Sam's Leadership Philosophy

Leadership Philosophy

When I think about the word “leadership” I think about leaders of countries, huge organizations, and successful companies. However, leadership is much more than having a title and maintaining a reputation. A true leader does not necessarily need to have a high paying position; they don’t even have to be well known or famous. Everyone has different views on leadership, and it is true, there are different types of leaders. In this post I will outline what I believe to be the best leadership philosophy, using ideas and morals I have learned from my experiences, as well as classes I have taken, and people I have spoken to.

Openness/Transparency

No matter what type of leader you are, I believe that you must be open and transparent with regard to the people around you. A leader is not truly a leader if they don’t have the ability to stay accessible and listen to ideas or criticisms, whether it be from outside influences or internal voices. This concept is a hard one to actually implement in your job and even in your life. However, the people who learn to stay open in the workplace and in the rest of their lives are the ones who are the most successful. In my Management and Leadership class, we did an interview activity to simulate what a real job interview is like. We got to interview teachers and staff members at our school for the theoretical position of Dean of the Students. What I saw in all four candidates we interviewed was that they strive to be transparent leaders with an open door policy. That really stuck with me, and I will try to always stay open as I lead in my life.

Positivity

Staying positive on a daily basis is a hard task in itself. Staying positive as a leader is even harder. All leaders must be able to remain positive in both the bad times and the good ones. A leader’s job is to lead people, and the people need to be confident in their leader in order for success to happen.

Part of staying positive is always maintaining a Win-Win mentality. As a leader begins to see the positive side of every situation for every person involved, he/she becomes more motivated, and therefore, more successful. One of the people who I learned this idea from is my Dad. He holds a high management position at his company, and he comes home stressed out almost every day. He has to deal with many people on a daily basis, as well as his own problems. The only way he can get be successful is to stay positive at work and at home. People will see your positivity, and emulate it. In my daily life, I strive to stay positive even in the most stressful times. This will help me as I grow into a leader.

Conscientiousness

Another key quality a leader must possess is conscientiousness, or the ability to be aware. This applies to many facets of leadership, whether it be staying aware of the people around you, the environment in which you lead, and even yourself. It is extremely challenging to maintain a good idea of what is going on around you when you have so many things to worry about. A true leader knows and learns how to balance everything in their job and in their life in order to stay conscientious. When I participated in our Leadership Impact Project, I learned that this skill was one I needed to work on and master. The more people you work with, the harder it is to stay focused, while still keeping a general awareness of the situation and environment. The best leaders know what the people below them want and need and how to deal with that day in and day out.

Passion

Lastly, and I think most importantly, is passion. Without passion, what is the motivation to lead? It is my belief that to be successful in anything, you must be passionate in that particular thing. When it comes to leadership, passion is the key. The reason someone becomes a leader is to help other people become just as passionate as they are. From political leaders to business leaders, there is one common denominator: the most successful leaders are passionate in what they do. A great example of someone who has passion is Dr. Paul Pryma, Glenbrook North’s principal. Everyday I see Dr. Pryma with a huge smile on his face, enjoying every aspect of his job. The stereotypical principal is hated by the students, but he is different. The reason he is so beloved is because he demonstrates such a true passion for the GBN community and all that it offers. If there’s anything I have learned in my life, it’s to do what you love and love what you do.