Self-Reflection on Personal Leadership Principles and Style

Introduction

Honest self-reflection can be a daunting enterprise, but the process can also provide people with valuable insights concerning what they actually think and believe — insights that may not otherwise be possible. In fact, some people do not know what they really believe until they are forced to think about it and reduce their thoughts to writing (Daum, 2015). To this end, this paper provides an analysis of the author's principles, values, beliefs, and behaviors, followed by an assessment of fundamental principles and core values. A discussion concerning the author's beliefs about people in organizations, people outside organizations, power, processes and policies, and profit is followed by an analysis of the ways in which the author's behaviors align with personal principles, values, and beliefs.

Two leadership theories are also discussed in terms of the author's leadership and how personal principles, values, beliefs, and behaviors align with each theory. Finally, a comparison of the author's leadership qualities with those of Ronald Reagan is followed by three key insights that can be used to enhance the ethical aspects of leadership influence. A summary of the research and important findings is presented in the conclusion.

Fundamental Principles, Core Values, and Beliefs

Individual core principles, values, and beliefs are important because they serve to define an individual's integrity (Plummer, 1995). Likewise, an individual's demonstrated behaviors are important because they serve as physical manifestations of these qualities (Plummer, 1995). A number of different individual principles combine to define individual integrity, and it would be tempting to claim them all personally. As Plummer advises, "Many principles work together to build integrity. A strong belief in the worth of diverse opinions and the power of diverse people, a commitment to doing the right thing, the courage to face adversity, a strong service ethic, and a natural disposition toward openness, as well as loyalty to the organization and the community, are just some of the valued traits that build integrity" (1995, p. 17).

Although one can lay claim to a belief in these principles in varying degrees with reasonable authority, it is also clear that even people with a strong moral compass and exemplary values may behave in aberrant fashion from time to time — in ways that defy easy explanation but which are inextricably linked to the exigencies of the human condition. Fortunately, the following personal fundamental principles can serve as additional useful guidelines in determining the most appropriate behaviors in any given circumstance.

The author's universal principles are aligned with those described by Streeter, who reports that the four universal human principles are integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness. As noted above, there are a number of constituent traits that combine to contribute to an individual's integrity, just as there are several factors that contribute to an individual's level of responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness. For instance, individual responsibility relates to someone's ability to respond to changing circumstances, such as the obligations that accompany becoming a parent or enrolling in school. By contrast, an individual's level of compassion and forgiveness may vary according to circumstances, with some people being highly compassionate and forgiving toward other human beings while others direct that compassion toward animals or even the environment.

Although personal core values also exist along a continuum — much like the day-to-day application of universal principles — these attributes provide a valuable framework for guiding appropriate personal behaviors. Core values such as honesty, diligence, a strong work ethic, reliability, and consistency all combine to provide this guiding framework. As Daum (2015) explains, "Most smart people consciously or unconsciously use personal core values to select friendships, relationships and business partnerships. Your core values also help you wisely manage your personal resources such as time and money" (p. 2).

Behaviors, Organizations, and the Alignment of Values

Based on a lifetime of empirical observations concerning the actions of real-world business practitioners, beliefs about people in organizations have been both confirmed and refuted on numerous occasions. Every time greed overcomes ethical practice, beliefs about the inherent dishonesty and duplicity of the business world — and the dangers of unrestrained power in the name of profit — are reinforced. This point is also made by Birchfield (2012), who emphasizes, "Just as chief executives and directors of our largest public and private sector enterprises trot out new reasons for ramping up their remuneration and fee packages, so we learn that the leadership capabilities for which they so generously reward themselves are make-believe" (p. 20).

Conversely, the world is also full of examples of business practitioners exhibiting genuine concern for their stakeholders, including the general public, which refutes these same beliefs. The outcome of a lifetime of such observations has been a general consensus that, on occasion, most people will do whatever they believe they can get away with, and that only a rare few consistently practice what they preach.

On the one hand, and notwithstanding the adage that honesty is always the best policy, it has not always been judicious to apply this value in practice. On occasion, one may be called upon to share views and opinions about business decisions that seem wrong but are supported by top management. Rather than attempt to change anyone's mind about such decisions, it can feel necessary to voice support for them despite personal misgivings. On the other hand, a consistent demonstration of diligence, consistency, and a strong work ethic remains entirely aligned with core principles, values, and beliefs.

Conclusion

The self-reflection process indicated that the author's core principles, values, and beliefs in honesty, hard work, diligence, reliability, and consistency were largely aligned with demonstrated behaviors. The research showed that the author's views about people inside and outside of organizations reflect a mixed perspective: numerous examples of corporate misconduct reinforce the belief that most people will do whatever they believe they can get away with, while numerous counter-examples of organizations doing the right thing refute these perceptions.