My Personal Leadership Philosophy

My personal leadership philosophy is best described in an article authored by Alan Murray where he states, “Leadership is less about your needs, and more about the needs of the people and the organization you are leading. Leadership styles are not something to be tried on like so many suits, to see which fits. Rather, they should be adapted to the particular demands of the situation, the particular requirements of the people involved and the particular challenges facing the organization.” A good leader is committed to continually improving their communication skills in the effort to foster collaboration and facilitate relationships.
2. While there have been many leadership influences throughout the course of my life, there are only a handful
that stand out enough to have made an impact on my leadership style and personal viewpoint on what constitutes a good leader. The biggest and most positive influence is my mother. My mother ingrained in me the importance of a good work ethic, combined with a strong sense of commitment and degree of dedication to your career. It was through her set example of quality in all she did that continues to inspire me to this day. Another personal leadership influence was a senior ranking member of the Coast Guard when I was more junior ranking. This member had a particular knack through their leadership style to make most around them miserable, especially if you worked for them. I learned many valuable takeaways from the many interactions I had with this member that cemented in my mind the reasoning for not EVER desiring to emulate any of the same behaviors.
3.
According to Discus, a market leader in the DiSC profile assessment, the Discus' personality test is based on DiSC theory, one of the best established commercial profiling systems in use today. The core personality profile measures four fundamental factors: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance (DiSC'). Extrapolating out from these measurements specific interpretations covering a whole range of behavioural styles and their reactions to different conditions can be derived. Per my completion of ref (a), I discovered my Dimension of Behavior was Steadiness. Steadiness is summarized as an emphasis is placed on cooperating with others within existing circumstances to carry out the task. However, further interpretation revealed that my classical profile pattern was that of the Perfectionist Pattern. The description provided for a perfectionist was spot on to accurately describing me. The benefit to completing this assessment is the level of self-awareness it brings. According to ref (b), the best leaders are the best learners. The completion of the DiSC profile assessment has given me the knowledge, moving forward, to create a successful environment by better understanding
people.
4. Per ref (d), the three leadership behaviors that need improvement are: asks for feedback on how his/her actions affect other people’s performance, experiments and takes risks-even when there is a chance of failure, and appeals to others to share an exciting dream of the future. I admit that I have consciously held back in previous times past in asking for feedback as it relates to my actions and its affect on other’s performance simply because I know how hard I can take critical feedback. I realize the importance of being aware and will make a concerted effort to solicit for feedback. My assumption prior to completing this assessment was that I had taken an adequate amount of risks or experimented with change enough, despite the risks involved; however, this assessment clearly outlines the need to identify more acceptable risks to champion regardless of possible failure. This will force me to step outside of my comfort zone, but might also bring about improvement at a faster pace. The last leadership that I need to refine is appealing to others to share an exciting dream of the future. As many conversations that I have with others, an improvement to how I frame these conversations is an apparent necessity. The assessment has given me the heightened awareness and tools to feel more comfortable working on needed improvements. I am committed to utilizing the assessment as I move forward with working on some of my leadership behaviors.
5.
When conducting a personal values exercise within the Senior Enlisted Leadership Course, the five top personal values selected were: family, happiness, loyalty, empathy and patience. These values say a lot about what my definition of leadership is. I believe strongly in treating others how you would want to be treated. It is important to me to have a sense of caring for others, a human touch that speaks toward compassion. Loyalty is a must... Loyalty to your family, friends, relationships, organization you belong to, etc. It conveys a deep level of commitment and dedication. Lastly, patience is truly a virtue. Whether at home or at work or out and about, patience is an invaluable tool that can reap many benefits when
exercised.
6. In conclusion, the importance of being a good leader cannot be overemphasized. Although there are many different personal leadership philosophies, mine is unique to me. Through newly realized personality and behavioral traits, I am committed to becoming a better leader. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams