Developing a Philosophy of Leadership
A leadership philosophy is an articulation of your fundamental view of your leadership practice. This philosophy guides your actions, your behaviors, and your thoughts as a leader.
- We can change who we are as leaders by simply changing our philosophy of leadership. Leadership philosophies can change as you grow to understand yourself within the context of leading.
- One way to start to develop your leadership philosophy is to read and write about your personal values and beliefs about leadership.
- This assignment will help you to develop a leadership philosophy.
- You will type your answers in this document and then upload it to the Canvas assignment link.
Values
Personal values are qualities or characteristics that you value. Your values guide your intentions and decisions as a leader. When your personal values are clear and you are conscious of them, you create a solid foundation for leading.
From the list below, pick three core values that you feel describe and guide who you are as a leader. You may choose other values that are not on the list. Place them in the following chart and answer the questions in the matrix.
| Achievement
Activity Advancement Adventure Affiliation Affluence Authority Autonomy |
Balance
Challenge Change Collaboration Community Competency Competition Courage |
Creativity
Diverse Perspectives Duty Economic security Friendship Health Humor Harmony |
Integrity
Justice Love Loyalty Personal Development Recognition Self-respect Wisdom |
Identifying Your Leadership Values
Values
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Personal Definition of Values
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Beliefs
Beliefs are ideas that we hold to be true; they shape our realities and they guide our decisions.
Write about your beliefs and how they influence your leadership. Share with me at least three core beliefs that you think have the most impact on your leadership. For Example, my core beliefs when it comes to leadership are 1) Leaders need to be willing to have conversations and address issue one on one. 2) I believe that leaders need to be open to listening to their followers. 3) I believe that it is very important to develop people and delegate power.
List your beliefs here:
Finalizing Your Leadership Philosophy
Now that you’ve identified your leadership values and understand what beliefs guide your leadership thinking, you are now ready to write statements reflecting your leadership philosophy. You can write your leadership philosophy below the examples given below.
Feel free to add pictures or artwork to your philosophy. Remember, you can write your philosophy in any way that makes sense to you.