Leadership Philosophy Thank You for Your Consideration

Leadership Philosophy

Thank you for your consideration of my application to Woodbury University. I understand and respect the value of receiving instruction and inspiration from professors and instructors in the field of organizational leadership, and it is my goal to be enrolled at Woodbury University in that regard.

What is particular appealing for me in terms of the learning process is knowing that the Woodbury University graduate program specializes on "small study groups that maximize learning and promote personal and professional relationships" that can carry over into life beyond graduation.

I also like the fact that classes are on a five-week format, and that they are intensive, because learning should be an concentrated, rigorous experience with challenges put in front of students -- the kind of challenges that participants will be faced with out of school. The Woodbury University strategy of allowing students to engender meaningful professional relationships while learning is very impressive and important for my own personal goals.

As to my own leadership philosophy, I would like to share that in the sense that I am a person who has serious goals, and rarely if ever backs down from my values and commitments, I am ready for the program offered at Woodbury University.

First of all, to be a competent, believable leader a person must have integrity, and that means honesty, forthrightness and consistency in decision-making. The style of leadership that a person exhibits reflects the values that person has acquired over the years. My values revolve around justice, cooperation, fairness, diversity, inclusion -- and meaningful face-to-face interaction with those around me.

An efficient, effective leader must be a person that understands empathy for others -- not sympathy, but empathy. The legendary psychologist and educator Carl Rogers made empathy a principal foundation in his approach to education and to therapy. He believed that unless the leader had true empathy for the person or student he was working with, there would never be good communication and understanding between the two. I value every word I have read involving Carl Rogers, and in the leadership genre I see him as a role model.

It is absolutely vital that a leader must have good communication skills, and while my skills are above average, I wish to grow and improve in that aspect of leadership -- through the rigorous twelve month program offered at Woodbury College. Another important part of leadership is understanding the importance of being a good listener, and I have that skill but again, I wish to improve and hope to be enrolled in your Master of Arts program to give me the training I need.