Science & Engineering

In my experience, vision, global thinking and proactiveness are three main traits that make a good leader. As visionaries, leaders are aware of the landscape in which the vision is being executed. As global thinkers, they understand the potential implications of the vision beyond their immediate circles. By being proactive, a good leader is laser-focused on preventing, rather than mitigating, adverse outcomes.

Robin Griffith
Associate Professor of Reading and English/Language Arts
College of Education

When I think about what makes a good leader, I think of a phrase my colleagues in educational leadership often use: “Be the kind of leader you would want to follow.” For me, then, a good leader is one who leads by example, who values the strengths of every individual and capitalizes on those strengths to promote the greater good. A leader helps others achieve more than they thought possible.

Jong-Hyuok Jung
Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication
Bob Schieffer College of Communication

First, a good leader is one who can listen to and understand people. Second, a good leader is one who has faith in his beliefs and who is passionate about those beliefs. Lastly, a good leader is one who pushes people to be their best.

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What makes a good leader? tcumagazine@tcu.edu