1 Why should you have a leadership philosophy?
Leadership philosophy has a foundational element to it. The different components included create a strong basis on which to build on and take your leadership forward. You are better equipped to lead and to succeed in your leadership with a leadership philosophy due to three core benefits: character, consistency and collaboration.
Character
Drafting a leadership philosophy will provide clarity and focus to your character. Character matters because it influences your everyday decision-making and communication with other people. Without a proper understanding of your character and the traits you truly value, you are more likely to fall into bad habits and to let emotions control you. By making
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Business strategist and author John Spence has written a good blog post on the topic and in it, he gave a powerful example of the benefits of leadership philosophy. He used the famous quote by Walt Disney to make a point about why successful leaders need to define the framework for action. The quote says, “When values are clear decisions are easy.” Spence flipped it around stating, “When values are not clear decisions are difficult.” By defining your leadership philosophy, you clarify your decision-making by enhancing your focus on the values and actions that truly …show more content…
Before providing you with the format for your written philosophy, we are going to explain why having a published leadership philosophy matters. As you’ll see in the next section a written leadership philosophy statement can be useful in getting to the heart of your true values and ideas. By having a written statement, you are sure to have a reminder of the ideals you want to be pushing towards. But it can be more beneficial to have the leadership philosophy published or at least shared with a few people because it increases your accountability. If you are the only one aware of your leadership principles, you don’t need to worry about others calling you out on doing something against your values since no one has knowledge of them. On the other hand, if you are loosing your sense of direction, a person who has seen your leadership philosophy statement can nudge you back in the right direction. The objectives you want to deliver and the values you want to keep at the heart of your leadership will be known. Even the knowledge that people have access to your statement or your closest friends or mentors know them can be enough to keep you focused on following your
Leadership is not a simple, static concept. It does not form overnight. Instead, it develops alongside experiences which form a person’s character. It is as dynamic as the events that shape our lives. My life experiences equip me with the knowledge to form my own leadership philosophy. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I ensure my subordinates understand my philosophy. I ensure they understand what I expect of them. The basis of my leadership philosophy is promoting self-development, serving others, being proactive, and being an example of effective leadership.
Being a leader is more than simply holding a leadership position or having the ability to lead. Everyone is capable of being a leader, but not everyone exercises his or her leadership abilities. Each person’s idea of leadership is different. My idea of leadership has developed over time, and being a member of the President’s Leadership Class has helped me develop my philosophy of leadership further than what it was two months ago. My personal philosophy of leadership is the ability to effect change through leading by example, taking initiative, and encouraging others.
Leadership can be defined as the process of identifying a goal, motivating others, and make them to achieve the mutually goals (Giltinane, 2013). According to Humphreys (2002), successful leaders do this by applying their leadership knowledge and skills. A good leadership is not only good at management, but also use different leadership styles in different situations. A successful corporation must has a good leader who have the flexible ability which can provide a suitable leadership to make the company successful. Furthermore, there have no perfect leadership styles in the world. Different leader have different leadership styles which also have the different strengths and weaknesses (Ali & Waqar, 2013). Leaders need to consider
Leadership will help people to develop the ability to work as a team or group to achieve the common goals. It helps people to cultivate the good qualities to become a excellent leader.
My personal leadership philosophy reflects a desire to develop subordinates and create an efficient, purpose driven environment. A leader must create a clear vision which followers can understand in order to meet all the requirements of their unit. A leader must lead with the end in sight creating goal driven activity. I believe the way to measure the success of a leader is through the success of their subordinate leaders. Therefore, a leader must constantly develop their subordinate leaders. Passion drives success making it essential for a leader to create buy-in to their plan at every level. It is inevitable that a leader will have to make correction and in order for this to have a positive influence on the organization the correction must be clear, quick, and recoverable. My personal leadership philosophy focuses on these three main points; care for Soldiers, clear vision, development of subordinates, and positive corrective practices.
My leadership philosophy stems from my experience in the Army. As a leader, I believe in honesty, commitment, and respect for others. All responsibilities should be carried out in a timely manner. My main priority is the well-being of my Soldiers. My Soldiers can expect me a leader that is caring, dedicated, and upholds the standards.
My Leadership philosophy is influenced by President Abraham Lincoln and his leadership style which resounds with me on how one should act and leader others. In fact, his willingness to get out of the office and circulate around the people is one of the foundations of his leadership style and is resonated by Master Chief Cantrell as he calls all chiefs to get out from behind our desks and get to know our people. This trait along with his character as it relates to honesty and integrity align directly with how I believe a leader should act. Leadership for me is not just telling people what needs to be done, but in order to be an effective leader we must get to know those we lead and above all we must be honest with everyone around us, both
and, because of this, it is important to live by the Army’s values. We, however should
My leadership philosophy entails three key principles: Communicate, Collaborate, and Respect. Throughout my personnel career in the US Army Reserve, I have used the first three principles to resonate with audiences because it’s very important to me. These three principles will support the overall priority of readiness and team cohesion.
According to Collins English Dictionary, leadership is the position or function of a person who guides or directs a group (collinsdictionary.com, n.d.). The Army defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization” (FM 6-22, 2015). My leadership philosophy started before I joined the military over 15 years ago. My parents instilled values I have carried into the military, and the most important value to me is treating people the way you want to be treated. So when you define philosophy, it is meant as a foundation.
I can summarize my leadership in two words: adaptability and approachability. There exist infinite possible approaches to leadership, and there is not one single universal right. Throughout my career, I have encountered and taken note of the different leadership styles in my path and have come to realize that in order to be most effective, I must be adaptable to each unique circumstance. I have also formed my philosophy by taking into account what I consider to be toxic leadership styles. Toxicity leads to unapproachability and one cannot expect to successfully ensure the wellbeing of their subordinates if they do not feel comfortable discussing issues. It would be a feat to comprehensively cover every aspect of my leadership philosophy within
My leadership philosophy is based on the last 16 years of experience. Amongst those years, I have had some good leaders and bad leaders. I believe I’m a better leader today because my leadership journey has not always been easy. This made me a better listener, increased my sensitivity to those around me and solidified my values and character. These types of significant events shape leaders and it’s up to you if you want to be shape yourself into the good leader.
Leadership has made our world for what it is today. Leadership is very powerful in the world, it can let the world know there always is something to believe in. If a leader can inspire and make others dream you can accomplish something
f you were to try to strengthen your philosophy of leadership, what kinds of changes would you have to make in your assumptions about human nature and work? A leader should always be strong in making decisions. Should take decisions on time. To strengthen my philosophy of leadership, I would like to change my sociability nature because it makes me think more at times to take a decision. 2. As you look at your
Most companies understand and are aware of the importance of leadership and the vital role it plays in the effectiveness and development of a company’s overall health and well-being. All businesses set out to be profitable otherwise the company would not exist. Competition has become increasingly advanced in today’s global business world and as a result, organizations must be the best they can be at all times. If they drop the ball it will most likely cost them in respect to the company’s bottom line. This is why it is important to have a solid leadership style in place.