Challenging Leadership Philosophy

The definition of leadership is symbolized by the diversified type of leaders within an organization engaging the trust of their subordinates. The American Soldier fully support the efforts and leadership made by all men and women entrusted with this tremendous level of responsibility; our current war fighter generation finds itself making significant changes to the way we lead within our ranks as a fighting force and an advocate of peace. “Why Write a Leadership Philosophy” by Gerald F. Sewell says, “When I took over as a military sub-community executive officer in the early 1990’s, I failed to share my leadership philosophy with my community staff; consequently, many did not know what to expect. I became aware later that several civilian members on my staff were afraid of me and did not know if they should approach me”. From this quote, you can almost draw a conclusion that our line of work is one that requires transparency and absolute solid

The intention of this paper is to introduce my leadership philosophy. I will start off defining leadership as well as explaining my leadership philosophy. I will then share a summary of an interview with a Squadron Commander about a difficult situation that he needed to use his philosophy to work through and analyze how my philosophy applies to the same situation followed by a brief summary.

In Col J. William DeMarco’s essay, Leadership Philosophy 101: Who Are You?, he states that every leader must have a direction and a personal vision. Col DeMarco calls this concept “Leadership Philosophy,” a concept which resonates through many of the assigned readings. My personal philosophy focuses on servant leadership at its core. Servant leadership is defined as “serving subordinates as much, or more, than they serve their bosses.” Servant leaders don’t stay behind desks, they address the needs of their Airmen, and take care of them like family. The commander interview highlights the critical nature of this leadership method. This paper will compare my personal philosophy with those of my commander and his past leadership crisis

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.

My leadership philosophy revolves entirely around the Army Values. In every action I take as a leader, I assess whether or not it lines up with the Army Values and the potential impacts. I have had a variety of leadership assignments during my career, all requiring a different leadership approach, spanning from team leader through platoon sergeant. My conflict resolution skills have greatly evolved through my twelve years in the Army, from rudimentary conversations to in depth problem solving. My professional development has had a profound effect on my leadership abilities, from NCOPD’s to mentorship from senior non-commissioned officers (NCO’s).

can establish what is right, with what you say and do, then others can follow.

When I think of a leader I look back on how many people in my life that have helped me to get where I am today. My parents are authority figures in the sense that they are the ones that showed me right from wrong. There are the administrators that helped me along my way with school and completing all of the work that I needed to in order to make my way in this long road called life. Finally there are the instructors that have shown me the ways on how to become a leader myself. When I think of the word leader I do not think of myself right away, but now that I have taken on different roles in my life I have realized that maybe just maybe that I could become my own leader.

Growing up, I realize the important leadership roles that should be recognized in every day life. Leadership is an important part of one's self character because when someone sees you as a leader they tend to grow more onto you so they can be like you. Part of this statement fits a powerful quote i've always lived by while being around others. "It is the men behind who make the man ahead," this quote by Merle Crowell, fits the man I've molded into, simply because I have realized in numerous ways on how my actions can impact other people's actions. My parents always raised me to believe that what you put in is what you get out. So of course, I believe that if I make the decisions to be a follower of the wrong path, then wrong will follow me as well. Instead, I choose to take the golden path and promote a better outcome for my future and hopefully other's also. Sticking to the routine of a leader builds you into an even better leader. Being a better leader, makes me a better man each day that I choose this route as the leader of my path.

A leader is someone who guides and motivates you. Leadership is a responsibility, and is very important. Without leaders what would the world look like? People need leaders to help, aid, and guide them through tough times and make important decisions. I play multiple sports, and they all have a captain to make sure everything goes right, and is there for the team when things do not. Leaders set an important example for others. Overall, leadership is putting others before yourself, and showing the world that anything is possible.

Throughout my life, God has been working in my life to prepare me for a life of godly leadership. He started off giving me small responsibilities which quickly grew to be leadership opportunities. I believe that everything I do ought to be my best for God. As a Christian, I have strived to work harder in school and in ministry than my peers so that God would be glorified through my work. As a high school student, I was blessed with the opportunity to lead two robotics teams into competition on the college level. He has given opportunities to lead on the mission field and in the states. Since the Time of my salvation, God has been preparing me as a leader through my ministry experiences and academic pursuits.

There are several characteristics a person in a leadership role should portray. My philosophy of leadership encompasses characteristics such as compassion, collaboration, innovation, perseverance, and competence. I believe to be a competent leader one must be authentic to one’s self and beliefs. One must know where he or she stands concerning ethics and innovations surrounding the education field. A leader must convey understanding, be on the forefront of research, advocate for colleagues and students, and collaborate with other professionals.

Leadership starts at the top, and the top is not the man, but the faith in God that flows out of him. There is, different types of leadership and many ways to display this quality. God is our ultimate leader, and He revealed ways on how to be an effective leader in the church, in the house and in life. Therefore, the focus of this paper will be the Pastor epistles and the type of leadership model that they share and put forth. Now, effective ways of leadership may manifest differently in each individual. God made us all unique and gave each of us a specific talent or gift. Therefore, this class has made me investigate and look at myself more in depth and see what type of leadership model I would follow, and feel is the best model.

Enthusiasm, connections and a goal for positive change; these are the three most crucial ingredients in the making of a good, successful leader that makes people happy. Positive change is key since it is the end goal, but first must come enthusiasm. Commitment and dedication for change in the world steam from enthusiasm and create an open atmosphere where effective communication can take place. Connections are the building blocks of leadership and fuel to continue. They are the support, the network and the backbone behind successful leaders. Finally, Leadership is the ability a person has to create change and effectively move a group forward though either intellectual, social or physical change.

Leadership is at its core an abstract idea; what is the manifestation of leadership is style. Each leader has some type of philosophy, know or unknown. This would be what I call a “leadership belief.” Irwin says, “As with others we must vet these beliefs and root out any that are fundamentally untrue.” (Irwin 2014) This subject may be one of the more important subjects in a person’s life. In my very core I have beliefs, and these beliefs matter. When a leader has a belief or even a mistaken belief it is manifested in his behavior. As Dr. Irwin wrote in “Impact: Great leadership Changes Everything” “How we act depends on what we believe about people and their trustworthiness to do their jobs” (Irwin 2014) My philosophy tells others how I will behave. In the culture of today I

What is leadership philosophy? According to Col William DeMarco, a leadership philosophy is similar to an organizational mission statement but on an individual level. “It lets people know what you expect, what you value, and how you will act; with the additional benefit of making the organization more productive like a compass it helps keep you, the leader, on course.”1 This paper will cover three elements. I will begin by discussing my personal leadership philosophy and my opinion on “a boss vs. a leader”. I will then provide a summary and an analysis of an interview I conducted with an Army battalion-level commander concerning his most challenging leadership issue.