I recently completed my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. One of the requirements for my last class is to re-read my leadership philosophy paper from my first class and write about how I have changed.
Reflection always seems to be the most difficult part of these courses. It means I have to sit down, usually without interruption, and actually think about who I am and what is important to me. That’s tough to do. Not so much because my kids are asking questions or arguing or wanting to eat, but because I have to be honest with myself… and that takes effort.
When I read my leadership philosophy from two years ago, I want to say that nothing has really changed.
Do I really believe that leaders need to invest in personal growth, character, understanding and community? Yes. No change there.
Do I really believe that leaders need to involve themselves with people and learning? Yes. No change there.
Do I really believe that leaders need to inspire others? Yes. No change there.
So what is different? I am different. Over the past few months, I have come to realize that my original leadership philosophy paper was more a paper about what I hoped could be. I hoped these principles could actually be something of importance within a leader’s life, although I had yet to experience them in any real capacity. For my entire adult life, I hadn’t met or worked for any leader who embodied the servant leader attitude and character that I so admired. But I had felt those attitudes and characteristics at work in my life. What I had seen and experienced from the leaders I had been involved with conflicted with what was at work in me. This created a kind of malaise. I came to believe that I could never really lead because I didn’t possess the necessary qualities of leadership. This degree program has helped me understand that my philosophy of hope was actually a strong philosophy of leadership.
I am still on the path of growing into a strong leader. I will always be growing. I am glad this growth has brought me to understand that the way I am wired to lead is not a weakness but a strength. It is the leadership of the future.
My philosophy will change over time as I better understand what is important to me. So will yours. In the meantime, however… I love the discovery that I am not an idiot.
