My Philosophy Of Leadership

Leadership. It is something that everyone strives to achieve and is a trait that can affect every person in the smallest of ways. It is quite a unique feature, and one very hard to come by, with so many leaders nowadays in short supply. As I always like to say, “One million starts with one”. It only takes one person, only one idea, to revolutionize the way that one million people can think. A leader can open our minds and touch our hearts in ways we didn’t know possible. They can help shape the world with their ideas and the foundation of the people supporting them. Like I said before, true leaders today are in short supply. However, I can give this University a new type of leadership that has not been seen before.

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.

Growing up, I realize the important leadership roles that should be recognized in every day life. Leadership is an important part of one's self character because when someone sees you as a leader they tend to grow more onto you so they can be like you. Part of this statement fits a powerful quote i've always lived by while being around others. "It is the men behind who make the man ahead," this quote by Merle Crowell, fits the man I've molded into, simply because I have realized in numerous ways on how my actions can impact other people's actions. My parents always raised me to believe that what you put in is what you get out. So of course, I believe that if I make the decisions to be a follower of the wrong path, then wrong will follow me as well. Instead, I choose to take the golden path and promote a better outcome for my future and hopefully other's also. Sticking to the routine of a leader builds you into an even better leader. Being a better leader, makes me a better man each day that I choose this route as the leader of my path.

When I think of a leader I look back on how many people in my life that have helped me to get where I am today. My parents are authority figures in the sense that they are the ones that showed me right from wrong. There are the administrators that helped me along my way with school and completing all of the work that I needed to in order to make my way in this long road called life. Finally there are the instructors that have shown me the ways on how to become a leader myself. When I think of the word leader I do not think of myself right away, but now that I have taken on different roles in my life I have realized that maybe just maybe that I could become my own leader.

Among society, there is a common longing for success. Success, however it is defined, is only achieved through leadership in some form. Whether a person becomes a public leader in his church, in his country, or simply a leader in his own life, it takes a leader to put in the effort to achieve one's hopes and dreams of success. Leadership allows a person to acquire the means necessary to meet a personal goal and ultimately reach this idea of success. Utilizing leadership skills is how I will achieve my goal of becoming a surgeon.

When I think of a leader, I see someone who stands out. I see someone who is courageous and wants to take the lead. I see someone who chooses to create there own path, rather than taking the one everyone else is taking. As I learn about the qualities and the traits of leadership, I began to self evaluate on how I see myself as a leader.

There are two types of people in the work field. One is the leader and one is the follower. The people in the management do not necessary they are meant to be the leader. There are many reasons that a person became a leader, it is more important how to be a successful leader. A successful leader is able to lead the team, inspire the team and help the team to succeed and grow. There are people are born natural to be a leader, and there are some people because a successful leader by experiences or inspiration from other successful leader.

Imagine you’re going on a hike through the woods, and after an hour or two you’re ready to head back, but as you look around at all your friends you realize no one knows how to get back. Being a leader means coming forward and taking charge, and figuring out the safest and fastest way to get you and your friends back home to safety. Many leaders have many different behaviors and ways that they lead. Many times my friends turn to me to make decisions about what we will do, where we will go, or simply where we will eat. My actions toward the situation define my leadership skills.

As a leader, it's important to know yourself. In fact, I believe you can't lead if you don't have some basic knowledge of who you are as a person; like beliefs or strengths and weakness. My leadership must incorporate not only my positive attributes but must be willing to make changes with aspects of my personality that don’t work. Admittedly, I am sensitive and also passive. I tend to avoid conflict as much as I can. These characteristics might lead to issues of weakening my leadership. Being a leader to me shows having to show a strong front to most people. That doesn't mean a person should compromise who they are. I have to have a certain image when I enter a classroom. I can learn to be more assertive and have a firm voice in a classroom. I looked at the Johari Window website, to see what results I would get on their quiz.

At the core of my leadership philosophy is the belief in continued learning. Only through evaluated learning can we truly become good leaders. A leader is a collection of all the experiences that they have encountered in their lifetime. A leader is able to evaluate each experience to ascertain something about themselves with each one. One should be able to learn how to improve actions and interactions with those that they interact with.

Since I was in elementary school, my parents and teachers have encouraged us to be leaders in every activity. When I prepared for to application of universities, my advisors told me I should emphasize my quality of leadership to attract admissions officers. Is leadership so important for all people to be successful? What will happen if everyone desires to be a leader?

Leadership is an indefinable word. There is no definitive leader because every single group needs a different leader. For example, a group of children need a different leader than a group of adults and a group of rowdy people need a different leader than a laid back group of people. A leader needs to be constantly adapting to each and every situation, assessing every little reaction and changing their approaches. As well as being constantly adapting, a leader is constantly learning new ways to handle a group and gain their attention. Leaders need always be flexible with their methods, always be ready to learn new methods, and ready to be proven wrong.

I believe that I'm good in coming up with optimizing and innovative solutions. I feel good when I learn something new. I like when I can do something in a new way. I believe I have leadership skills. I’m emotionally stable and will remain calm under difficult situations. I can manage people with different personalities and can encourage them for improvement.

I have been a leader in the retail industry for well over 12 years (not counting my part time positions with Target for 6 additional) and I have never been tasked to think about past leaders that have shaped my leadership style. I have certainly never reflected on how those personally close to me have done so as well. Thinking about that now, I can see a correlation between who I am today and past influences in my life. When I think about who has had the most impact on who I am as a person today, not just as a leader, my mom is the first person I think about. At an early age my parents divorced and my mother took on the responsibility of raising 3 girls all on her own. We went from a family of 5 living in a 4 bedroom house with a huge backyard

Throughout the history, until now, we have witnessed many great leaders. But what leadership skills make them a great leader? What are their strengths and weaknesses, their values and credibility? I have never asked these questions to myself up until taking this course. I have realized that being the one in power or being the one that leads is not enough to make you a great leader. There are many different elements of leadership and everyone has a different leadership style. Keeping all these in mind, I thought about my leadership and my personal vision. I have learned a great deal about leadership in this course and I aim to apply them all to my leadership experiences in the future.