William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Characteristics of Effective Leadership In 2004, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis was recognized as the Central Washington University Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies. Dr. Kritsonis was nominated by alumni, former students, friends, faculty, and staff. Final selection was made by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Recipients are CWU graduates of 20 years or more and are recognized for achievement in their professional field and have made a positive contribution to society. For the second consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report placed Central Washington University among the top elite public institutions in the west. CWU was 12th on the list in the 2006 On-Line Education of “America’s Best Colleges.”

1. NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
Volume 25, Number 4, 2010
Characteristics of Effective Leadership
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Professor
PhD Program in Educational Leadership
Hall of Honor (2008)
William H. Parker Leadership Academy
The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education
Prairie View A&M University
Member of the Texas A&M University System
Prairie View, Texas
Visiting Lecturer (2005)
Oxford Round Table
University of Oxford, Oxford, England
Distinguished Alumnus (2004)
College of Education and Professional Studies
Central Washington University
ABSTRACT
The focus of this article is to provide an example of developing a philosophy of leadership.
The author discusses his beliefs of leading with integrity, the importance of collaborating,
the attitude of servant leadership, the significance of effective communication, how to
empower others, the impact of passion being contagious throughout an organization, and
keys to a life well lived.
“Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.”
-Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965)
Purpose of the Article
The purpose of this article is to briefly discuss my personal philosophy of leadership. My
philosophy of leadership emphasizes the importance of integrity, collaborating, servant
leadership, communicating, empowering others, and the importance of passion. Leaders not only
lead an organization, they lead people. Organizations will struggle unless the individuals within
the organization feel a sense of responsibility and ownership. Individuals must see a leader of
integrity, who is self aware and appreciates the importance of collaboration and communication.
I have developed belief statements that reflect my personal leadership philosophy.

2. Number One: I believe in leading with integrity.
Thomas Jefferson said, “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.
Integrity is an integral part of effective leadership.” All stakeholders should trust and believe
that their leader will make decisions in the best interest of the community. People should know
that the leader ‘means what they say and says what they mean’ and can be counted on to deliver.
Integrity builds trust, a must for a successful leader. Displaying integrity develops credibility,
yielding a solid reputation for the leader.
Number Two: I believe in collaborating.
Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what
makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” One guiding vision
drives the mission, goals, and objectives of an organization. Working together, the vision will be
achieved. A leader’s primary responsibility is to collaboratively work with individuals, listen to
them and learn from them. A collaborating leader has high self esteem and does not have a
problem with getting ideas from others and giving credit where credit is due.
Number Three: I believe in servant leadership.
The idea of servant leadership is to cultivate those within the organization by building
trust and improving teamwork through collaboration and personal involvement. Servant leaders
make decisions by developing a sense of community and maintaining a commitment to the
growth of individuals. Caring for people, encouraging them, and valuing their opinions
contribute to organizational goals being realized. According to John Maxwell, “People do not
care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Number Four: I believe in communicating.
Communication skills are essential to the effective leader. Communication can be
defined as transforming an idea from one brain to another. Effective communication requires
articulation of ideas and active listening. Mac Anderson, founder of Successories, says “The
great leader truly understands that effective communication is the key that unlocks the door to
trust.” Trust is essential when developing working relationships.
Number Five: I believe in empowering others.
Theodore Roosevelt best described the concept of empowerment as follows: “The best
executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-
restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Developing individuals

3. through empowerment makes the organization stronger. A leader must trust the individuals with
the creativity and intellect to carry out the assigned tasks. Of course, a leader should recognize
the abilities and aptitudes of the individuals within the teams and assign tasks accordingly.
Through empowerment, individuals grow both professionally and personally, which is critical
for carrying out the vision and sustaining the efforts over time.
Number Six: I believe in passion.
Passion, like a smile, is contagious. Leaders not only articulate visions, goals, and
strategies, they also influence the enthusiasm of those under their charge. A leader without
passion for the pursuit of excellence is no leader at all. Zig Ziglar says, “Go as far as you can go.
When you get there, you can always see farther.”
“You get the best efforts from others not be lighting a fire beneath them,
but by building a fire within”.
-Ben Nelson
Number Seven: The Keys to a Life Well Lived
Taking care of those you love and letting them know they’re loved, which involve self-
sacrifice; holding firm to God, to your religious faith, no matter how high you rise or low you
fall. This involves guts, and self-discipline, and active attention to developing and refining a
conscience to whose promptings you can respond. Honoring your calling or profession by trying
to do within it honorable work, which takes hard effort, and a willingness to master the ethics of
your field. And enjoying life. This can be hard in America, where sometimes people are rather
grim in their determination to get and to have. “Enjoy life, it’s ungrateful not to,” said Ronald
Reagan.
Source: Noonan, P. (2008, June 21). A life’s lesson. The Wall Street Journal, p. A9.
References

4. Anderson, M. (2005). The essence of leadership. Naperville, IL: Simple Truths.
Anderson, M. (2007). You can't send a duck to eagle school: And other simple truths of
leadership. Naperville, IL: Simple Truths.
Anderson, M., & Feltenstein, T. (2007). Change is good...you go first: 21 ways to inspire
change. Naperville, IL: Simple Truths.
Anderson, P. (2007). Great quotes from great leaders. Naperville, IL: Simple Truths.
Noonan, P. (2008, June 21). A life’s lesson. The Wall Street Journal, p. A9.