eadership Philosophy Paper

The title: Leadership Philosophy Paper

Details is that students will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate at least two leadership theories: I will use

Transformational theory/ relationship theory and Situational theory

and use these theories to answer the following questions:

(1) Who am I as a leader? and (2) How will I develop leaders of the future?

In response to this: my background is that I am an educator (Work with the military and I assist soldiers in going to college as a counselor. I am the supervisor of several staff members! The budget in within reason! I need a good foundation to build this paper!). We assist students in going to any college of their choice.

The leadership philosophy paper should clearly demonstrate: (a) ethics (b) diverse and global perspectives; and (c) lifelong learning.

The paper should also incorporate social and environmental responsibility into organizational strategies.

12 Pages/APA format with at least 10 peer reviewed references.

The paper can be written in first person or third person but don not switch back and forth.

Leadership Philosophy Paper

In coining the notion of what leadership is, I looked at the most significant to me as a leader. I am aware that leadership is so situational and very broad, and thus painting a scenario of what leadership is may be intricate. However, from a general point of view leadership is about guiding others to success. Nevertheless, the task at hand is determining who I am as a leader. I wanted to know what drives me as a leader, what shapes me, and the factors that make me a leader. Hence, based on these reflections, I came up with the definition of leadership in a more encompassing way. Leadership is more than having followers, it is not achieved by abiding by some definitive principles, and neither is it a title. At its core, leadership is intricate, and it entails possessing the courage to make not the popular, but right choices, empowering others to follow a shared objective of attaining a lasting and positive impact, and aligning others in a vision (Meyer & Meijers, 2017).

Knowledge of Self

My philosophy of leadership has been shaped by various factors, and one factor is determining who I am as a leader. For this to happen, I must first know myself, for it is through completely understanding myself that I will realize my utmost potential as a leader. When a process is stripped of leadership, leadership is left in its raw form, which is a relationship. Leadership is never complete without followers. In leadership, the utmost relationships prevail when each individual is aware of their personality, and what exactly they bring to the table, affecting all follower/leader relationships. I approach the leadership relationship more confidently when my followers and I can mutually benefit from our relations. Besides, numerous tools exist to help me have a better understanding of myself as a leader. Through my work as an educator and supervisor, and academic coursework, and ICLP, I have been able to formulate the following about myself.

Core Values

Understanding one’s core values are one of the most significant steps of becoming a successful leader. Most of my values are attributed to my childhood. Nevertheless, these values have been tested and shaped all through my time working as an educator in the military and as a supervisor for various staff members. I have been faced with various challenges in making decisions as an educator, and it is through these challenges I have been able to develop my core values (Whitaker, 2015).

Authenticity

I believe that one can never be a successful leader without first knowing who one is. After an individual gains such an understanding, decisions are then made in ways that reflect the leader’s ideals and values. An authentic leader is always true to their cause and true to their followers (Miller, 2018). Hence, I have developed consistency in my decisions and behaviors, and some level of openness to my followers. I ensure that followers are familiar with my decision-making process and my leadership values. I earn my followers' trust by initiating genuine interactions.

Integrity

I have always held close to my heart Clement Stone's assertion that one should have the courage to face the truth and possess the audacity to say no. It is also important to do the right thing because it is right. As a counselor, ethical practice is very paramount in my work. Ethical practice has also been significant throughout my academic experience and I have been able to break it down to knowing what is right and doing what is right, not considering whether anyone is watching or not. Integrity has formed the framework through which I make all my decisions as a leader.

Passion

Passion has been my driving force as a leader. Passion is an intense and deeply rooted feeling towards something in a leadership context; it entails the intense feeling towards a goal, mission, or cause (Miller, 2018). Without passion, it would be intricate for me to become a great leader. I believe that passion is like a spark, which initiates a fire in both the follower and the leader, which drives them to achieve the defined and collective goals and objectives. Passion has always motivated my followers and I in difficult situations. Passion is what has led me to be where I am as a leader, working with the military to assist soldiers.

Respect

As a leader, I have realized that success is a fundamental core value of making great leaders. It is often difficult to source respect from others. However, by respecting others, I can solicit feedback and advice from my followers, which consequently leads to others respecting me. I have developed some form of open-mindedness and the willingness to comprehend other people’s viewpoints. Respecting others despite their status has enabled me in assisting many soldiers in joining colleges as they respect me as their counselor and educator.

Service

Leadership is all about service to others as it is an act of service. Transformational leadership entails a leader giving himself to the followers. I feel that servant leadership is a viable approach that can be used by any leader. it involves working towards a common good, as the leader has forfeited personal gain for the group’s benefit. Every form or type of leadership starts with the willingness to serve others. As a leader, I dedicate myself to the cause and the purpose, and to improving those soldiers who come to me as their leader for counseling. As Crowder, Gordon, Brown, Davidson, and Domitrovich (2019) indicate, if leadership only serves the leader, then that leadership will fail. Status, financial gain, and ego satisfaction can all be viable tools for leadership, but if they are the only motivators, they destroy a leader. it is only through service for a common good, will a leader truly becomes a leader.

Dedication and Hard Work

Whoever thought that leadership is easy has never been a leader. Leadership is intricate due to all the parameters that revolve around it. Motivating followers, providing direction and support, and understanding followers can be very draining. Besides, as a leader, I have always encountered challenges, and on some occasions, I have failed. However, through my dedication and hard work, I have not relented or be discouraged by the predicaments that I have encountered in my journey of becoming a leader. I am always willing to change direction and re-evaluate if the need arises.

Humor

Though everything has its time and place, the aspect of humor has an imperative place in leadership. In my personal opinion, I have never encountered a leader who does not possess a sense of humor. I have some form of humor in my leadership as leadership entails taking risks, which may lead to failure. In such a moment, a leader should lighten the mood of his followers through humor. I have used humor in lighting up some too-serious situation or to facilitate group cohesiveness.

Learning and Growth

As a leader, I have continually pursued opportunities for learning and growth. Even in the face of failure, I seek growth points since I believe that failing is one way of learning. I have always embraced the phrase "Think globally and acting locally." I believe that to think global involves realizing that the world is changing constantly, and for me to keep up, I must be ready to take opportunities that will lead to continued learning and growth.

All the above core values are interconnected. It has taken me great courage to lead with integrity and authenticity. Integrity inspires respect for others and service. Living with integrity and authentically has developed my passion, which has translated to full dedication and commitment to hard work, as well as learning and growth. Pushing through the pressures and obstacles in leadership requires some sense of humor, and I am ever willing to realign my life to my passions.

My philosophy

As an educator, working with the military and a supervisor of several staff members, I often reflect on where I am coming from and where I am going. I have served in other positions in my life like working in the academic office, working at a bookstore, and assisting students in going to any college. I have witnessed numerous leadership styles, and I can comfortably classify my leadership styles as transformative and situational. I hold the notion that no individual is better than the other and the only difference is the distinct levels of responsibilities. Everyone should be respected equally as everyone is equally important. This is because every position is unique and significant for an office or department to be successful. A supervisor is no worse or better than a staff team leader, and it is only that they have different tasks, and their decision-making levels are different. As a leader, I am tasked with offering a rewarding and equitable work environment to everyone.

I anticipate that everyone has the prospective to become a leader. With the right amount of dedication and time, and through mentorship, recourses, and support, anyone can be a leader. Similar to an individual who has access to education having the capability of learning, is the same way that individuals who have the prospective of growing professionally, can also become transformational leaders. Nevertheless, not every individual will become a great leader, just like no everyone becomes a great mathematician or writer after learning.

A leader is never afraid of holding people accountable and making firm calls in their duties. As an educator, and as a counselor who assists soldiers in going to the college of their choice, I endeavor to offer initiatives to help the soldiers’ development and experiences. My belief as a transformative leader is to provide mentorship to assist in the development of future leaders. I always hold that learning is mutual, whereas they learn from me, I also learn from them and learning and development in leadership is a never-ending process.

There are traits that I hold to be imperative in leadership, and they include inspiring others, open communication, courage, honesty, empathy, and the ability to foster trust in the team. Being in the forefront as a leader, I have learned how to listen to the ideas and concerns of others (Zaccaro, Rittman & Marks, 2011). I also encourage the participation of everyone, and I appreciate challenging suggestions and comments. Being a moderator in my work, I also learn from the views of others.

Various theories can offer explanations on how leaders behave, which vary based on the prevailing situation and the culture they encounter. Nevertheless, individual leadership skills can be modified and developed over time, culminating in eclectic forms. There is no single perfect theory or formula that facilitates that one becomes the best leader. Leaders grow and learn as their skills develop. Personally, my objective is to offer a just, respectful, and welcoming work environment that enhances innovation and creativity. Besides, I believe that an effective leader should never lose the main goal of the organization while supporting and respecting everyone in the institution to facilitate success.

Leadership Self-Assessment

I perceive myself as an individual who uses situational leadership to facilitate my success. As a leader, in every situation, I have different strategies, because situations are different and require different ways of handling. In some situations, I have to think about the moral and ethical implications of the decisions I make, while in some situations, I have to respond swiftly using my critical and creative skills. However, I also feel that it is imperative to empower other team members that I work with as I believe this is the best strategy for completing the allocated tasks. According to Northouse (2013), he likens team leadership to the approach used in a sports team.

He indicates that the model of team leadership assists in the constant improvement and analysis, similar to that of a sports team. Just because the team is winning, the coach never stops working. The coach is ever working to assist in building commitment, the development of young players, create and share new strategies and methods, and share expertise, as a way of enhancing the functioning of the team. Past successes do not deter an effective coach but rather builds on such successes to improve the functioning of the team in the future and ensure its effectiveness regardless of the situation.

For me to become a good and effective leader (coach), is should first comprehend and be acquainted with my team. At any moment I start working in a new organization or institution, my objective is to know every person that I will be working with (indirectly or directly) by partaking in meetings (formal and informal) with employees and with peers. Through such strategies, it is possible to assess the dynamics of the team. It is imperative to build trust among the team, and this can be achieved by getting diverse perspectives and insights from everyone (Ebbers, Conover & Samuels, 2010). Thus, listening to all my team members is significant.

As a leader, I believe in setting annual goals, which also involve annual evaluations, weekly staff meetings, and one on one with team members. Every employee must be aware of what the office or department needs to accomplish to ensure that everyone gives their utmost best. All meetings should be scheduled with a purpose and as a leader; I am tasked with conducting purposeful meetings that are meant to add value to the department or organization. Such meeting culminates in professional development and personal growth of the team members. My objective is to prepare the next generation of leaders and equip them with the necessary skills to become great leaders. According to Northouse (2013), there are various characteristics linked to successful team achievements. They include:

Result-driven structure: Teams require the most viable structure for meeting their goals. Distinct teams have distinct levels of responsibility, and thus the working and reporting structure ought to be different. For instance, a Board of Trustees has a different structure than a search committee. Each team must comprehend how the prevailing structure permits them to deliver the utmost results as well as their role in the organization.

Elevating and clear goals: The goals set for the teams must be very clear so that it will be easy to establish if the performance objective has been realized. The goal should be motivating or involving so that the team believes it would be important and worthwhile to realize these objectives.

Unified commitment: successful and robust teams are those that have formed some sense of identification or unity.

Competent Team Members: teams must have the right mix or the right number of members to successfully meet the defined objectives

Collaborative Climate: Team members should possess unique and specific roles, where all their efforts culminate in the collective success of the organization. Team failure is not only attributed to the inability of team members but also the collective failure to synchronize and coordinate their contributions.

External recognition and support: teams can only achieve the set objectives if they are provided with the necessary resources. It is paramount for a leader to recognize wishful and realistic goals. If I do not give employees a budget for them to attend conferences, the employees can't attend the conference, even though the organization wanted them to attend.

Standards of Excellence: For groups to function well, they should, they should have effective group norms (Harrison, 2018). The standards of excellence should be defined and formulated by the team so that the team can have some sense of entitlement and ownership as well as some excitement in regards to the work that needs to be fulfilled.

Principled Leadership: it is fulfilled in four ways: (1) coordinating, where the leader matches the strengths and skills of individuals to their role, (2) effectively, where the leader offers realistic strategies and goals to manage stress, (3) motivationally, where performance standards are set by the leader, while also motivating the team to facilitate their success, (4) cognitively, where the leader assists the teams to comprehend the predicaments (Harrison, 2018).

These aspects resonate well with me as I have attempted to incorporate so many of these aspects in my line of work as possible. As an educator, supervisor, and counselor and working with various staff members, I have applied some of the aspects such as principled leadership where I offer realistic goals to the staff and assist them in fulfilling them. I have also instituted effective norms for my staff so that they can meet the required effective standards of excellence. I also ensure that I have the right mix of staff so that my team can be competent in meeting the defined objectives. I also ensure that the structure I apply is result-driven by ensuring that each staff is aware of what is expected from them.

I believe that no decision is hard when the rationale and message are communicated clearly, to all the involved parties. Some decisions should remain confidential because they are protected by law (unethical behavior, termination of employment), and it is my obligation as an educator and supervisor in the military to act with respect and integrity by not compromising the identity of the parties involved. In the last two years, I have done the StrenghtsFinder assessment twice, where I have received different results. In 2016, my top strengths were maximizer, developer, positivity, competition, and includer. In 2018, my strengths were adaptability, significance, strategy, empathy, and futuristic. Therefore, as a leader, I have changed and it is important to be aware of our growth and strengths and how it is applicable in improving my work as a leader.

I believe that I am an ethical leader, as I demonstrate good values through actions and words. I follow the assertion by Gill (2018) that an ethical leader should never overlook any wrongdoing, even in scenarios that may benefit the organization. I am always focused on doing what is right and showing integrity. I have realized various benefits for the organization I work with because of my ethical leadership.

Improved brand image: I clearly show what our organization has the best to offer.

Positive culture: The staff that works behind me has enhanced morale as I have been able to inspire them to be the best version of themselves and perform at their utmost best.

Loyalty: being an ethical leader, I have ensured that the staff and clients remain loyal to the organization.

Scandal Prevention: I have never created any negative or bad PR for the organization I work for. I am aware that scandals can be damaging to the organization, tainting its image, and thus we may end up losing important clients.

Improved Emotional Well-being: I have reduced workplace stress, which can lead to negative productivity. I am aware that toxic leadership leads to decreased efficiency.

As a leader, I am actively involved in corporate social responsibility. I formulate the initiatives for CSR for my staff and the program they have to follow. I believe that leadership is not a position but a choice. Therefore, as a leader, I know that I am very critical to any CSR effort because it is my obligation that I ensure that the organization does right for the community and the environment (Gorski, 2017). As a socially responsible leader, I understand that my decisions and actions affect a wide array of stakeholders in my organization. I, therefore, take a key interest and a wider view of the purpose of the organization. I also take a key interest in how the organization contributes to the social and environmental challenges that the organization faces. I also have to do good to the clients I serve as they join college to ensure that they become responsible people who will contribute positively to society and the environment.

Conclusion

I can attest that I have come a long way to be where I am as a leader. I had a humble beginning and now am an educator, work with the military and I assist soldiers in going to college as a counselor. I am the supervisor of several staff members. Hence, throughout my leadership journey, I can indicate that I exercise two styles of leadership, situational leadership, and transformational leadership. Nevertheless, I first start with understanding who I am as a leader. I have realized that am not supposed to make the popular, but right choices, empowering others to follow a shared objective of attaining a lasting and positive impact, and aligning others in a vision. Therefore, as much as I apply my leadership skills and core values based on the prevailing situation, I also focus on transforming others to become future leaders. I believe that in its raw form, leadership is all about forming working relationships in an organization. I am driven by the core values of authenticity, integrity, passion, respect, service, humor, dedication and hard work, learning, and growth. I hold the notion that no individual is better than the other and the only difference is the distinct levels of responsibilities. Everyone should be respected equally as everyone is equally important. I anticipate that everyone has the prospective to become a leader. With the right amount of dedication and time, and through mentorship, recourses, and support, anyone can be a leader. I am actively involved in corporate social responsibility and I can classify myself as an ethical leader.

References

Crowder, M. K., Gordon, R. A., Brown, R. D., Davidson, L. A., & Domitrovich, C. E. (2019). Linking social and emotional learning standards to the WCSD Social–Emotional Competency Assessment: A Rasch approach. School Psychology, 34(3), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000308

Ebbers, L., Conover, K.S., & Samuels, A. (2010). Leading from the Middle: Preparing Leaders for New Roles. In D. L. Wallin (Ed.), Leadership in an Era of Change (pp. 59-64). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Gill, R. (2018). Theory and practice of leadership. Los Angeles: SAGE

Gorski, H. (2017). Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, International conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION, 23(1), 372-377. doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/kbo-2017-0061

Harrison, C. (2018). Leadership theory and research: A critical approach to new and existing paradigms. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Meyer, R., &Meijers, R. (2017). The nature of leadership. Leadership Agility, 2-15. doi:10.4324/9781315159980-1

Miller, P. W. (2018). The Nature of School Leadership. The Nature of School Leadership, 165-185. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-70105-9_9

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage

Zaccaro, S.J., Rittman, A.L., & Marks, M.A. (2011). Team Leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 12, 451-483.

Whitaker, T. (2015). What great principals do differently: eighteen things that matter most. New York, NY: Routledge.