Don Wells

Don Wells, DEL-MEM Leadership Advisor


Leadership is a little bit like art. You may not know how to define it, but you can identify strong leadership right away when you experience it.

“Leadership involves crystallizing a vision that captures passions to achieve the extraordinary,” says Don Wells, DEL-MEM Leadership Advisor. “Everything else is management.”

Wells serves as an advisor to DEL-MEM students, grooming them to maximize their strengths and prepare for career advancement and personal growth.  He firmly believes that DEL-MEM graduates can emerge as leaders in forging a sustainable future through a process of establishing and articulating a clear vision of success.

There is little room for timidity in the process. “You need to talk with the folks who report to you. Ask how you can be a more effective manager and leader,” Wells says. “Ask them what they need and determine whether and how you can make it happen.”

Effective leaders are thoughtful as well as proactive, taking time to consider pros and cons while using experience to chart a more navigable path of environmental stewardship.

“When the process ends, it is essential to take time to reflect on what you learned and what you might do differently next time,” Wells says. “Very few people and organizations do this well. But therein lies some of the great keys of learning and leading.”

There is no best practice for this sort of reflection; rather, leaders ought to practice different approaches – ranging from quiet meditation to physical exercise – to see what works best for them. It is essential, however, to “disconnect” from interruptions to truly focus on lessons learned and how they may affect pending on future decisions.

“You have to learn how take care of yourself as well as your team,” Wells says. “Leaders are inherently vulnerable. People will always be second guessing you or testing your personal integrity, morals and values.”

Wells strives to provide practical guidance to DEL-MEM students and alumni, who often step up to demanding leadership roles upon completion of the rigorous program. Creative approaches, including role playing and problem solving among peers, are a key component in a process designed to convert workplace challenges into growth opportunities.

Wells encourages DEL-MEM students to strengthen ties with each other and the broad network of Duke Environment professionals – and to connect with experienced leaders in their own circles to continually sharpen and expand their skills.

“We can develop very good managers in a lock-step program, but true leadership comes from listening and engaging – and having the courage to make decisions and stand by them,” Wells says. “People always say there are not enough leaders, but the fact is, it’s hard work.”

– Jill Warren Lucas, DEL Staff