My Personal Leadership Philosophy : A Leader Essay

Leadership is not a simple, static concept. It does not form overnight. Instead, it develops alongside experiences which form a person’s character. It is as dynamic as the events that shape our lives. My life experiences equip me with the knowledge to form my own leadership philosophy. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I ensure my subordinates understand my philosophy. I ensure they understand what I expect of them. The basis of my leadership philosophy is promoting self-development, serving others, being proactive, and being an example of effective leadership.

Being a leader is more than simply holding a leadership position or having the ability to lead. Everyone is capable of being a leader, but not everyone exercises his or her leadership abilities. Each person’s idea of leadership is different. My idea of leadership has developed over time, and being a member of the President’s Leadership Class has helped me develop my philosophy of leadership further than what it was two months ago. My personal philosophy of leadership is the ability to effect change through leading by example, taking initiative, and encouraging others.

Leadership goals should always contain methods of a continuous process of learning through education, training, and individual experiences that help ensure that the message will be communicated in a confident and competent manner when leading troops. Soldiers tend to follow leaders that demonstrate and live the Army values, while displaying their confidence in every decision that affects change. Leaders are not born as organizational or tactical leaders; but grown by their genetic determinism, which is inside and the characteristics they work toward; that mold is which type leader they will become. Not just anyone can lead; you must have the desire to lead, be willing to make the commitment to being a leader, and prepare yourself properly, then you have the desire to become a leader. (Fulton, 1995).

Phase 1 of the Personal Leadership Philosophy Paper presented the opinion and supporting information establishing that; leaders are products of opportunity, birth and environment, but of these; opportunity influences great leadership the most. Furthermore, it was discussed that assigned leadership is a cancer to corporate America and this point is illustrated in the following example. While employed at Deloitte and Touché Consulting Group (DNT) we engaged ARCO, a major oil and gas company, to develop and implement an email migration strategy that consisted of 1200 Arco users at their subsidiary company, Vaster Resources Inc. In the initial meeting we were introduced to a gentleman, we will call John Smith for the purposes of this paper,

My leadership philosophy stems from my experience in the Army. As a leader, I believe in honesty, commitment, and respect for others. All responsibilities should be carried out in a timely manner. My main priority is the well-being of my Soldiers. My Soldiers can expect me a leader that is caring, dedicated, and upholds the standards.

Philosophy is "the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge or conduct."(Stuart Berg Flexner and Lenore Crary Hauck, 1993). Leadership is the process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and motivation. Command is the authority a person in the military service lawfully exercises over subordinates by virtue of his rank and assignment or position.(FM 6-22) My leadership philosophy has been developing thru my Army career. I have use the NCO creed as a pillar for my Leadership philosophy. The outcome of my performance is a direct reflects of my subordinates. My ideas will not always the best, that is why my Soldiers have a open door to provide any feedback.

An effective leader must be able to uphold their values against adversity, adapt and overcome, and act in the best interest of their Soldiers. The excerpt “I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own” from the NCO Creed really speaks to what a leader is. Authenticity is key – showing subordinates and peers that you are not without fault and that just because you are in a leadership position does not mean you cannot learn from others. Leaders with this mentality increase trust and morale in their respective units; thus increasing work productivity and giving their subordinates a greater sense of job satisfaction.

Leadership Philosophy As leaders we must adapt and conform to an ever changing world and organization. I believe leaders must have several leadership traits in order to influence and incite and lead Soldiers to accomplish our mission. Those attributes and competencies need to be instilled and developed from the TOP DOWN! I want leaders to have Character, Presence, Intellect, and be able to Lead and Develop Soldiers so as an organization we can achieve final results.

“A leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring” (Ubben, 2017). My thoughts will focus on what is achievable even when things seem difficult to move forward. A genuine leader knows how to be flexible when it comes to their crew, able to distinguish each individual’s strengths, and capable to motivate and reassure the team to succeed. I will lead by example and give my best in whatever I partake in. It is important for soldiers to recognize that as a leader I will not participate for the sake of contributing. A leader should actively engage themselves in activities that involves soldiers instead of being a spectator. I believe leaders who participate in activities with their soldiers tend to gain more respect from their soldiers. A leader with tangible goals in their leadership philosophy will keep everyone focused and lead everyone without any distractions. My expectations for my soldiers are to ensure they give their best in everything they do.

Leadership is the ability to inspire and focus members on a common goal, whether short term or long term and have the same vision. Leadership is more than telling or ordering, but having members believe and want to follow the same path as you. It’s a commitment to your people built on trust and respect. Many leaders shaped my personal leadership philosophy, to include several negative and positive experiences. Negative experiences from poor leaders and lessons learned on my part have uniquely shaped this vision. Difficult to be a good follower when your leader lacks competency, integrity, and your trust. If a leader takes credit for work other than their own, or forces and ideology onto others, but does not follow it themselves; these negative influences damage the trust and respect required by all leaders. However, positive experiences can also have a career lasting impact. A leader who inspires through personal actions and convictions can change how an entire unit operates without ever saying a word.

A good leader is someone who puts others before him or her, someone who cares about people and someone who does not give up easily. This is what being a leader means to me and I believe that I have all of these characteristics. When I am at school, I tend to help my friends and peers more than I help myself and I take pride in knowing that they are getting the help they need to succeed. I care about how well people do in school and I really want them to be happy and satisfied with their hard work. If I see someone struggling I know that it is my duty to assist them. When I do assist people, some of them do not grasp the lesson immediately and it takes time to get the to understand but I do not want to give up on them because it is taking too

I believe a good leader is able to draw distinct clear lines when dealing with the people under her responsibility. I feel a good leader is approachable and yet still manages to maintain an authoritative stance. Often leaders tend to cross the line and become too friendly with the people they lead in a bid to gain popularity. However, from my work experience, when the leader tries to switch hats to being an authoritative figure it backfires. Which ultimately results in confusion amongst the group due to mixed signals and followers losing respect for the leader.

Through identification and ongoing assessment of her leadership style and ability this leader is able to develop and understand her own strengths and limitations in order to grow and develop into a more effective leader. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of servant leadership, contingency, path-goal styles leadership to gain an understanding of current leadership models, identify this author’s style of leadership and explore why leadership is important to organizations, society and this author.

“Leadership is about people; management is about things. Successful commanders understand they are equally responsible for both.” 1 Finding a balance between executing the mission and taking care of the people is one of many challenging tasks for a commander. This paper will cover three elements. Specifically, I will discuss my leadership philosophy as commander of my unit discussing such items as a description of my philosophy, and my thoughts on key traits required for a successful leader. Next, I will examine an interview conducted with a commander to gain an in depth look at one of the most challenging leadership decisions he has experienced. Finally, I will provide an analysis of the interviewee’s actions, and compare his actions to my leadership philosophy.

My leadership philosophy is to stay true to yourself. I am a cool, calm, and collected individual. I treat others with respect, so I expect in return. I observe situations before deciding to act. I take advice from others into consideration but in the end, I make my own