My Leadership
Story
From Leadership Formation to Leadership Legacy
Leadership is formed long before one occupies the president’s office. It is shaped by family, faith, education, adversity, mentors, opportunities, and an unwavering commitment to serve others.
When I reflect upon my own journey, I see five distinct stages of leadership formation that prepared me to lead transformational change and continue investing in the next generation of higher education leaders.
THE JOURNEY
Five Stages of My Leadership Formation
Character Before Leadership
FAMILY
Williamsburg County, South Carolina
My leadership journey began in the cotton fields of Williamsburg County, South Carolina.
I was born to Walter and Willar Mae Tisdale, sharecropping farmers who possessed little formal education but extraordinary wisdom. Although neither had the opportunity to complete high school during childhood, they believed deeply that education was the pathway to opportunity and freedom.
They taught me that hard work was honorable, integrity was non-negotiable, faith was essential, and one’s character would carry them farther than money ever could.
The Foundation
My parents expected excellence - not perfection, but always one’s very best. They taught me to tell the truth, keep my word, respect others, think independently, trust God in every decision, and never allow anyone else to define my potential.
Those lessons became the foundation of my leadership philosophy decades before I ever assumed an administrative position.
When I entered Claflin University in 1961, I thought I was simply enrolling in college. In reality, I was entering an environment that would profoundly shape my understanding of leadership.
Claflin challenged me intellectually, nurtured my confidence, and expanded my vision of what was possible. Faculty members invested in my growth far beyond the classroom. They expected excellence, demanded discipline, strengthened my communication skills, and helped me discover gifts I had not yet recognized in myself.
A Time of Conviction
My years at Claflin unfolded during the Civil Rights Movement, when students were confronting questions of justice, equality, citizenship, and moral responsibility.
Witnessing the courage of students, the power of peaceful protest, and the challenges of that era strengthened my belief that leadership requires the courage to stand for what is right—even when doing so is difficult.
CLAFLIN CONFIDENCE
"The confidence to believe that I could compete with anyone, anywhere, while remaining grounded in humility, faith, and service."
Confidence, Conviction & Courage
CLAFLIN
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Learning to Think, Solve & Serve
MATHEMATICS
After changing my major from pre-medicine to mathematics, I discovered not only my academic passion but also an intellectual framework that would shape my leadership for the rest of my life.
Mathematics taught me disciplined thinking, careful analysis, and the importance of approaching difficult challenges systematically. Complex problems could be understood, analyzed, and ultimately solved through patience, logic, creativity, and perseverance.
Beyond the Classroom
Teaching mathematics provided another defining lesson. Early in my career, I learned that before students cared what I knew, they needed to know that I cared about them.
That lesson transformed my teaching and later became central to my philosophy of presidential leadership: institutions are ultimately about people, and every successful strategy, policy, or vision begins with understanding and valuing those we serve.
Discovering My Calling to Leadership
ACE FELLOWS
Ironically, I never planned to become a college president.
My professional aspirations centered on teaching mathematics, conducting research, and mentoring students.
That changed unexpectedly while serving on the faculty at Delaware State University. Dr. James E. Lyons, then Vice President for Academic Affairs, invited me to work part-time in the Office of Institutional Research. Although I initially accepted because it supplemented my salary, the assignment fundamentally changed my perspective. For the first time, I began to understand the complexities of institutional planning, budgeting, enrollment management, governance, strategic decision-making, and organizational leadership.
I discovered that effective leaders must understand the entire institution - not simply their own department or discipline.
Recognizing my leadership potential, Delaware State nominated me to participate in the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program, the nation's premier leadership development program for aspiring college and university presidents. My fellowship at the University of Delaware provided extraordinary opportunities to learn directly from accomplished presidents, trustees, and senior administrators while observing institutional leadership from the president's perspective.
The ACE Fellows experience transformed my professional aspirations. It broadened my vision of higher education leadership, strengthened my understanding of governance and institutional stewardship, and confirmed that my calling extended beyond mathematics into university leadership.
“Looking back, I often say that mathematics taught me how to solve problems, but the ACE Fellows Program taught me how to lead institutions.”
Leadership as Stewardship
ACE FELLOWS
In 1994, I returned home to South Carolina to become the eighth president of my alma mater.
I never viewed the presidency as simply another career opportunity. Alice and I believed God had called us to a ministry of service through higher education.
Together with an extraordinary Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, church leaders, and community partners, we embraced a shared vision for Claflin University's future. Through strategic planning, academic excellence, student success, fundraising, financial stewardship, campus renewal, leadership development, and unwavering faith, Claflin experienced twenty-five years of transformational progress.
The most important lesson from those years is that transformational leadership is never about one individual.
It is about building a culture where everyone is committed to a common purpose.
Throughout my presidency, every significant decision was guided by one central question:
1994 | Returning Home
Will this strengthen Claflin for future generations?
This question shaped our work in governance, academic quality, financial sustainability, succession planning, and institutional stewardship.
A Journey Shared, A Legacy Remembered
Equally important was my partnership with Alice. She was never simply the First Lady. She was my closest advisor, strongest supporter, intellectual partner, and co-laborer in our shared ministry. Together we sought not only to strengthen an institution but to transform lives.