My Personal Leadership Philosophy
Strong leadership is a key component to the success of any type of organization. Extensive research supports the importance of conceptualizing leadership as a social group process emphasizing the importance of people skills, in contrast to traditional management-oriented styles that focused on completing tasks as directed by a single leader (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009; Crevani, Lindgren, & Packendorff, 2009; Daft, 2011; Pearce, Manz, & Sims, 2009). There is a wealth of leadership research and theory that may be utilized to effectively guide one’s practice. Effective leadership in today’s diverse society involves clear understanding of preferred leadership styles, behaviors and how these may differ from those preferred by others to minimize misunderstandings and misinterpretations (Ayman & Korabik, 2010). In order to effectively integrate leadership knowledge and successfully hone leadership skills it is imperative to reflect on one’s subjective understanding of leadership, clearly articulating a personal leadership philosophy. I believe that to be a successful leader one must have a strong connection between their personal core values, worldview and philosophy of leadership. My personal leadership is comprised of three attributes. I believe that three essential characteristics of good leadership are collaboration, integrity and the ability to inspire and motivate. In this paper I will discuss these three leadership qualities, reflecting on my own understanding of effective leadership and the specific means through which they may be integrated to promote successful leadership as related to current research literature. I will begin by focusing on collaborative practice.
Collaboration
Leadership is a social process (Crevani, Lindgren, & Packendorff, 2010). I believe that the first essential component of great leadership is the recognition and application of collaborative practice among all members of an organization. Traditional top-down approaches that rely on a single leader’s control and decision making power are no longer relevant nor effective in today’s organizational practice because of the changing global market and changing needs of organizations (Cervani, et al, 2010; Daft, 2011; Eagly & Lau Chin, 2010; Pearce, et al, 2009). This is supported by the increased prominence of the transformational leadership and leader–member exchange paradigms in the last three decades that demonstrate effectiveness of the “feminization” of leadership which utilizes people-centred approaches (Ayman & Korabik, 2010). Leaders must understand that they are one member of a larger group that is comprised of diverse followers with various knowledge, strengths and skill sets (Eagly & Lau Chin, 2010). Using a people-focused collaborative team approach encourages discussion and interaction, allowing leaders to identify common or shared purpose, values and potential goals. For example, the concept of shared leadership emphasizes social processes, meaning an inclusive approach where all team members engage in debates surrounding changes in an organization (Pearce, Manz, & Sims, 2009). Collaborative practice promotes ongoing communication, leading to inclusion, empowerment and progress (Waymack, 2008). Leaders are able to cultivate a sense of teamwork, identify individual and group strengths and delegate the work of the group to qualified team members. Effective leaders in turn credit team members for exemplary work, regardless of whether goals are completely reached to foster a sense of team spirit that persists as a group works towards a long-term vision comprised of more short-term goals (Denehey, 2008). The concept of collaboration is closely linked to the concept of integrity.
Integrity
Leadership is not a popularity contest. Good leaders should have self-awareness and possess the ability to effectively reflect on their personal values and beliefs before assuming a leadership role. I believe that one of the key components of successfully assuming a leadership role is integrity. The concept of integrity, as defined with leadership literature, is only beginning to be clearly understood; various definitions include holding a strong sense of responsibility, trustworthiness, moral values and the understanding that decisions have lasting outcomes and far reaching impacts (Daft, 2011; Palanski & Yammarino, 2007). Although definitions of integrity vary, my personal understanding of integrity first and foremost involves respect, for those within the organization, for the public and self respect. I believe that good leadership entails being able to ethically justify and stand by all decisions made, regardless of of whether the outcome was positive or negative. Establishing a sense of accountability promotes collaborative practice and open communication of strategy development to accomplish specific objectives. This promotes the building of trust, an essential component to maintain the support of group members (Palanski & Yammarino, 2007). I believe that a strong leader needs to have a good moral compass that allows them to discern whether decisions are beneficial or detrimental. Morality includes maintaining a sense of caring, empathy, and constancy (Denehey, 2008). Leaders can effectively lead through example by openly demonstrating integrity, modelling exemplary qualities that can be looked up to and emulated by their followers, positively impacting workplace satisfaction (Palanski & Yammarino, 2007). Ultimately integrity helps build a foundation for those in leadership positions to better inspire and motivate their followers.
Ability to Inspire and Motivate
The final essential component of my personal leadership philosophy is the ability to inspire and motivate. Leaders are responsible for empowering those within an organization, looking beyond the traditional strategies of management that emphasize control, efficiency and depersonalization (Daft, 2011). I believe that great leaders are consistently forward thinking, meaning they are continually establishing goals, promoting innovation and seeking new ideas from their collaborative relational practice in order to maintain progress within an organization and strive for the best from their followers. Leaders have both a clearly defined vision and the courage to bring their vision forward (Waymack, 2008). Thus, a key role of a good leader is to determine the best way to attain optimal performance from their followers (Daft, 2011; Waymack, 2008). An effective way to encourage optimal performance is through inspiring and motivating their followers through clearly articulating a vision or set of tangible goals in order to achieve success. I strongly believe that leaders are visionaries who help organizations reach the next level, ensuring effective team performance and enthusiasm that helps maintain job satisfaction (Waymack, 2008). For example, transformational leadership theory assumes that a leader who is perceived as behaving in a transformational manner inspires subordinates to high levels of effort and dedication (Ayman & Korabik, 2010).
Conclusion
Leadership is an important component of any successful organization. In this paper my own in-depth reflection of my subjective understanding of leadership enabled clear articulation of my personal leadership philosophy. I believe that strong leadership is a social process that consists of a combination of qualities that are continually honed. My personal leadership philosophy includes the three core components of collaboration, integrity and ability to inspire and motivate. Through the successful application of these leadership concepts I believe that leadership can be successfully established and continually developed for the betterment of any group or organization.
References
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