Personal Leadership Philosophies: Develop A Personal Leader ✓ Solved

Personal Leadership Philosophies: Develop a personal leadership

Personal Leadership Philosophies: Develop a personal leadership philosophy that reflects characteristics of a good leader. Include: core values; a personal mission/vision statement; an analysis of your CliftonStrengths Assessment results and how they relate to your leadership traits; a description of two key behaviors you wish to strengthen; and a development plan detailing how you will improve these behaviors and work toward your personal vision.

Use two to three scholarly resources (in addition to module readings) that evaluate the impact of leadership behaviors in creating healthy work environments.

Reflect on the leadership behaviors presented in the resources you selected, and incorporate colleagues’ feedback on your CliftonStrengths Assessment from this Module’s Discussion 2.

Be specific and provide examples.

Paper For Above Instructions

Core values and mission/vision: My leadership philosophy rests on three core values: integrity, respect, and accountability. Integrity anchors trust and transparency in decision-making; respect fosters inclusive collaboration; accountability ensures follow-through and responsibility for outcomes. These values translate into a leadership mission: to enable others to perform at their best by modeling ethical behavior, listening with empathy, and creating conditions for sustainable performance. My vision is a workplace where diverse voices inform decisions, psychological safety enables risk-taking and learning, and performance is pursued with humility and a commitment to continuous development (Northouse, 2019; Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The alignment of values, purpose, and actions is essential for credible leadership and credible change (Schein, 2010).

CliftonStrengths assessment and leadership traits: My CliftonStrengths results identified top themes that shape my leadership approach: Strategic, Learner, Relator, Responsibility, and Achiever. Each strength informs distinct leadership behaviors. Strategic supports proactive planning and scenario testing; Learner drives continuous self-improvement; Relator fosters deep, trust-based relationships; Responsibility anchors commitments and reliability; Achiever sustains momentum through steady goal pursuit. Together, these strengths align with contemporary views on strengths-based leadership, which posits that leveraging innate talents can enhance engagement, performance, and job satisfaction when paired with appropriate development (Rath, 2007). This interpretation aligns with theory that authentic leadership emerges from understanding one’s strengths and using them intentionally in service of others (Northouse, 2019; Goleman, 1995).

Two key behaviors to strengthen: First, I will strengthen active listening in diverse teams to improve inclusion, reduce miscommunication, and enhance shared decision-making. Active listening supports higher-quality feedback loops and psychological safety, which are foundational to healthy work environments (Northouse, 2019; Edmondson, 1999). Second, I will strengthen delegation and empowerment by translating my Responsibility and Achiever strengths into effective empowerment practices—clearly defining outcomes, delegating authority with accountability, and avoiding micromanagement. Strengthening these behaviors aligns with leadership research that links listening and inclusive practices to higher-performance teams and greater employee engagement (Kouzes & Posner, 2012; Yukl, 2013).

Development plan and implementation: The development plan comprises concrete, time-bound steps. For active listening, I will implement a structured practice: (1) schedule weekly 30-minute team listening circles, (2) rotate facilitation to ensure others lead discussions and contribute, (3) document key concerns and follow-up actions, and (4) solicit informal feedback after each session to monitor progress. For delegation and empowerment, I will (1) create a delegation matrix mapping tasks to team members’ strengths, (2) set clear expectations and success criteria, (3) assign ownership with authority limits, and (4) hold monthly reviews to assess outcomes and adjust as needed. These actions are designed to translate strengths (Strategic, Learner, Relator, Responsibility, Achiever) into expanded leadership‑practice behaviors that support a healthy work environment (Luthans, 2005; Bass & Bass, 2008).

Scholarly resources and integration: The two to three scholarly resources I selected evaluate how leadership behaviors influence healthy work environments. First, Kouzes and Posner’s Leadership Challenge framework emphasizes modeling the way, inspiring shared vision, enabling others to act, challenging the process, and encouraging the heart—behaviors that foster engagement and healthy cultures (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Second, Northouse’s synthesis of leadership theories highlights the value of ethical, servant, and transformational leadership in guiding organizations toward positive culture and performance outcomes (Northouse, 2019). Third, Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence argues that self-awareness and social awareness underpin effective leadership, especially in building relationships and navigating group dynamics (Goleman, 1995). These sources support the claim that leadership behaviors directly shape the climate of healthy work environments by aligning actions with values, enabling collaboration, and cultivating trust (Schein, 2010).

Colleagues’ feedback and CliftonStrengths integration: Feedback from colleagues during Discussion 2 emphasized the importance of listening more actively and distributing decision-making more broadly to empower others. This feedback complements my CliftonStrengths profile by highlighting opportunities to apply my Relator strength more broadly while leveraging my Strategic and Learner strengths to improve listening, reflection, and inclusive leadership. Integrating this feedback, I will use structured listening practices and empowerment strategies to demonstrate growth and inclusivity, thereby strengthening the alignment between strengths and leadership impact (Rath, 2007; Northouse, 2019).

Evidence-based rationale: The plan is anchored in established leadership theory and empirical findings. Ethical and servant leadership models emphasize the primacy of serving others and building trust as foundations for sustainable performance (Greenleaf, 1977; Schein, 2010). Transformational and active leadership literatures highlight the role of vision, motivation, and relationship-building in creating healthy work climates (Bass & Bass, 2008; Yukl, 2013). Emotional intelligence research reinforces the necessity of self- and social-awareness in managing diverse teams and navigating organizational change (Goleman, 1995). Together, these frameworks justify a development approach that emphasizes listening, empowerment, ethical action, and alignment with personal values (Northouse, 2019; Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009).

Expected outcomes and assessment: By strengthening active listening and delegation, I expect improved team engagement, higher-quality decision-making, and more sustainable execution of initiatives. Success will be measured through: (1) qualitative feedback from team members and colleagues, (2) improved psychological safety indicators, (3) progress against the delegation matrix, and (4) continual alignment of actions with core values and vision. Regular reflection and documentation will ensure that progress remains tethered to the personal leadership philosophy and evidence from the scholarly resources (Northouse, 2019; Kouzes & Posner, 2012).

Conclusion: A well-articulated leadership philosophy, grounded in core values and a clear mission, supported by a strengths-based self-understanding and a concrete development plan, offers a pathway to ethical, effective, and sustainable leadership. By integrating scholarly resources on healthy work environments with feedback from colleagues and CliftonStrengths insights, the plan translates theory into practice, guiding daily actions toward the envisioned personal and organizational outcomes (Goleman, 1995; Northouse, 2019; Kouzes & Posner, 2012).

References

  • Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th ed.). SAGE.
  • Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
  • Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (5th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
  • Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0. Gallup Press.
  • Luthans, F. (2005). Organizational Behavior (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
  • Bass, B. M., & Bass, R. (2008). The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. Free Press.
  • Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. Harvard Business Press.
  • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
  • Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Paulist Press.