Personal Leadership Philosophy

There is a difference between a manager and a leader. A true leader not only manages their department, they also encompass relationship-building behaviors such as asking, listening, including, coaching and encouraging. The main characteristics of a highly effective leader are the ability to confront problems, focusing on the goals of your subordinates, and insisting on excellence from your staff. The most memorable leaders in my mind are the ones who would not ask you to do anything they would not do themselves.

Positioning the leader “as one who can be trusted and is worthy of support” is important to defining leadership. People will not be willing to take orders from someone they don’t see as a honest person. Communication that reinforces the organizational vision, mission, and values of the organization is also a good measure of leadership. Repetition is key to understanding and by repeating what he or she is trying to achieve in the organization, the leader is driving the idea home with the audience. Using communication to “facilitate a two-way flow of information throughout all levels of the organization, including manager to employee, employee to manager, and peer to peer” also defines the leadership role. Keeping the leader in touch with the people and having the people heard is important in “promoting a shared stake in the enterprise”. An effective leader must also keep people informed of the current and future

Most definitions of leadership say general things like “Someone who leads” (Dictionary.com) or “The office or position of a leader” (Merriam-Webster). These simple definitions, because leadership is an abstract term, are expected. The quality of leadership, though, is much more complex than what the definitions make it out to be. A leader more than just someone who stands at the front of the crowd, a real

Leadership is all around us regardless of position. Everyone, in some manner, has the opportunity to lead and make an impact whether at home or at work, low on the rank structure or at the top of the proverbial food chain. A successful leader is someone who has a vision, strong core values, a servant and someone who can win the hearts of those to whom they are leading to accomplish a mission; leaders work themselves out of a job if successful. Influences within my career were Chiefs on my boat who were not afraid to get their hands dirty, first classes who worked late and made themselves available when we were all screwing up to ensure we would succeed without retribution on the following Monday and dozens more with attributes I wanted to follow and visions I thought were worth wild to achieve. Through these exposures, I have realized that a successful leader is a servant. My leadership philosophy is to provide a vision, be an example, and empower people to succeed, be a servant to those doing the work, reward success and get out of the way.

My definition of leadership is the act of leading people in a group or organization to achieve a common goal. To achieve that goal, there must be a

being able to take the initiative when I can see someone that is having trouble or being able to

Leaders are often described as being visionary, equipped with strategies, a plan and desire to direct their teams and services to a future goal (Mahoney, 2001). Effective leaders are required to use problem-solving processes, maintain group effectiveness and develop group identification. They should also be dynamic, passionate, have a motivational influence on other people, be solution-focused and seek to inspire others.

The Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary (2014) defines leadership as “the power or ability to lead other people.” There is no single definition of leadership, however, there is an understanding that leadership is being able to lead a group of people. According to The Oxford English Online Dictionary (2014), leadership is defined as “the dignity, office, or position of a leader, esp. of a political party; ability to lead; the position of a group of people leading or influencing others within a given context; the group itself; the action or influence necessary for the direction or organization of effort in a group understanding. Whitehead, Weiss, & Tappen (2010) defined leadership as “…occurs whenever one person attempts to influence the behavior of an individual or

I believe that to be a good leader doesn’t necessarily define as someone who sets a goal and directs people to achieve it, but as someone who may have to adapt to change based off their surroundings and situations. A leader should be someone who is able to guide with not only direction but also logic, understanding, and an open mind. Oskar Schindler proved with continued leadership that even the most dismal situations may be able to change your values and based off those values change your actions and the direction in which you choose to lead and how you influence.

Two characteristics that are closely associated with being an effective leader are one’s ability to exert influence over others and the ability to help others in achieving a group or organizational goal.

Effective leaders are all around us. Effective leaders lead by example, walk the walk and talk the talk, and are able to provide their team with the tools they need to be effective and successful. They support their team in making decisions, but not make the decisions for them. Leaders can also provide feedback and coaching when necessary. Most leaders rely on their team around them to reach the goals they set out, both for the leader and for the team. Working with great leaders is a dream come true for most people. Effective leaders make work better and more exciting. One of the most important aspects of being a great leader is caring for those individuals that

Throughout my life I have been on my own leadership journey. I had not realized it at first but every part of life has a lesson to learn. With the beginning leadership classes and the start of the Leadership Studies Minor, I have become more aware of what true leadership is about. As it was drilled in our heads throughout the course, “leadership is a process”. Learning this concept cleared the air of all the occasions in life that were adaptive but never had a term to describe them. I know now that the term is “Adaptive Leadership”. I like the quote; “Standing in the garage no more makes you a car than standing in an office makes you a leader.” A leader has qualities not positions or titles. A great leader to me is someone who is hard working, visionary, a good active listener, honest, honorable, and someone who is not afraid to ask questions.

An effective leader makes change happen. They have the ability to influence their followers and accomplish the objectives of a group. According to chemers (2007). Leadership roles dwell on the ability of an individual to lead others, and for this reason, a leader must adopt effective characteristics to ensure that his or her style of leadership is effective. Different leaders carry out different leadership functions based on their effectively. This ensures that a group can attain their goals under the said leadership. Stephan Covey, the author of a well-known book that talks about the Habits of Effective People, said that leadership begins with a desire to attain a certain goal then commitment in the sad desire. Leadership includes various attitudes, values and mindsets which can expedite commitment and transformation (Vugt & Ahuja 2011). Effective leadership start by creating a vision and goals for his group. A leader is then capable of making this vision or goal come true.

Leadership is a concept that scholars have been attempting to define for ages, and although hundreds of different definitions of leadership have arose, there are a number of concepts that have been adapted as accurately reflecting what it is to be a leader.

My definition of leadership is taken directly from the U.S Army; “influencing others to accomplish a mission, while taking care of people and improving the