ON TOPIC

When I ask others about their leadership philosophy, I often get blank looks of confusion in return. It seems we strive to do a lot of learning about leadership, without giving much thought to who we are as leaders - or what we hope to achieve as we mentor or lead others.

A leadership philosophy is a set of principles that guides a leader's actions

Leadership philosophies help leaders stay focused on what is important to them as they make decisions and model and plan for productivity throughout their organization.

Leadership philosophies require a leader to understand their values, priorities, and their expectations deeply and clearly Because of the frequency in which this will be used, it should be developed thoroughly and evaluated regularly to

by Sheila Farr SHRM-SCP Business Strategist

ensure the leader continues to: 1) operate within the context of his/her core values, and 2) to ensure continued growth

Leadership philosophies should be personal. Your leadership philosophy should explain what sort of leader you aspire to be. Your personal leadership philosophy will differ from others because it should position your beliefs and expectations with your business goals This means that you'll need to spend a little time in self-reflection to first understand who you are as a leader.

So, our first assignment in developing our philosophy is this: tell us who you are as a leader! Watch for our answers in next month's column