Jen's Leadership Philosophy

"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things." -Ronald Reagan

As a successful leader in today’s business world, there are many traits to possess that will lead you to be able to accomplish your achievements. Throughout this semester, I have learned that everyone takes on a different role as a leader. Though there are many kinds of leaders, I believe that there are a few qualities that separate a good leader from a great one.

• Communication: Communication is one of the most important aspects of leadership. Strong interpersonal and impersonal relations are crucial. If your subordinates are not aware of a situation, or problem, because you failed to inform them, there is no way to hold them accountable for repercussions. Your lack of initiative denied them any way of being able to solve the issue, and therefore resulted in miscommunication.

• Motivation: In the workplace, it is imperative that workers are motivated to do their job. As a leader, it is your responsibility to inspire. Your subordinates look up to you, and when you show that you are motivated to do your job, they will follow your lead. They need to know they play an important part in the success of the business. Having a reason to be driven during work not only improves the environment of the workplace, but also results in higher completion level of work.

• Respect: Respect is a mutual thing. If you fail to treat your subordinates well, they will not respect you. You need to respect everyone in the workplace to ensure minimal conflicts arise because of a lack of respect between management and/or other workers.

• Relatability: Being a leader that people can relate to will make any conflicts that may arise easier to solve. If there seems to be an issue going on, being relatable and comfortable with your workers means that they can talk to you about what is happening. You need to first seek to understand, then to be understood. With an established relatability, problems will be reported to management and there will be an increase of communication, therefore making the workplace flow much more efficiently.

• Readiness: Being a leader in a workplace means that things can be thrown at you without warning. You need to be ready to handle situations that you may not be accustomed too, and you need to trust your decision making skills in approaching issues. Being prepared at all times puts others in good faith that you will be able to represent them and the workplace in times of crisis.

• Goal Setting: To accomplish any plan, there first needs to be a goal. This includes pre-planning on how you are going to go about achieving it, and following through on your plan. By setting goals, you are keeping yourself and others motivated because of a mutual purpose.

• Feedback: Feedback allows you to adjust things that need correcting with the aid of others. It also gives you the chance to hear your strengths and what you are doing well. Feedback is important to your subordinates to inform them if they are doing something well, or something needs to be changed. Within giving feedback, you can incorporate the ideas of others that you wouldn’t have had if you didn’t have the feedback of others. A collaborative effort can create a much better product.

Incorporating these qualities will make you a stronger leader. This semester taught me many things, and I can confidently say that I have developed as not only a student, but as a leader as well.