An effective leader is a supportive person who values your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Excellent leaders are available to all members of the team, willing to work hard, engaged no matter what the task, and are notably trustworthy. Leaders help focus the team through purposeful communication, vision, engagement, and inspiration to cause others to be excited and invested in the work environment. Leadership-As-Practice (L-A-P) creates a cohesive pathway and discovers how the team can collaborate toward a common goal. Specific factors make a leader and create a solid foundation for success. Character, relationships, knowledge, intuition, and experience help to build momentum and create a visionary leader. Embracing change is important because you cannot manage or control it; it must be led and initiated by the leader. Several factors encompass an effective leader in higher education settings and these specific traits will be explored and specific framework ideas will be evaluated. [For the full proceedings, see ED671809.]