Reference no: EM132156013
Leadership Philosophy
Both Parts One and Two should be contained in the same paper. Part One, you should complete the statements 1-10 below based on your experiences.
Part One - Finish the following statements:
1. A leader must always...
2. Leaders should never...
3. The best leader I ever had did...
4. The worst leader I ever had did...
5. When I am doing a good job as a leader, I...
6. I am afraid of leaders who...
7. I would follow a leader who...
8. I am repelled by leaders who...
9. Some people think they are good leaders, but they are not because they...
10. I want to be the kind of leader who...
Part Two - Write your leadership philosophy.
Step #1 here is to read the attached article titled, "Journey to the Center: Core Leadership Philosophy" and use it as a guide to develop and write your leadership philosophy. For example, one professor's leadership philosophy is represented by the acrostic "T.E.A.M." The T stands for teams. The E stands for excellence in all you do. The A stands for attitude. Finally, the M stands for morally-grounded. If this were my leadership philosophy, I would flesh out each of these core leadership values with examples and reasons why these drive my behavior day-to-day. Note: this last part is important.
Use this infomration: Journey to the center: core leadership philosophy
Effective leadership is often considered the key to sustained organizational success. This could partially explain why the subject of effective leaders, coupled with the topic of leadership, has attracted considerable attention in all forms of media. When thinking about effective leaders, there is a power in their presence that energizes and motivates those around them. This energy is often accompanied by a genuineness or authenticity pervading everything they do, whether work related or not. The most effective leaders appear to truly know who they are, having actions that are consistent with a core leadership philosophy. With these things in mind, the purpose of this article is to articulate the importance of having a core leadership philosophy followed by practical guidelines for developing this core philosophy. Can a leader be effective without having a well thought out core leadership philosophy? Without a doubt the answer is yes. Why then is having a core leadership philosophy important? Hogan and Kaiser (2005, p. 170) argue that ‘‘Who we are determines how we lead’’. If this is the case, it is critical for leaders to know who they are and what they believe at a ‘‘core’’ level. By knowing and understanding their core leadership philosophy, leaders’ actions and behaviors will be congruent with what they believe. Thus, not only does the leader know how they will respond, the followers also have insight into leader actions and behaviors. When a leader is consistent with who they are, they have a better chance of impacting and influencing those they lead. Five guidelines for developing a core leadership philosophy Reflect on your leadership As one begins the process of developing a core leadership philosophy, the first step is to take some time to talk with others and reflect on what drives your actions and behaviors. Hughes et al. (2009) argue reflection is critical to leader development because it provides the leader with multiple perspectives in analyzing a leadership event or action. Unfortunately, leaders spend little time on reflection. Ask and reflect on these questions: B Why did you lead in that way? B Why did you choose to do it in a certain way? B Are your behaviors and actions consistent over various situations? B Why did you react to a particular situation as you did? B What is important to you as a leader? Reflecting on these questions and others will establish a foundation for a core leadership philosophy by revealing the values that drive an individual’s actions or behavior. PAGE 16 j DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN ORGANIZATIONS j VOL. 23 NO. 1 2009, pp. 16-18, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1477-7282 DOI 10.1108/14777280910924072 Mark H. Jordan is Interim Associate Dean and T.J. Gabriel is Associate Professor of Management, both at Mike Cottrell School of Business, North Georgia College and State University, Dahlonega, Georgia, USA. Put the core leadership philosophy in writing This is a critical step. In discussing this topic with literally many hundreds of CEOs, mid-level leaders, and students, they seem dumbfounded when asked to articulate their core leadership philosophy on the spot. It is painfully obvious that only a handful of people have taken the time to write out the ‘‘what and why’’ of their core leadership philosophy and can articulate it. The act of writing something down tends to force us to reflect on what we are writing and also gives us something that we can review from time-to-time. Furthermore, having the core leadership philosophy written down enables the leader to articulate to their employees, peers, and superiors what drives them as a leader. This process needs to be intentional because is forces the leader to focus on what is important to them, and subsequently drives leadership actions and behaviors. For the purpose of illustration, the authors’ core leadership philosophies are summarized. Leader one. This core leadership philosophy can best be summarized using the acrostic TEAM: T represents dedication to teamwork, both personally and as an important component of how business is conducted in organizations. E represents excellence, a value instilled early in life by parents who pushed their children to go beyond mediocre, doing the best in those things in which they were involved. A stands for attitude which has become stronger as a core value based on faith and prior experiences in the military. M reflects solid moral grounding, strongly influenced by a father that never compromised his integrity. Leader two. This core leadership philosophy is driven by key basic tenets: B ‘‘actions speak louder than words’’ – an individual’s influence is shaped by living what they ‘‘say’’ they believe; B act with integrity; B serve others when a need is perceived; and B show kindness and sensitivity to others. Examine your core leadership philosophy with those you trust and admire Actions and motives are frequently misunderstood by others. In the process of developing a core leadership philosophy, it is important to seek candid feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or family members about others’ perceptions of actions and motives. This examination could include specific questions about how others see you as a leader, as well as the values they perceive based on your behaviors and actions. This type of discussion with trusted individuals in your life gives you a first opportunity to assess the congruency of your written core leadership philosophy with your behaviors and actions in and outside of the workplace. This examination should help in refining and confirming the written philosophy. Review and reflect The leadership literature is replete with research on the value of reflection. This guideline is intended for follow-on review and reflection at key points in a leader’s career. There are obvious times throughout a career to review your core leadership philosophy, e.g. after a ‘‘ In discussing leadership with many hundreds of CEOs, mid-level leaders, and students, they seem dumbfounded when asked to articulate their core leadership philosophy on the spot. ’’ VOL. 23 NO. 1 2009 jDEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN ORGANIZATIONSj PAGE 17 significant leadership task, following a certain amount of time as the leader of an organization, or on an annual basis. This should include a review of actions and behaviors reflecting on the impact or influence of those behaviors to determine if they were consistent with the core leadership philosophy. This highlights the main difference between ongoing review and reflection and the initial development of your core leadership philosophy. Discuss with a peer group Occasionally, engaging your peer group and co-workers on the topic of core leadership philosophy will enable the leader to gain insight from others in similar positions. Defending your core leadership philosophy to peers, who might not have a close relationship with you, but witness you as a leader on a day-to-day basis, helps to sharpen and clarify how you communicate your philosophy. As a side benefit, these types of interactions might also inspire your peers to reflect, refine, and write down their philosophy. Conclusion Through personal interactions, experience, and research related to core leadership philosophy, one common theme has emerged – leaders impact and influence those around them in profound ways. Whether it is as instructors in a university setting or as leaders in organizations, living out a core leadership philosophy tends to attract others, allowing for the opportunity to impact and influence at a level that can make a life-changing difference. For the purpose of clarity, it should be understood that a well thought out core leadership philosophy is a necessary, but not sufficient condition to be an outstanding leader. It is important to recognize the importance of leaders having excellent leadership skills, understanding leadership theories, and appreciating the critical nature of healthy relationship and task behaviors. However, having a well-defined core leadership philosophy is the best way to be intentional about ‘‘how’’ leadership is enacted. It is the foundation that allows the leader to reach new heights.