Tripp Atkinson - What drives you? (Developing a personal leadership philosophy)
Do you have a personal leadership philosophy? You may not have it written down, but we all have certain core beliefs and attitudes that drive our behavior.
It is a good idea for any leader to identify these core beliefs and write them down as a personal leadership philosophy. A written leadership philosophy not only easily communicates to others your core values and beliefs, but it also serves as a personal reminder for how you want to lead and what difference you want your leadership to make. It defines the why, what, who, and how of your leadership.
My Leadership Philosophy
Let me share my personal leadership philosophy with you, and then explain an easy way to think about identifying and writing yours.
I believe that identity and purpose are found in Christ alone.
I believe I am called by God to represent Christ to the world, in service & love.
I believe that God can do the impossible IN me and THROUGH me.
I have a purpose to point other to Jesus.
I have a passion to see others discover and live God’s very best for their lives.
I have a plan to empower others to change the world.
I will love people, not position.
I will lead people, not programs.
I will serve people, not praise.
I will seek to honor God in all I do.
Where To Start
The internet is full of ideas concerning how to go about developing a personal leadership philosophy, and the dozens of formulas / guides to writing one reveal that there is no universal “right” way. While many strategies focus on waxing eloquent on what leadership is, I think it is more helpful to focus on what leadership does.
Far more important than being able to talk about leadership is being able to lead in a way that makes a difference!
The most important part of developing a leadership philosophy is determining the foundation from which you lead. Consider what a philosophy is and what it does. A philosophy begins with a foundation that guides behavior.
Philosophy: a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.
We all get to choose what we base our leadership on. Our leadership can come from ever-changing leadership theory (a supposition or uncertain belief) or it can be rooted in unchanging truth that leads to a settled way of thinking (attitude).
Writing a personal leadership philosophy forces a leader to identify what guiding principles lead them as a leader.
A Simple Approach
Instead of basing your leadership on uncertain beliefs or the latest leadership buzz words, consider this simple (but more sure) approach to a philosophy of leadership:
TRUTH >>> ATTITUDE >>> ACTION (BEHAVIOR)
Reflect on these three key elements and take some time to answer the developmental questions on each one…
TRUTH:
“the state of being the case: fact”
Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount by telling a story about two guys who went out and built houses. One built his house on a shifting foundation and the other built his house on a solid foundation. When inevitable storms hit, only the house built on a solid foundation stood. To build your life or leadership on anything other than God’s unchanging truth is to lead from a place of instability and uncertainty. Define what core biblical truths you want to shape your leadership and actions. Identify at lease 2-3 truths, and try to keep them as succinct as possible.
- What 2-4 foundational biblical truths do you want to shape your leadership and your actions?
ATTITUDE:
“a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.”
A leader who builds their life and leadership on unchanging truth can have a confident and settled mindset (attitude). They can have a certainty in purpose, passion, and vision. For the follower of Jesus, the goal should be to have the same attitude as that of Christ. (Philippians 2:5) What do you want to communicate about your mindset, based on the core truths that drive your leadership? This is a great place to say something about your purpose, passion, and vision.
- Based on the truths you identified, what is your settled way of thinking about your purpose?
- What passion do you want to drive your behavior?
- What influence do you want to have / what difference do you want to make?
ACTION (Behavior):
“the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others.”
The impact of truth on one’s attitude is reflected in behavior. The end goal of leadership is action, both personally and through influencing others to action. Leadership that is not actionable is not influential. Effective leaders have the same mindset as the apostle Peter when he encourages his readers to “prepare your minds for action…” (1 Peter 1:13). What will be the focus of your action? What can others expect of your behavior as it relates to the core truths from which you lead?
- Based on truth & attitude, how do you want to act towards others?
One Last Challenge…
Now that you have identified these important elements, I have one last challenge. Take everything you have written and condense it down into one brief summary statement. Yes, I know this can be tough. But if someone asked you to describe your leadership philosophy or approach in one sentence, what would it be? (Again, try to keep it at 25 words or less.)
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
- If you had to reduce your entire personal leadership philosophy to one statement, what would it be?
Here is how my personal leadership philosophy breaks down based on the elements defined above:
TRUTH
I believe that identity and purpose are found in Christ alone.
I believe I am called by God to represent Christ to the world, in service & love.
I believe that God can do the impossible IN me and THROUGH me.
ATTITUDE
I have a purpose to point other to Jesus.
I have a passion to see others discover and live God’s very best for their lives.
I have a plan to empower others to change the world.
ACTION (Behavior)
I will love people, not position.
I will lead people, not programs.
I will serve people, not praise.
SUMMARY
I will seek to honor God in all I do.
Please don’t see my leadership philosophy as the “right” way to write one. (Remember, there is not one right way and mine is unlike every “right” way I’ve seen described.) But this statement serves as a great reminder to me of what I really value and from what foundational truth I want to lead.
I’m confident that taking the time to identify and write your personal leadership philosophy will prove to be helpful in communicating to others and reminding yourself of why and how you lead.
Helpful Tips:
- Don’t be overwhelmed by the goal of reducing a lot of things you value into a concise document. Start the process. It’s OK if the document evolves over time as you live with it and continue to hone it. Just start somewhere. The process of developing a written philosophy may be more important than the finished product.
- Once you have a written leadership philosophy, put it somewhere you can see it daily. Mine is on my bathroom mirror. Begin each day by considering why, what, and how you will lead today.
If these thoughts on writing a personal leadership philosophy are helpful, please feel free to share. Also, to have future blogs send directly to your email, feel free to subscribe by clicking HERE and entering your email address on the right. (Don’t worry, if my blogs become lame, you can unsubscribe at any time. I promise I will not be offended, and we can still be friends.)