Ten Questions to Identify Your Leadership Philosophy

Posted on 04/07/2011 at 08:00 am

As a society, we value leaders who get stuff done. From the first line supervisor to the high-powered CEO, executing, getting results, creating value, and driving change are the hallmarks of leaders today. And this is all well and good, because often these leaders are placed in these positions for their ability to deliver.

But, in our thousands of hours of in-the-seat executive coaching, we see time and time again that the most powerful leaders – those who achieve dramatic results AND accomplish them in the right way (building people and creating lasting value) – are guided by a clear and authentic philosophy of leadership.

By leadership philosophy, I don’t mean repeating a litany of leadership theories from recent business book bestsellers. Rather, I mean developing your own personal, authentic, philosophy that derives from your core beliefs.

Such a philosophy helps you focus your efforts and fine tune your personal interactions. Most importantly, such a philosophy and articulation of your leadership principles can act as a clear north star that guides you through tough times.

Developing your philosophy of leadership isn’t hard, but it does require carving out a few minutes to think and reflect on simple but high-leverage questions.

A coach or other thinking partner can help you think through these questions, clarify your values, and begin putting them into action. But, if you’re on your own, grab a pen and paper and think through the following questions – whether it describes you today or a future version of your “ideal self” you can work towards:

  1. As a leader, what are your highest values?
  2. What’s the contribution you want to make as a leader
  3. What makes you distinct as a leader?
  4. What are five words or phrases people would use to describe your leadership style?
  5. How would people of different levels describe their relationship with you?
  6. How are you building your influencing capital?
  7. How do you want to treat people?
  8. How do you approach (and delegate) tasks?
  9. What are you doing to continually build your leadership capacity?
  10. What do you want your legacy to be?

Whatever leadership role you play in your organization, spending a few minutes answering these questions and crafting your personal philosophy of leadership will yield exponential rewards.

The clear focus and clear articulation of values will help you achieve the right results in the right way. And, you’ll be able to more skillfully navigate the pressures, temptations, and frustrations of day-to-day business operations and leave a leadership legacy you can be proud of.

- Adam Chalker, Senior Consultant

Tags: Leadership Development  

Comments

Very insightful. As a team lead I have been very busy and hadn't stopped to think of my values as a leader. I will take the questions asked in the article and take time to answer. Hopefully, I can scope my leadership style around the answers I come up with.
Posted by Travis Potts on May 18, 2012 at 11:29 am
I rarely come across a leadership themed article with a philosophical spin to it! Wow great article. In addition, I think that your readers would really benefit from an article written by Jeremy Horne, Ph.D. Philosophical Foundations of Leadership
Posted by Denis on May 18, 2012 at 10:41 am

 

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