Leadership Philosophy Statement
When I think of great leaders, I think of former supervisors, civil rights activists, student organization boards, US presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, band leaders, restaurant owners, university presidents, small business owners, and everything in between. There is a clear correlation to my idea of leadership in the context of all of these different platforms, and to which kinds of things I am drawn. I am drawn to companies, students, presidents, offices, schools, restaurants, etc. that are representative of my personal core values. It is my belief that only great leaders in each of these facets are able to create the kind of atmosphere that I seek out. Collaboration, communication, community, compassion, empathy, integrity, a growth mindset, social justice - these are some of the core values that I believe are critically important when it comes to being an exceptional leader. Without these things, leadership, to me, becomes synonymous to dictatorship.
Although every kind of leader listed above is certainly a traditional example, not all leadership roles look the part. In my career, I rarely have played the part of a manager or supervisor, but many have looked to me as a leader from students to colleagues. My philosophy is simple: work together to do good. As a higher education professional, my goal every day is to work to reduce the barriers of success for students, regardless of their backgrounds, in order to help every student who wants to graduate college go forth and change the world. It is my job to inspire and motivate the students with whom I work, and therefore, the team that I am working with must also be inspired and motivated to help make the system as navigable and equitable as possible.
As a naturally empathic person, the way that I interpret this philosophy for myself and others is that in working together towards a common goal of good, there are many things that we must do for ourselves and one another. We need to communicate openly and honestly about not only what we are thinking and feeling, but also what our strengths and weaknesses are. We need to be transparent with one another when we need help, or when we think we are able to help someone in the workplace who is in need. We should be compassionate for our shared, and unshared struggles, because ultimately, a team is going to face those things together whether someone admits they are struggling, or not. These sorts of things show up in how we work, and how we communicate, and if I am having a bad day as a leader, the people looking to me for guidance are likely to suspect that I am acting differently. The workplace is a community, and in that, like all communities, we will implode without communication and mutual respect.
My style of leadership is a true amalgamation, and what I would consider to be situational. Like students who have different learning needs in the classroom, so too do the employees that make up a team. Most naturally, I think that a democratic/participant approach is where I land. I think that while the term “leader” typically is used to suggest a chain of command, authority, and decision making, I believe that it is unwise to think that you yourself have the best or only solution to a problem based solely on the title you may hold. I value input from all team members and constituents because I know that I am not the smartest, most informed person in the room on any given topic. Teams are made up of people from varying backgrounds, areas of expertise, personalities, strengths and weaknesses, so in my mind, not consulting with them on decision making almost negates the benefits of having a team.
Democratic leadership to me keeps everyone involved and feeling heard and appreciated - but not all team members need or want that kind of structure. Some people need a mentor, others need finite direction, or a person “in charge” to make decisions for them, while others still need to be delegated tasks in order to be productive.
I am a chameleon in the sense that all of these things are doable, and if I am in a position to work through differentstyles with each member of the team, I will. The most critical piece of leadership for me is that we all need to be working with a deep sense of shared purpose - if that is present, then managing people to their different needs is simply akin to higher education’s golden rule of “meeting students where they are at”.
As a leader, I constantly, and conscientiously work to make higher education a better place. I am guided by my integrity, empathy, and personal desire to grow and see growth. Some may see me as an idealist, but I hope to show people is that the shades of gray between black and white where true innovation, creativity, and progress can be made. Not every conflict is going to have a linear resolution, but by working together, we can find ways to forge our own paths to affect great change.