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A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
Leadership
Under
the
Microscope:
A
Leadership
Philosophy
and
exploration.
Self-development
means
a
person
has
to
go
beyond
his
or
her
own
nose
and
see
into
what
is
around
them.
A
person
must
open
up
his
or
her
eyes
to
the
world
and
accept
what
there
may
be.
Through
self-development
a
person
gathers
the
courage
to
continuously
explore
the
world.
A
true
explorer
does
not
stop
once
they
have
come
to
the
summit
of
K-2,
they
move
on
to
climb
Mt.
Everest.
Exploring
is
a
constant
endeavor
that
no
one
will
complete
in
a
lifetime
because
there
is
so
much
to
see.
This
is
why
I
believe
there
is
no
end
to
developing
my
definition
of
leadership.
I
know
without
forcing
it
to,
will
change
over
the
years.
It
has
certainly
done
so
in
the
almost
five
years
I
have
been
in
institutions
of
higher
learning.
What
is
Leadership?
A leader is an open mind ready for any idea to be thrown at them. The leader
assesses
an
idea,
discovers
its
potential
and
flaws,
then
asks
the
followers
how
they
will
make
this
idea
a
reality.
They
ask
the
followers
to
examine
the
idea
further
and
seek
the
truth
about
it.
That
is
what
a
leader
does,
they
seek
truth.
A
leader
that
denies
the
truth,
staring
them
dead
in
the
eye,
is
not
an
affective
leader.
A
self-aware
follower
can
easily
see
that
a
leader
has
denied
the
truth
and
lose
respect
for
them
entirely.
In
order
for
a
leader
to
be
effective
she
or
he
must
simply
be
honest
with
themselves
and
the
followers.
A
leader
that
shows
their
followers
that
they
are
human
too
and
not
afraid
to
admit
it,
is
an
affective
leader.
In
reference
to
the
Deal
and
Peterson
(2000)
text,
my
view
of
leadership
relates
closely
to
the
symbolic
role
of
visionary.
The
visionary
must
work
with
other
leaders
and
the
community
to
define
a
deeply
value-focused
picture
of
the
future
(Deal
&
Peterson,
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
2000).
Vision
allows
the
truth
of
an
organization
to
surface.
The
truth
is
the
lifeline
and
essence
of
a
community
that
a
leader
cannot
deny
because
its
power
is
unparalleled.
Amid all the evidence that our world is radically changing, we cling to what has
worked
in
the
past,
(Wheatley,
2006).
I
agree
with
Wheatley
that
we
are
comfortable
with
the
past
because
the
nature
of
humans
is
to
fear
change
and
the
uncertainty
it
brings.
However,
a
good
leader
recognizes
their
fears
and
steps
up
anyway
because
they
recognize
a
real
need
for
change.
Change
does
not
need
to
come
from
a
dramatic
event,
even
though
that
is
where
it
is
most
often
seen.
Preemptive
change
is
less
common
because
it
takes
so
much
strength
from
an
individual,
team,
and
collective
organization.
When
a
leader
is
able
to
recognize
that
traditional
practice
is
not
what
is
best
for
the
success
of
the
organization
and
is
no
longer
serving
the
people,
than
they
must
step
up.
This
leader
does
not
need
to
be
a
formally
elected
individual,
simply
an
opinion
leader
of
the
community
(Rogers,
1983).
less.
Now,
I
am
not
going
to
get
into
egoism
too
much
because
I
believe
that
there
is
nothing
wrong
with
doing
what
makes
you
feel
good.
It
is
not
selfishness;
it
is
identification
of
what
makes
you
happy.
You
are
only
doing
what
is
meant
for
you
in
your
lifetime.
However,
to
be
a
servant
leader
you
must
look
at
the
broad
scope
of
things,
assess
all
angles
of
a
situation,
and
then
act
in
the
best
interest
of
the
organization
and
the
people
within
it.
You
must
put
aside
your
needs
for
the
needs
of
others.
When
you
have
done
this,
you
are
a
servant
leader.
It
is
a
basic
concept
to
put
others
before
yourself,
but
a
very
difficult
one.
A
true
servant
leader
sees
past
their
needs
immediately
and
performs
in
the
best
interest
of
the
world
around
them.
I
think
it
is
noble
to
be
a
servant
leader
and
the
only
way
for
this
world
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
to
become
a
better
a
place.
A
servant
leader
hears
the
voice
of
the
people
and
enacts
what
they
see
best
for
society;
they
do
not
force
their
views
but
rather
weigh
the
benefits
of
how
the
people
can
positively
affect
one
another.
A leader must also be aware of in and out-group dynamics. They must strive to make
the
out-group
apart
of
the
in-group.
Symbolically,
the
leader
must
become
the
healer
of
the
community
(Deal
&
Peterson,
2000).
If
the
out-group
people
are
left
where
they
stand,
they
can
become
stagnate
and
bitter
towards
the
organization
and
leader.
It
is
a
negligent
leader
that
does
not
do
their
best
to
enact
change
between
groups.
It
is
in
the
best
interest
of
the
organization
to
make
one
giant
in-group.
It
is
like
an
engine;
if
all
of
the
pistons
are
not
firing
then
the
engine
does
not
function,
however
if
you
are
careful
to
maintain
your
engine
and
inspect
it
often
then
all
pistons
should
be
firing
together
making
it
an
affective
machine.
In
non-shop
talk,
if
a
leader
is
aware
of
their
group
dynamics
and
makes
an
effort
to
keep
everyone
together
then
the
organization
will
be
better
for
it
and
subsequently
healed
(Deal
&
Peterson,
2000).
As alluded to in Komives et. al. (2006) the Relational Leadership Model says that a
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
group
theory
and
all
rules
apply
to
being
inclusive.
Now,
defining
a
process
is
something
I
have
not
touched
on
yet.
To
define
a
process
for
developing
the
organization
and
its
people
brings
structure
to
all
that
you
do
as
a
leader.
Having
structure
reinforces
purpose
to
everything
you
do.
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
To
receive
my
full
acceptance
into
Texas
A&M
I
would
have
to
complete
two
years
at
Blinn
and
A&M
maintaining
a
3.5
GPA
for
both
institutions,
or
apply
for
transfer
into
my
college
of
choice.
Not
wanting
to
leave
my
fate
up
to
completing
the
Blinn
TEAM
requirements,
I
applied
for
transfer
every
semester
I
could.
One
letter
of
rejection
after
another
came
back
to
me
eventually
leaving
me
with
the
fact
that
I
applied
to
Texas
A&M
a
total
of
5
times
before
receiving
my
acceptance.
As
you
can
imagine,
my
acceptance
was
a
monumental
accomplishment.
I
remember
everything
about
the
moment
I
opened
my
letter.
I
realized
at
that
moment
that
if
there
is
something
I
love
whole-heartedly
than
I
will
never
give
up
on
it.
I
realized
that
my
dreams
come
true
through
perseverance.
Knowing
this
about
myself
as
I
realize
my
strength
as
a
woman
and
the
power
of
purpose
I
am
beginning
to
tap
into,
will
drive
me
through
any
obstacles
that
come
up
on
my
journey
of
being
a
voice
for
women.
Moving
forward
with
my
self-discovery
and
my
newfound
energy,
I
want
to
tap
into
the
resources
already
available
for
women,
and
men,
that
are
victims
of
sexual
assault.
However,
while
I
want
my
work
to
help
those
people
that
are
victims,
I
want
to
be
sure
that
it
does
a
large
part
in
prevention.
I
believe
that
I
can
connect
best
with
young
adults
because
what
happened
to
me
occurred
as
a
young
adult.
I
want
to
share
my
stories,
but
that
terrifies
me.
Putting
my
life
out
there
for
people
to
judge,
I
am
afraid
of
the
hate
that
could
come
from
it,
not
necessarily
at
myself
but
at
the
attackers.
While
I
do
not
condone
their
actions,
I
still
have
not
been
able
to
deal
with
the
consequences
that
they
deserve.
I
recognize
that
this
internal
conflict
needs
to
be
dealt
with
before
I
become
a
voice,
but
like
I
have
said,
this
is
a
journey
that
will
not
complete
overnight.
I
need
to
tap
into
the
resources
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
available
at
Seattle
University
like
the
Counseling
Center,
so
that
I
may
vet
out
the
issues
I
still
have.
As
I
experience
this
internal
conflict
I
am
reminded
of
the
quote
by
Oscar
Wilde,
The
well
bred
contradict
other
people.
The
wise
contradict
themselves.
This
reminds
me
that
I
am
not
perfect
and
must
continue
down
a
path
where
I
find
conflict
with
myself
and
know
no
other
way
to
live.
By
keeping
the
contradiction
going
I
allow
myself
to
be
authentic
with
everyone
I
interact
with.
I
choose
to
be
vulnerable
in
this
journey
so
that
I
am
real
with
all
I
encounter.
To
me
this
is
the
true
mark
of
a
servant
leader.
They
put
aside
themselves
however
their
true
self
comes
through
with
all
they
do.
Like
the
examples
of
Marina
Pisklakova
and
Sunitha
Krishnan,
they
found
their
driving
purpose
and
set
out
to
fulfill
it
by
helping
and
leading
others.
Servant,
authentic
leaders
can
be
powerful
examples
for
positive
choice,
however
the
risk
of
being
authentic
is
that
not
everyone
will
want
to
follow
you.
I
like
authenticity
because
I
believe
it
is
the
best
way
to
build
connection
with
people.
When
it
is
combined
with
stewardship,
connection
can
be
enhanced
because
people
can
see
that
you
do
not
care
for
pushing
your
own
agendas.
You
care
about
each
of
them,
their
voices,
stories,
needs,
and
most
importantly
how
the
organization
can
be
representative
of
them.
You
make
choices
for
the
collective,
not
the
individual,
and
you
do
this
transparently.
Servant,
authentic
leaders
can
do
their
best
to
connect
with
people
and
create
an
inclusive
environment,
but
not
everyone
will
connect.
This
brings
me
to
question
if
a
servant,
authentic
leader
is
enough
to
bring
cohesion
to
a
group.
However
the
quote
in
Vital
Voices
from
Hafsat
Abiola
reminds
me
that
no
matter
what,
[..]There
is
enough.
We
are
enough.
[]
There
are
enough
resources
for
everyone
and
they
will
expand
as
they
are
shared.
We
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
10
are
enough.
We
have
the
ability
within
us
to
solve
all
the
problems
that
plague
our
world.(Nelson,
2012,
pg.
27).
I
am
excited
for
the
road
ahead
and
terrified
at
the
same
time.
However,
having
found
a
spark
in
purpose
I
am
fueled
to
persevere
through
all
obstacles.
This
makes
me
happy
and
I
know
I
am
heading
in
a
good
direction
as
Lucille
Ball
encourages
me
to
believe
that,
It's
a
helluva
start,
being
able
to
recognize
what
makes
you
happy.
How
do
I
do
Leadership?
We
must
first
learn
how
to
lead
ourselves
before
we
can
effectively
serve
others.
As
I
have
gone
through
the
process
of
writing
my
leadership
philosophy
I
am
reminded
that
the
authentic
part
of
my
journey
is
not
in
the
texts,
models,
theories,
but
in
myself.
True
authenticity
lies
within
me
and
it
is
my
duty
to
find
it
so
that
I
may
be
the
most
effective
leader
possible
for
the
betterment
of
those
I
serve.
Now,
I
do
not
doubt
my
abilities
to
lead,
but
I
recognize
the
room
for
growth.
With
that
being
said,
I
recently
went
on
a
journey
that
taught
me
a
little
bit
more
about
life.
I
took
a
hike.
It
is
a
beautiful
Sunday
morning
as
the
sun
shines
through
my
blinds
and
rouses
me
to
greet
the
dawn.
The
previous
evening
had
been
a
terrible,
no
good,
awful,
very
bad
evening.
However,
this
morning
as
I
rise
I
am
not
reminded
of
the
gut
wrenching
feelings
of
the
night
prior
but
only
elated
at
the
gift
of
another
day.
Getting
out
of
bed,
I
think
to
myself,
What
do
I
want
to
do
today?.
I
want
to
go
out,
I
want
to
be
in
the
sun,
but
where?
I
then
remember
my
brief
research
on
Wallace
Falls
State
Park
I
had
done
a
few
weeks
ago
for
work.
Yes!
That
is
where
Ill
go,
Ill
go
for
a
hike!
I
say
to
myself.
I
am
taking
no
one,
I
am
tackling
this
on
my
own,
I
am
letting
go
of
that
which
I
have
allowed
myself
to
be
held
back
by
the
fear
of
being
alone.
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
11
The
fear
of
being
alone
was
a
debilitating
one.
It
was
holding
me
back
from
my
own
potential
and
a
change
needed
to
be
made.
So
I
faced
it,
I
made
myself
be
alone
and
accept
that
it
is
perfectly
fine
to
be
that
way.
I
learned
that
it
takes
leaps
of
faith
into
our
fears
to
finally
rely
on
catching
ourselves.
In
this
leap
I
found
my
driving
energy
for
life
and
authentic
self.
In
this
realization,
I
grew
not
only
as
an
individual
but
as
someone
who
has
the
potential
to
be
a
better
leader
because
I
faced
my
internal
conflict
of
fear
and
desire
to
be
free.
Before
making
this
decision
to
face
my
fear,
I
had
to
recognize
the
internal
conflict
I
was
experiencing
and
create
the
reasonable
middleman
that
could
help
both
sides
(Bolman
&
Gallos,
2011).
On
one
hand
I
wanted
to
grow,
move
on,
let
go
and
just
let
myself
be
free.
On
the
other
hand
was
the
fear
of
uncertainty:
what
going
out
in
the
world
alone
would
mean
and
could
I
face
the
unknown.
To
appease
this
internal
conflict
I
managed
the
fear
into
following
the
path
best
suited
for
my
development.
There
may
come
a
time
when
I
am
in
middle
management
and
need
to
help
an
organization
grow.
My
experience
with
managing
this
internal
emotional
conflict
will
come
in
handy
when
I
need
to
communicate
a
change
from
upper
management
to
personnel.
I
imagine
personnel
will
come
up
with
their
own
issues
with
change
and
have
fears
along
with
it.
However,
it
will
be
my
duty
to
recognize
these
fears,
validate
them,
but
then
also
provide
support
by
hearing
their
concerns.
I
believe
that
by
giving
people
the
opportunity
to
have
their
voices
heard
and
taken
into
account
they
will
feel
valued,
which
can
simultaneously
boost
organization
moral.
Emotions
are
apart
of
what
makes
an
organization
function
because
people
are
what
make
an
organization
function.
You
cannot
separate
humans
from
the
effectiveness
of
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
12
From my hike into the wild of my fears and natural world, I have come to learn how
to
make
myself
feel
valued.
I
need
to
listen
to
the
voice
inside
of
me
that
often
gets
shushed
by
fears.
In
my
journey
ahead
this
is
a
valuable
lesson,
as
it
will
help
me
continue
to
explore
my
identity
as
a
woman,
a
survivor,
and
how
I
show
up
as
a
leader.
For
a
leader
is
an
explorer
of
self,
the
world,
and
society,
and
must
maintain
an
open
mind
and
heart
wherever
they
go
and
with
whomever
they
meet
to
purposefully
listen
for
the
call
to
serve.
A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
13
Reference
Bolman,
L.
G.,
&
Gallos,
J.V.
(2011).
Reframing
academic
leadership.
San
Francisco:
Jossey-
Bass.
Deal,
T.,
&
Peterson,
K.
(2000).
Eight
Roles
of
Symbolic
Leaders.
The
Jossey-Bass
reader
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