William Sparks, Ph.D.

Biography

Will Sparks serves as the Dennis Thompson Distinguished Chair & Professor of Leadership at the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. Concurrently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership and Executive Education (CLEE), where he leads the school’s executive education and leadership programming. He received the Fuqua Distinguished Educator Award for excellence in teaching at Queens in 2003 and 2005, and was awarded the inaugural McColl School Leadership in Teaching Award in 2009 and again in 2024.

He is the author of “Actualized Teamwork: Unlocking the Culture Code for Optimal Performance” (2024) and “Actualized Leadership: Meeting Your Shadow & Maximizing Your Potential” (2019) by SHRM Books. Both books debuted as Amazon #1 Best Sellers and are based on leader and team assessments that he designed and validated, and that have been translated into nine languages. He is the co-author (with Peter Browning) of the book “The Director’s Manual: A Framework for Board Governance” (2016, Wiley). In addition to his books, Will has published numerous research papers and book chapters and has appeared in several media outlets, including The Washington Post, Inc., and NPR. His TED Talk “The Power of Self Awareness” was released in 2018.

While on sabbatical from Queens in 2015-2016, he served as Global Vice President of Talent with EnPro Industries (NYSE: NPO), a $5B global manufacturing company headquartered in Charlotte, NC. In this role, he was responsible for all corporate-wide leadership, human resources, and talent management initiatives.

Will serves as the Managing Director for William L. Sparks & Associates, LLC, a professional services firm founded in 1997, focused on leader and team development, executive coaching, and change management. In 2023, he founded The Center for Human and Organizational Potential, a 501c3 not-for-profit research and educational organization focused on human performance and flourishing. He serves on the Board of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

He completed his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Development under the direction of Dr. Jerry B. Harvey from The George Washington University’s School of Business and Public Management, where his research focused on group dynamics, organizational culture, and leadership. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife Erin and son Bennett.

Education

Ph.D., Organizational Behavior and Development, George Washington University
M.A., Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management, Appalachian State University
B.A., Psychology and Philosophy, Winthrop University