That is a tough question. It’s also an important question and you should know the answer. Or, at the very least, you should have an idea of who you want to be as a leader.
The fact is, leadership is an ideal that we can never achieve. No matter how skilled you are as a leader, you’ll always see ways that you can improve. Knowing who you want to be as a leader — knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and values — can help you steer a steady course during your leadership journey. Determining this is a great exercise and something which will help you keep your head screwed on straight.
I went through this exercise several years ago and it was invaluable to me. And like many invaluable things, it started with a conversation with one of my mentors. You can skip on down to the recommendation if you want, but I’m going to start with a bit of background and how my mentor helped me get there.
Leadership Philosophy
A few years ago, I was elected to a senior leadership position in a volunteer organization (Toastmasters, in case you’re interested.)
Kerry and me at an event in 2015.
Kerry, a friend, mentor, and frequent sounding board, asked me what kind of leader I intended to be. I am sure I stammered for a few moments before asking, “A good one, I guess. What do you mean?”
She had recently attended a workshop held by Academy Leadership, a group of West Point and Naval Academy graduates. We talked for what seemed like minutes but was probably hours about the concept of leadership philosophy. She helped me understand that I needed to know who I currently was as a leader — both my strengths and my weaknesses. More importantly, I needed to know who I wanted to be as a leader. I needed to define an ideal leadership state by writing my personal leadership philosophy.
She went on to describe the exercises she had participated in during the workshop. I knew two things: I had to attend that workshop. I had to develop my own leadership philosophy.
The Leader’s Compass
I was so inspired by our conversation that I found Academy Leadership online and looked up the next workshop they were holding.
Then I saw the price.
As much as I knew I needed this and as much as I believed the workshop was worth every penny, I could not convince my bank account that I could afford it. I talked to Kerry again and she told me to try reading The Leader’s Compass by Ed Ruggero & Dennis Haley. The authors are both involved in Academy Leadership and Haley is the CEO.
Similar to a Patrick Lencioni book, this book is written as a leadership parable and steps the reader through the process of developing their own leadership philosophy. The resulting document is an idealized look at leadership and something to which I aspire. Creating it was an introspective journey that is still ongoing. Every couple of months I reread this living document and occasionally tweak it. As of this writing, the most recent version of my personal leadership philosophy was updated about a year ago.
A Word to the Wise
A leadership philosophy is an ideal. It can never be achieved. That’s ok. Your leadership philosophy is meant to constantly push you to be a better leader. If you achieve your leadership philosophy, it’s time to update it and challenge yourself to be even better. That doesn’t mean you should write this and forget about it. It means that you should write your personal leadership philosophy and strive to live up to it every single day.
The Final Takeaway
This was one of the most worthwhile exercises I’ve ever done. As suggested by the book, I have given this document to every team I’ve led. It keeps me honest, humble, and hungry. It keeps me wanting to be better every single day.
Photo by Ethan Weil on Unsplash