Leadership Philosophy

This is the last paper I wrote for the US Army's Intermediate Level Education (ILE) course. (This used to be the Command and General Staff (CGSC) course.) It was an interesting assignment and I thought I'd post it here to see if anyone has any feedback. Feel free to let me know what you think.


lead⋅er⋅ship: an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction.

This is a simple definition for a word that describes a human act that we struggle to understand and to quantify. I’m a student of leadership philosophy. I’ve studied the leadership styles of many different historical figures in politics, business, religion, and the military. Leadership styles derive from leadership philosophies. A leader’s philosophy is the frame for his/her leadership structure. Within this structure, a leader can then create a vision, core values, missions, and intent.

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
~Warren G. Bennis

I define my leadership philosophy with three words….Dedication, Intensity, Patience. Dedication; “first you have to show up”. I reinforce this through example. I believe first you have to show up every day to have the opportunity for success. Intensity; once dedicated to the mission, focus is critical to staying on task and accomplishing as much as possible in a finite time period. A good leader extracts the necessary amount of intensity to ensure success. Patience; I teach that results do not always come over night. Patience allows us to wait for results of our hard work to develop.

From this framework, I created my vision statement. If my philosophy is the frame, the vision is the roof. We will be the premier unit/office/team. We’re professionals in our field and we will provide exceptional service through hard work, concentration on innovation, and dedication to each other and our community. I want those that follow me to be the very best. I believe part of my responsibility as a leader is to squeeze every ounce of potential out of every peer, subordinate, and supporter. We’re going to show up every day. We’re going to work hard. We’re in it for the long haul.

“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.” ~Bill Bradley

A leadership philosophy provides for a vision, which now helps produce core values. Core values help set the ethical compass and the emotional center for the group. A leader’s core values are part of the finishing touches in the structure of a leadership philosophy.
Core Values
1. Keep It Simple
2. Be Professional
3. Provide Exceptional Service
4. Be Involved with Each Other and Our Communities
5. Work Hard, Have Fun

These core values are guides helping me to help my people understand how we reach our destination. These values are essentially the rules to follow for achieving success. I teach those in my organization that I follow these rules, and if they do also, success is sure to follow

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” ~Tom Landry

Armed with a philosophy, a vision, and core values I can craft a mission statement or mission statements. A leader needs an overall mission statement for each organization, and individual mission statements for every mission. A unit’s or company’s mission statement tells the organization what road to travel. The individual mission statements for each mission tell which direction to travel and what resources to take.

My overall intent is to create an atmosphere that fosters positive attitudes and desire to work hard in a relaxed and patient environment. I try to create an atmosphere of success where we “keep it simple” and provide them with the best tools. My desire is for my organization to concentrate on the mission success and service rather than worrying about the little things that clog up a day.
My leadership philosophy and style continue to evolve, but this is my foundation. I believe in doing this the right way. I believe in taking care of people. I believe my responsibility is to bring out the best in myself and the best in all that work with me and for me. I’m always looking to learn and grow as a professional, and I expect the same from those I lead.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” ~John F. Kennedy

Dedication, Intensity, Patience. These are the words I use to define my leadership philosophy. Whether in the office, on a sales call, at the gym, on an exercise, or participating in community service, I know, if I can get the people I live and work around to understand what these words mean, I can build a successful organization.