How leadership philosophy shapes effective leader behavior

Leadership Philosophy

PHILOSOPHY

A leadership philosophy can be described as the way we perceive ourselves as leaders. Not only our actions are guided by this philosophy but it also alters our behaviors and moulds our thoughts. Both internal and external forces are responsible for influencing our individual philosophies. By changing one's philosophy regarding leadership, one can definitely change himself/herself as a leader. Leadership philosophies can change an individual once he/she starts to analyze and understand his/her personality and individual characteristics within the context of leading.

Leadership Philosophy

Intellectually, it is imperative for this generation to understand the role and function of leadership as leading is that skill which is considered as most necessary in this contemporary era. The simple reason behind acquiring this understanding and skill is that leaders, without no doubt, play a major role in helping people shape their lives. Leaders not only define business and the subsequent practices for its development but also delineate the teams, groups and communities. . Leaders determine a society's character and responsibilities and are the administrators of governmental policies. To cut a long story short, it is the behavior of the leaders that sets the course to be followed by others in every aspect of life (Fairholm 1998, xiii).

No tricks, complex theories and philosophies are required by the leadership to perform excellently. A great leader could be present in the most traditional output-oriented groups or even in a badly run organization (Fairholm 1998, 26). The only characteristic that makes him/her different than others is his/her leadership philosophy that mainly emphasizes on "values summarized in a vision of what the group and its members are and can become" (Fairholm 1998, 47). This leadership philosophy encompasses values including personal freedom, reverence of life, impartiality, harmony and contentment. Great leaders tap these vitalizing principles and standards and it is only then that they become able to lead (Fairholm 1998, 47).

Conclusion

In order to develop a believable, realistic and trustworthy leadership philosophy, the individual should follow 7 essentials i.e. vision, ethics, care of employees and their families, process of leader development, change, diversity and humor. No matter what sort of leadership level or organization one leads, one is obliged to develop a considerate, selfless, wide-ranging and reasonable leadership philosophy for those who work for him/her. It is impossible for a leadership philosophy to address all the mentioned essentials or confronted issues. However, a sensible leadership philosophy will serve as a concrete beginning point that will not only be understood by the leaders himself but by those he leads (Leboeuf 1999).

To conclude, a well-established leadership philosophy helps in the creation of a united and positive environment that not enables leaders to discover their absolute position and their preferences. Consequently, they communicate their expectations to the followers. By knowing his/her expectations, the followers act in the similar fashion as their leaders'. Thus, this whole process helps in the achievement of organizational effectiveness as both the leaders and followers become bonded to a relationship of mutual trust and confidence ("Leadership Philosophy,").