Philosophy of Leadership

Introduction

It’s been an interesting exercise to go back and review my leadership philosophy from ORGL 600. Prior to starting this program, I had spent a good amount of time reading about and studying leadership. I felt like I had a strong grasp on what good leadership looked like and how I wanted to show up as a leader. It was fun to go back and reread my original leadership philosophy paper. I was curious how it would resonate; how relevant it would be and how it has evolved over the past few years.

I have included my original definition of leadership, as I think this provides important context and an idea of where my mind was when I started this journey.

A leader is someone who strives to get the best out of people. They push people outside of what they think they are capable of to achieve their full potential. A leader gives people the tools and direction to live the vision of their best-self and truly thrive.

In addition to my definition of leadership, I included the following themes or attributes that I wanted to demonstrate as a leader: authentic, purpose-driven, coach, and human.

I described authenticity as displaying a connection to deeply held core values and acting in alignment with those values. Purpose was about having a strong “WHY”, displaying a strong connection to something outside of myself. Coach was about helping get the best out of people. Pushing them out of their comfort zone and helping them build the skills and abilities to continue to grow and thrive. Finally, human was about the importance of honoring the humanity in others and myself.

I still feel like my original definition of leadership encompasses most of what I believe about leadership and generally, how I want to show up as a leader. That said, I think I have grown a lot in certain areas and how I actualize parts of leadership has certainly evolved.

Authenticity

I still view authenticity as one of the most important characteristics I possess as a leader. If anything, this program has made me believe even more in the importance of this leadership characteristic. As I previously mentioned, I view authenticity as my intentions, actions, voice, and interactions being grounded in and guided by a strong vision and deeply held core values. John Horsman (2018) provides an excellent explanation of this is in his book Servant-Leaders in Training, calling values “the building blocks of human nature” (p. 42). He goes on to explain that the actualizing of our values in the skills we practice in our daily lives is what facilitates the greatest amount of growth. Growth, he says, “implies more than merely understanding, growth implies a practiced shift toward greater application” (p. 42). Authenticity is the actualization and application of my values.

I spend time and energy each day reconnecting with my values and setting a vision for the day that aims to help me bring my values to life. I consciously identify specific skills I want to develop and work on to better support this practice.

Without doing the work on the self to identify a set of values, we layer all other leadership characteristics on a very shaky foundation. As leaders, we know we’ll face challenges, both internal and external. My values provide my internal compass, my north star. When shit hits the fan, it’s these values that I’m going to lean into to help face the challenges that are sure to come. Robert Greenleaf (1991) says that “the greater struggle that will be necessary as you learn to bear more stress and carry responsibility comes because long exposure to these conditions tends to narrow the intellect unless a valiant effort is made to achieve an ever-expanding outlook” (p. 66). As the challenges that inevitably come from work, family, community, etc., without the strong foundation, we will crumble under the stress, making leadership impossible.

Service

            In my initial leadership philosophy, I had identified coach as one of my core leadership traits. This is an area I feel that I’ve really grown, and my perspective has shifted. I still value the role of coach, specifically as it relates to helping bring the best out of others, but I think the values and approach of servant-leadership better defines the way I aspire to lead. As I’ve reflected on the way I’ve shown up as a coach, I think I approached leadership more as the expert, the one with the knowledge to impart. I find that this puts me in a fixed mindset and closes me off to learning opportunities and being open to new ideas that challenge my own. My intention of coach as leader was to help others but, in many ways, it has set my growth back and inhibited me from really showing up for and helping others the way I aspire to.

            The philosophies I’ve learned about servant leadership pull in so much more of how I want to show up as a leader and how I want to help others get the best out of themselves. A critical aspect of servant-leadership is understanding that there will be significant challenges in achieving a goal or vision, whether my own or someone else’s. As a leader, I will need to ask people to take on challenges they might not think they can achieve. I must be willing to challenge those around me to aspire to greatness, and, in doing so, empower and support them in the process. Helping them build the efficacy and belief in their abilities that they can actually do what they have been challenged to do. In his leadership gallery interview, Dr. Raymond Reyes says that “the principles of servant-leadership are a clear blueprint for how a leader can incarnate the followership’s sense of potential” (Leadership Gallery, 0:26). My hope, as a servant-leader is that I can work beside those I lead, shoulder to shoulder, helping them carry the load.

HUMAN

            I identified human in my original philosophy of leadership as perhaps the most important aspects of leadership. Like authenticity, that hasn’t changed and if anything, this program has made me believe even more strongly in the importance of humanity in leadership. Leadership is inherently human. It demands intention in honoring the humanity in others and creating deep, meaningful connections. Without that, we cannot lead. We cannot get the very best out of others. In his introduction to Conversations Worth Having, David Cooperrider says, “we change best when we are strongest and most positive, not when we feel the weakest, most negative, or helpless” (Stavros & Torres, 2018, p. 16). As a leader, it is my intention to help people feel strong, positive, and capable so they may change best.

Application

            As a stay-at-home dad, the application of my leadership philosophy looks different than most. I don’t have a team, direct reports, or an organization to pull together in pursuit of a common goal. However, taking time away from my career during this program has allowed me to internalize the teachings from this program in a way I never could have if I’d been working. This whole process has been very personal. It’s been about me, intentionally, continuously crafting a better version of myself; to lead from within so that I can give the best of me to the people and things that are the most important.

I mentioned that I spend time every morning reviewing my values and writing my vision for the day. This practice has allowed me to identify and proactively work on the skills I want to develop to better actualize my values on a day-to-day basis. Through this process, I’ve been much more intentional about my actions, voice, and interactions. Most importantly, I’m growing the capacity to navigate challenging situations while showing up as the best version of myself—present, fully engaged and acting in service of others—and less likely to be knocked off course by external factors.

Conclusion

            While my general philosophy of leadership hasn’t changed significantly through the course of this program, the depth of my understanding and ability to apply my leadership philosophy has grown tremendously. I am more aware of my role as a leader and I’m better able to recognize how I’m showing up as a leader in moments that really matter. Most importantly, I feel like I’m gaining the skill and abilities to consistently apply my leadership philosophy on a day-to-day basis.

References

Greenleaf, R. K., (1991). Servant Leadership: a journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press

Horsman, J. H., (2018). Servant-Leaders in Training: foundations of the philosophy of servant leadership. Palgrave MacMillan

Rayes, R. [Gonzaga Mentor Gallery]. Effects on Greenleaf Broadband [Video]. https:// learn.gonzaga.edu/ultra/courses/_960010_1/cl/outline

Stavros, J., Torres, C. (2018). Conversations Worth Having: Using appreciative inquiry to fuel productive and meaningful engagement. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.