How to Craft Your Leadership Philosophy: 3 Key Steps
Recently, I wrote a post about how, in these times, itโs easy to focus inward. But I emphasised that one of the most powerful things we can do as leaders is to unlock growth in others. Building on that thought, I want to dive into discovering your own leadership philosophy.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Leadership is not merely a title; in my POV, it is a sacred responsibility we carry with intentionality and care.
Whether youโre leading a large corporate team or navigating the solo entrepreneurial path, itโs the answer to: โHow do I want to show up for people whom I work with?โ You can be a leader even if you donโt have people officially reporting to you. You can manage by influence, and they will follow you if your values resonate with them.
There is no one-size-fits-all model, but itโs about drawing inspiration from those we admire and carving out our own unique path. For me, one corporate leader whoโs always resonated is Pat Gelsinger. His โFive Lsโ philosophyโListen, Learn, Link, Lift, and Love. Reflecting on leaders like him helps us shape our own values and approaches. Read that post here
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ผ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐?
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
I call this the foundation. Define the values that truly matter to you. Do the Value cards test (you can search it online). Distil the top 5 and then the top 1 value from the many mentioned there. Then reflect on past leaders (good or bad) who have shaped your approach. Establish your Non-Negotiables and core identity as a leader. Ask yourself questions like, โWhat legacy as a leader do you want to leave behind?โ
๐ฎ. ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด
I call it the relevance check. Do commit to ongoing development through formal courses, mentorship, and challenging new projects. Never stop growing. Challenge yourself with questions like โWhat new skill or perspective will you acquire this quarter to serve your team better?โ Ensures your philosophy remains Relevant, Adaptable, and Scalable.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ
Calling this a reality check. Actively seek critical, 360-degree feedback, especially from those you lead. Tools like skip-level feedback are great for answering the question โWhat is it like to be led by me?โ And then close the crucial gap between your Intention and your actual Impact.
Over time, these ingredients will shape a leadership philosophy that is authentically yours, one that turns responsibility into a legacy.
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