My Personal Leadership Philosophy

I have always had a sense of autonomy and independence that has been important to all aspects of my life. As a college student and emerging professional, I am used to monitoring my time management and performance, adapting in ways that yield the highest productivity possible.  As a learner, I do my best to keep track of what educational methods work best, integrating various forms of study to enhance a deep comprehension of topics beyond the classroom. As a person in this social world, interacting with others daily, I pay close attention to how I impact those I care about, paying attention when I receive feedback and adjusting behavior and communication when necessary to maintain healthy relationships.

In all areas of my life, it is as if I am constantly taking in data and feedback about my performance, reflecting on that information about myself, and using it to continually evolve. I try to stay deeply self-aware, and I understand that my way of doing that is not universal. Everyone has a unique way of interpreting the world, everybody processes things differently, and as a leader, I must be attentive to the needs and habits of others to work together effectively towards positive change. Nevertheless, there are so many settings in which those in power neglect that fact, and assume that power corresponds with control, giving them the right to influence action toward what they perceive as ideal solutions and positive outcomes.

I do not see leadership as a means to control through positional power. Leadership is an opportunity.

Leaders have an opportunity to incite change by integrating the diverse viewpoints that surround them with their ideals, triggering and maintaining an exponential process. The key to this is two-way communication, especially when supported by the 7 Cs of the Social Change model of leadership development (Komives & Wagner, 2017). I have found that sharing my personality and beliefs in a way that is congruent my self-concept, as developed through self-reflection, is an opportunity to initiate meaningful connections with others as a leader. Yet this is only half of effective communication, and listening to the needs, thoughts, and reflections of participants deepens these connections and ensures more effective progress toward social change.

I have been involved in the leadership process from many perspectives, as both a leader and follower, and can attest to the value of genuinely listening to those in subordinate and coordinate positions. As a participant, feeling as though a leader is opening up and listening to me reduces any feelings of exclusion, and increases engagement with common goals.  As a leader, communicating with others allows me to adapt my behavior based on others’ feedback and to integrate the values of others into the leadership process, ensuring that I continue to evolve. Through this method, even controversy among participants and leaders is much easier to resolve. The emphasis in these scenarios is on compromise and synergy between differing viewpoints held by individuals. What unites these individuals, motivates the effective communication I have been describing, and engages me in any leadership process is the commitment to a common purpose that supersedes that of any individual.

I have a passion for global literacy, preservation of all forms of literature and prose, exploration of the complex relationship between physical and mental health, and support for others’ immediate well-being. These causes motivate me in all endeavors I pursue, especially when they are linked to any of the various groups I am a part of, as my commitment to assisting those around me is deeply tied to my role as an active citizen in those communities. A complete and fulfilled response to any of these motivators through the leadership process is always my ultimate goal, and I will do whatever I can to contribute to projects in these scenarios. I have a deep intrinsic motivation regarding positive social change, as well as immediate assistance to others, and this translates well to my performance on daily tasks. Because a finished product is my goal and my motivation is internal, all work I do is done with the intent to complete it well, and I utilize all resources at my disposal to do things in a high-quality way that considers the populations I serve.

My leadership philosophy, one that highlights listening to others, using feedback to adapt, and completing tasks to the best of my ability, is a constant driving force for me as an effective leader, participant, and individual in all contexts. This philosophy is one that I have worked hard to formulate for over a year, supported and informed by the LEAD Scholars Academy. Before entry into LEAD, I had not considered many of these topics this deeply, but now they guide nearly everything I do.

References:

Komives, S. R., Wagner, W. (2017). Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model of leadership (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.