Tribute to Dr. Alan Leader

November 4, 1927 – March 11, 2012

4th November 2017 Alan Leader would become 90. 

Five years ago we lost a wonderful man, deeply loved by everyone who knew him. Alan has left a significant mark in lives of everybody who was lucky to know him, to talk to him, to learn from him, and to laugh with him.

We were privileged to work with Alan, and to know him as a wonderful and supporting friend.

Alan has left us bright memories about his warmth, intelligence and kindness. These memories will always stay.

Many thanks to everyone who sent us their memories of Alan Leader. We will keep on publishing them. 

Dr. Alan H. Leader received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Rochester, and his doctorate in business from Indiana University. In addition to several years of industrial production experience, he taught Management at Western Michigan University and the University of Guam, earning tenure and the rank of Professor at both. He was appointed Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at the UoG, and Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Southern Connecticut State University. He left SCSU for Seattle, taught at Seattle University, and consulted (as Leader Associates) with businesses, governmental units and universities. Dr. Leader was a Jonah’s Jonah with the A.Y.Goldratt Institute (AGI).

He served on the international and educational committees of his University District Rotary Club and was its President for one term, the Volunteer Service League of the University of Washington Medical Center and was its President for one term, volunteered at the John Stanford International School, in the National Defense Executive Reserve, and was an active certified Mediator in Washington for the Snohomish, Island, and Skagit counties Dispute Resolution Center until the week before he died.

Dr. Leader presented papers and published widely in the areas of organization structure and effectiveness, decision making, strategic planning and continual quality improvement. He was awarded the Order of the Chamorri by the government of Guam, the Award for Teaching Excellence by WMU, the Herman B Wells Leadership Seminar Research Grant by IU, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. Dr. Leader was named Dean Emeritus by SCSU. He was involved with the Theory of Constraints since the late 1980s, was a member of the Goldratt Schools faculty, and chaired the Thinking Processes Committee of the TOCICO. Alan was a Founding member of TOCPA.

His goal was to help people learn and apply rules of logic and common sense to everyday life. He believed that people have the necessary intuition, knowledge and experience to make good judgmental decisions about themselves and their relationships with others. He assisted them to become more effective in their homes and at their places of employment, and to live happier, more fulfilling lives.

Alan Leader was married (Louise Bush Leader) with two sons, two daughters-in-law, three granddaughters and a great granddaughter.

 
Alan in 1950:


Alan in 2005, teaching in a Goldratt Schools Application Expert Program in Vilnius: 


In a meeting of Goldratt Schools Faculty, 2005