To become a great leader, I must know myself. I must be able to engage in self-examination, be self-aware, and know what is truly in my core. “Thoughtful examination and testing of what we believe remains critical to sustaining great leadership.” (Irwin 2014, p.129). The combination of these things will allow me to pursue my interests and goals and advance the mission of the organization I lead. Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge states that, “The truth is that leadership is an observable set of skills and abilities that are useful no matter where you are.” (Kouzes & Posner, 2004.)
I must take my values, skills, and abilities out into the world and use them in such a way that will enhance my leadership. My leadership standards and core values will determine my success. Growing up, I have heard examples of how a sturdy foundation will last longer than a weak one. For example, I remember the story The Three Little Pigs. In the story, it is shown how the straw house blew down easy.
The house made of sticks, was a little more difficult to blow down. Lastly, the house made of bricks was almost impenetrable. In my current stage of life, I know I do not have bricks building my whole house. It is a combination of straw, sticks, and bricks. As I become stronger in my leadership abilities, I can start to eliminate the straw and sticks and have a strong, solid foundation that won’t budge. My leadership will be built on a solid foundation of my standards, core values, and the strength and wisdom of my Savior.
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Leadership standards and core values can be synonymous with each other in many ways. The words and the definitions may be different, but the underlying themes are harmonious. Impact uses the term ‘core’ “as a metaphor for the person inside of us.” (Irwin 2014, p. 13). Our core has the ability to lead and/or guide our actions because it is the basis for our thoughts, feelings, attitude, and conscience. Because of this, it is important to be self-aware of values that define our core and keep our core strong throughout life’s difficult decisions. Being able to define our Core Values is one of the first steps to becoming a great leader.
It is important to know where from you draw your intentions and motivations. We must be conscious of ourselves before we can truly begin to lead others. As mentioned to us in the Cascades series led by Derek Young, our Four Standards can dictate how we evaluate people. Therefore, it is important that those following our leadership example understand our standards so that they can know our intentions and expectations. My Four Standards are responsibility, organization, honesty, and authenticity.
The first of the four is responsibility. This also happens to be one of my core values. To me, responsibility can be defined as being able to hold to your word and promises and follow through with your actions. My mother taught me from a young age that responsibility can take you far. From something as simple as doing your chores to paying bills when you are out in the world on your own. Responsibility takes on a different meaning at different stages of your life.
In leadership, being responsible means that you can empower your team to pursue their tasks and goals all the way to completion. It can also mean taking responsibility for mistakes and being responsible enough to give credit where credit is due, when circumstances warrant acknowledgement of the team. Great leaders must know when to applaud those around them for hard work that has been done. As a leader, I will strive to commit to the task I do, regardless of the result, and to be diligent in commending those around me who assist in successful tasks.
Organization is the second of my four standards. Similarly, stability is an important piece that defines my core values. Stability is the ability to place yourself on sturdy ground in your work, life, values, and relationships. A foundation for leadership must be built on solid ground, as displayed in the parable from the Book of Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV).
“Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; but it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
I have never felt that bouncing quickly from one thing to another is a positive way to act. I enjoy knowing what the next step is before I take it so that I don’t place my foot on uneven ground. Whether it is written down in a planner or discussed in detail during a meeting with a team, it is important to have a plan. Organization can stabilize those tasks and make your work more efficient. Organization and stability go hand in hand with my personality type of ISFJ.
In the Judging aspect, I prefer an organized and planned approach to the world around me. If I can place myself on solid ground, and have a plan in place, the chances of my foundation being washed out from beneath me are much less. If I feel my standards and core values are beginning to waver, I must find the broken piece in my foundation and strengthen it with what I know to be true of my beliefs. If I am organized, I can find these issues sooner to correct it before it becomes a major road block in my path of leadership.
The third standard that defines my leadership philosophy is honesty. Honesty is comparable to the Golden Rule. True honesty will take me further, even if dishonesty may be the easier route. Irwin states this perfectly by saying, “The hardships of the high road can be daunting, but most of the time we push through the barriers and try to do the right thing.” I think that doing the right thing correlates well with another of my core values, compassion. To me, compassion means that I am empathetic for the people around me and situations that may arise in this world. It can be easy to disengage with the world and forget that I am not the only one facing tough situations. As a leader, I strive to be compassionate and understanding of the circumstances of those around me.
This will help me lead with a heart that cares. When things don’t go as planned, I will be able to step back and assess the reasons why. Kouzes and Posner state, “Leadership is a process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others.” (Kouzes & Posner, 2004). Honesty and compassion are also revealed in me through the MBTI assessment as I identify as an ISFJ. Work Types identifies an ISFJ as, “sympathetic, loyal, considerate, and conscientious.” (Kummerow, Barger, & Kirby 1997, p. 19). Honesty, compassion, understanding, and empathy will let those I lead know that I care for their circumstances and will guide them with a kind and caring hand.
Lastly, authenticity is a standard of mine that also correlates directly with one of my core values. As a leader, I must be able to reveal my true self and be open and honest about my intentions and actions. A quote that resonates with my leadership philosophy is this, “Authentic leaders express a personal narrative alongside their vision and goals for the organization.” (Irwin 2014, p.40). I believe that it is much easier to follow a leader if I see that their actions are true and honest.
If my words speak one thing and my actions show another, those that I lead may find it difficult to understand my true intentions. If I find my words and actions not aligning, I must re-examine my core and find what is lurking and disrupting the peace inside of me. As I learned in Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge, my authenticity and leadership will benefit if I can engage in self-talk. By listening to the dialogue and questions within my core, I can find my weaknesses and downfalls that hinder my authenticity. Irwin’s (2014) text states the following regarding self-talk:
Effective leaders pay attention to their self-talk. They challenge those subtle misbeliefs and half-truths that they carry around in their core. They recognize that a certain tone or gesture conveys arrogance or dismissiveness. They recognize that this type of behavior breeds resistance to our ideas in others. (p.141)
I must claim my misbeliefs and faults in front of those I lead to show them that I can be authentic in identifying my mistakes and correcting them for the future. This will build trust with those around me, which will in turn create a trust in my leadership.
As a leader, I will always be watched. Therefore, my core must be strong so that I do not derail myself by my words or actions. An illustration of this is a train derailing. One small thing can cause a lot of destruction. I must be aware of my shadow and my blind spots. Others will inevitably see this, and it could alter their opinion of my leadership ability. An old truism that Irwin mentions is, “We judge ourselves by our intentions, while others judge us by our behavior.” (Irwin 2014, p.42). Alternatively, small things can also create a huge impact. If I can be methodical in how I approach challenges, I can find great reward and success for myself as a leader, as well as my organization.
As I grow and learn more about myself as a leader, I will also become more intuitive of my standards, core, and beliefs in life. As these grow stronger, I can use my abilities to lead a strong team in my organization. Leadership is not stationary. Leadership will grow with me and my experience in life. My personal leadership philosophy statement is the first step to start building a strong and sturdy foundation.
References
- Irwin, T. (2014). Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything. BenBella Books.
- Kummerow, J. M., Barger, N. J., & Kirby, L. K. (1997). WORKTypes. Warner Books.
- Maxwell, J. C., McAllister-Wilson, D., Lencioni, P., Ortberg, N., & Blanchard, K. (2004). Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge (J. M. Kouzes & B. Z. Posner, Eds.). Jossey-Bass.
- Young, D. (2018, August). Cascades Leadership Series: Part Six. Lecture, Nashville.
