From military generals and medical consultants to elite sports coaches and Fortune 500 CEOs, all great leaders can be united by the fact that their professional identity is underpinned by a clear and enduring professional philosophy. In this article, we help you uncover the foundation of your own unique leadership philosophy.
It all starts with self-awareness
Whilst leadership may be built on a foundation of various cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural capabilities, our capacity to make full use of these capabilities (and indeed get the best out of our working teams) may often be restricted by an absence of self-awareness – a lack of conscious knowledge and understanding of one’s true character. In fact, if recent statistics are to be believed, less than 15% of people can be regarded as being “self-aware”. Consequently, to truly establish who we are as leaders, we must first increase our efforts to effectively answer that ever-elusive and existential question; “Who am I?” This is a process that not only necessitates the ability to be self-reflective, but also the aptitude to accurately encapsulate and articulate a leadership philosophy that is guided by our core values, fundamental beliefs, and positive behaviours.
Values
Of all the aspects of which help craft a leadership philosophy, we would argue values are of the greatest importance.
Values represent the internalised structures that guide our choices and our sense of priorities. Not only do values play a key role in helping to shape our behaviour, they also serve as an internal compass that helps guide us toward positive and meaningful action. From a leadership perspective, commonly identified values include passion, honesty, integrity, dedication, and personal development. Nonetheless, whilst we are in no way questioning the merit of these values, it’s important we remember that the development of a leadership philosophy is both personal and idiosyncratic. Put simply, what’s important to other leaders may not necessarily be important to you.
To help you establish your own core values, let’s begin by thinking about someone you truly admire. This person may be a world leader, a pioneer in the field of management, a famous or historical figure, or even a fictional character (yes, even a superhero). Ask yourself what is it you truly admire about this individual? What qualities or ideals do they personify which you strive to exemplify within your approach to leadership? To establish a clearer perspective, you may wish to repeat this process using several different individuals you admire from various walks of life. By doing so, you will begin to uncover commonalities that will help you to identify your own core values.
As an extension of this exercise, you may choose to engage in an additional values identification activity known as “The Obituary”. Don’t be put off by its morbid title, this is a highly effective exercise in helping us to further unearth our core values. The process itself is built on the premise of imagining someone eulogising at your funeral. As this person gets up to speak about your life and your accomplishments, take a moment to reflect on what you would like them to say about you as a leader regarding: (1) What was most important to you; (2) What you stood for; (3) What legacy you were able to leave behind.
Upon completing these exercises, it’s important to remember that values differ from strengths (i.e. the qualities or attributes which make you a great leader) although seeking to work in line with values such as bravery and integrity will certainly have a positive influence on your leadership practises. It’s also worth noting that values are not goals. For example, many people often highlight “happiness” as a value, however, the attainment of happiness can sometimes be elusive and outside of our control. With that in mind, we must remember that we are in control of our values and how we choose to exemplify them within our part of our leadership philosophy.
Beliefs
Regardless of our sector and or status, we are all guided by a set of fundamental beliefs which shape our actions as leaders and dictate how we perceive the world around us. Now that we have had the opportunity to reflect more deeply on what our core values are, we may be better positioned to identify some of the beliefs which are reflective of these values and our unique approach to leadership. As part of our continued journey toward self-awareness, some of the searching questions we may wish to consider in establishing our beliefs include:
1) What do you believe to be the role of a leader? Do you see your role primarily in terms of guiding your employees toward the completion of organisational objectives, or do you believe your main purpose is to motivate and inspire those around you?
2) What do you believe is the role of the employee? Do you believe the role of the employee is to ensure the attainment of specified targets, or to challenge existing ways of thinking, whilst experimenting with different ways of working?
3) What do you believe makes an effective working team? Do you believe collective success is the result of a relentless and collective pursuit of strategic objectives, or the satisfaction of basic human needs of autonomy, skill mastery, and positive relationships?
4) What specific traits skills, styles, and leadership approaches do you believe underpin successful individual and team functioning? Do your core values lend themselves to a specific style of leadership? (e.g. transformational, authentic, or spiritual) and if so, why do you believe this specific style is advantageous?
5) What do you believe makes an effective organisation? What is your business’s current approach to working? What do you feel you would like to change and why?
Remember that our beliefs and perspectives can often change with time and experience. As such, don’t be afraid to address these questions on a regular basis. Moreover, in responding to these questions, always remember your “Why”. Ask yourself “Why are these values and beliefs important to me?”
Behaviours
Once we have established our values and reflected upon some of our fundamental beliefs (whilst also taking time to consider how the two are interlinked), we must seek to determine how we can drive forward our leadership philosophy through committed action. Turning our attention back to those initial values exercises, consider how you could attempt to exemplify your chosen values through your behaviours as a leader. For example, if one of your values is creativity, you may want to consider ways in which you can drive forward innovative changes within your organisation or look to promote a culture of purposeful play to help stimulate new and innovative ideas amongst members of your working teams.
In relation to your beliefs, think about how your behaviours can align with your world view and what you believe the role of the leader to be. Additionally, take time to consider your signature strengths ─ your capacity to think, behave and feel in a way which positively influences your ability to perform, function, and flourish. To help identify your key strengths, encourage your colleagues, employees, and those closest to you to share stories of you at your best. This will enable you to decipher the qualities others around you believe you can bring to the role of leader.
Once you have highlighted the key behaviours you wish to deploy in alignment with your newly established philosophy, take the opportunity to consolidate the key information (you may even wish to create a visual reminder) which will enable you to best showcase your own unique approach to leadership.
Final thought
As we continue to grow and evolve as managers and leaders, so too may the philosophy which underpins our existing perspectives of what it means to be a leader. Continue to question what is most important to you and what you truly believe in. More importantly, continue to explore and experiment with ways in which you best personify your leadership philosophy and in so doing, help yourself and those around you thrive.
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