Leadership: Charting a Course through a Personal Philosophy of Leadership . . . Daring to Declare with Passion

Part Three of a three-part exercise is now due in my current leadership courses—creating a “Personal Philosophy of Leadership.” I have noticed reactions to this assignment playing out in predictable patterns, leading me to reflect on the importance of the process. The assignment, designed for students to identify and establish themselves as leaders, requires scrutinizing leadership values, assumptions and beliefs, and unearthing personal convictions, challenges, goals, strengths and shortcomings.

Leadership is an elusive term in today’s world. Examining one’s leadership philosophy against the formal backdrop of leadership theory and practice elevates student learning to a meta level, an abstraction from the original concepts. Transitioning course learning—readings, discussions, case studies and self-assessment—to a substantive construct of a personal philosophy requires an in-depth interrogation of the internal self. What do I value? What are my assumptions? What are my goals? How am I perceived by others? How will I know when I have met my goals?

The Personal Philosophy of Leadership exercise encourages students to mine their strengths and weaknesses, while gently steering them to question who they are as leaders, to identify the leadership behaviors they are working toward, and to establish a framework for evaluating their own leadership performance.

Although positioned as a formal exercise supported by current thinking in the field of leadership, the assignment provides space for inspired perspectives.


“Express your passion,” I urge students as they begin to document their ideas. I also give them prompts to help them get in touch with that passion: “Try writing in the first person—it will help you to connect your thoughts with your writing. Ask yourself when, prior to this course, did someone inquire (or even consider) your leadership philosophy? When did you consider it, or share it with your followers, while encouraging them to construct their own?” And I remind students that completing this exercise represents more than checking off a course requirement: “Maximize this opportunity,” I tell them. “Consider it a gift to yourself that charts your lifelong leadership journey.”

The predictable pattern in students’ responses to my guidance goes something like this:

”What! Write in the first person? Express passion? Say what I feel? Can I do that in a formal paper? I want to restate what the theorists say . . . this is scary! It’s making me nervous. Passion? Who shows passion in organizational leadership? Oh, that’s right, the instructor emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership . . . the importance of looking beyond what we see . . . establishing a task/relationship balance. Is that what she means? I really need to think about this warm and fuzzy stuff. Passion . . . ??????
Eventually, after this brief perplexity, students turn to the task of developing their deeply personal philosophy of leadership. And, I’m proud to say, in this pattern they are also predictable: they never let me down. The excerpts below come from the conclusions section of papers recently submitted by students in one of my leadership courses. Through their reflection, experiences, challenges and a commitment to developing leadership skills, they offer us a window into how our future leaders see themselves and their obligations.

“ . . . being a leader among my peers, I worked tirelessly to gain my team’s trust and respect.”

“Most importantly, I will strive to become a skilled and diplomatic communicator who exudes authenticity and tact. I believe that directive will help me gain the experience to hone the skills . . .”

“In looking inwardly towards my own philosophy and personality, I believe I have the chops for what it takes . . . ”

“The world is still a big place that is full of big problems. There is room for everyone to contribute. I am confident that my chance is coming, and that my impact can be a lasting one.”

“I strive to have self-awareness and open-mindedness in order to understand context . . . to adapt my skills based on doing due diligence.”

“ . . . it is the characteristics and behaviors they develop by way of their defined values or the individual experiences that shape a leader’s perspective . . .”

“As we have learned from the content in this course, it is through experiencing the challenges of trying to lead in an unfamiliar environment that we are able to transform and grow our capabilities.”

“ . . . leaders must possess strong moral principles and ethics, which they live by and consistently demonstrate to their followers . . . ”

“Leadership is not only a quality but it's a lifestyle. It's something you live out daily.”

“. . . leaders are those who can influence others and help them find the best in themselves.”

So, there you have it, in their words, not mine; their “passion,” not mine.

Congratulations, students. You’ve charted your course . . . you’re on your way!

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Published on LinkedIn 11/12/15