The Five Practices Of Exemplary Leadership

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 is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." Dwight D. Eisenhower This quote from Eisenhower rings true on many levels. During my career in the military and the private sector, I have been subjected to many different styles of leadership, good or bad. In my leadership roles I have attained, I tried to model leadership abilities by taking bits and pieces of previous leader’s styles and forming them into my own model. This has proven to work well as dealing with people from all different walks of life there is no one size fits all approach. In writing this paper, I will detail my own leadership platform drawing from the course material and various other sources. The goal of this paper is to show a solid understanding of the course teachings and perhaps give the reader a new found perspective on leadership.

My personal leadership philosophy is simple, lead by example and be authentic in everything you do. I always model the way with my staff. I make sure that if I request for them to be at work on time, I am on time. I make sure that if I set an appointment or promise something, I honor it. This is the only way to build rapport and gain respect from my team. I have learned through trials and tribulations that subordinates are always watching, even when we think they aren’t. Visibly spending time on what’s important shows that you’re putting your money where your mouth is (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). I take time with my staff to ensure they see that I value a good work ethic.

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.

Model the Way is based on the premise that a leaders cannot lead without understanding their personal values and ensuring that their leadership reflects their values. Subordinates will be more likely to trust their leaders when they see that beliefs and actions are aligned. This alignment of what the leader says and does provides greater confidence in the trustworthiness of the leader. Inspire a Shared Vision describes the need that all people have for a sense of purpose in their lives and work. Humans are described as unique in our ability to think about the future. This unique ability requires leaders to provide goals that inspire passion an enable everyone to see a common purpose beyond just earning a paycheck. Challenge the Process speaks to the truth that learning and adapting to new circumstances is a constant process without which stagnation sets in. Leaders must

What is my leadership philosophy? That is a very good question which made me think for a while. First, what does the word philosophy really mean? The dictionary says the word philosophy comes from the Greek roots philo- meaning "love" and -sophos, or "wisdom." But what does it mean to me? Is it a way of life? Or simply what my values and beliefs are and the fact that I have control over it and it can be changed. After pondering over this question I can say my leadership philosophy is to make sure Soldiers are not being used as a

Empirically based, the writers begin the book by offering five practices of exemplary leadership: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart (p. 14). In their

The following sections provide specific examples and are based on the five exemplary leadership practices as outlined by Kouzes and Posner: Challenge the Process, Inspire a Shared Vision, Model the Way, Encourage the Heart, and Enable Others to Act (13). In all of the instances subsequently noted, it is acknowledged that the examples should not be confined to any one of the categories. Shackleton?s practice of these strategies demonstrates that an effective leader blends all of the elements into a unified theme.

In order for a leader to be a leader he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able of affirmative influence “on others”.

Before reading Learning Leadership: The five fundamentals of becoming an exemplary leader and The First Ninety Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, I had a very vague sense of what my strengths and weaknesses were. I know that public speaking has never been a high point for me unless, I felt very confident in the material I am presenting. In retrospect, these particular weaknesses are symptoms of larger issues that are clearly illustrated in detail in these books. Before going into the assignment, I was aware that acknowledging my strengths would be much more challenging than finding my weaknesses. This issue comes into play every six months when I sit down with my supervisor. When I am provided with a

Employees often make comments about their managers or supervisors. Some people feel like they have the best managers, while others feel like they have the worst managers. Managing individuals is not easy, and there is no handbook or novel out there, to teach you how to do it just right. Being a manager is difficult, and being a good manager can be even harder. This paper will discuss the characteristics and behaviors of a peer manager that has influenced my leadership. It will examine my observations of the individual and the impact that it has had on me.

According to Yuki, G. (2010) there are five different leadership approaches that are being researched. These five approaches are:

An effective leader influences their employees in a desired manner to achieve goals and objectives. Different leadership styles can affect an organization’s effectiveness and performance. The objective of this paper is to analyze the review of literature on various leadership styles over the past years and how effective and ineffective different leadership styles are in the workplace.

Through learning about principal leadership theories in this course, I am working towards developing my own leadership philosophy.