Philosophy of Leadership
Leadership is difficult to define in a singular, concise manner. Individual opinions of a working definition will vary based on situation, personality, and experience. At a basic level, the Merriam-Webster dictionary indicates that the word leadership is a noun. It is defined in three ways: a) the office or position of a leader, b) capacity to lead and c) the act or instance of leading (Definition of LEADERSHIP). Yet, one must consider that leadership is much more than a person or thing. Leadership is an action, or rather a myriad of intentional actions, it enables an individual to motivate, inspire, guide and empower others to complete tasks while encouraging personal growth. Ralph Nader once stated that, “The function …show more content…
In the case of academia, administrators and particularly college presidents need to “become the living embodiment of the mission of institution you serve” (Hendrickson et al. 2013). Being mission-driven provides a clear directive and a sense of purpose. It builds trust between constituencies and allows for necessary changes to be made in congruence with the mission and vision. Theoretically, it is possible to apply this concept to any type of leadership, this is in line with Nietzsche's statement that “he who has a why to live can bear almost any how”. Applied here, knowing the why drives you forward to operating with intent and focus upon the greater good of not only an institution, organization or plan but all those connected to it.
Another essential principle of leadership is communication. ability to clearly communicate a vision to others helps to enhance relationships and increases collaboration efforts. Furthermore, it is not enough to be able to speak effectively. One needs to learn to listen, perhaps more than one speaks and acknowledge the ideas of others. Part of effectively communication includes the ability to tailor a message to the audience in such a way that they are engaged and feel connected to it, often at an emotional level, thus increasing their investment in what is being asked of
Leadership is difficult to define in a singular, concise manner. Individual opinions of a working definition will vary based on situation, personality, and experience. At a basic level, the Merriam-Webster dictionary indicates that the word leadership is a noun. It is defined in three ways: a) the office or position of a leader, b) capacity to lead and c) the act or instance of leading (Definition of LEADERSHIP). Yet, one must consider that leadership is much more than a person or thing. Leadership is an action, or rather a myriad of intentional actions, it enables an individual to motivate, inspire, guide and empower others to complete tasks while encouraging personal growth. Ralph Nader once stated that, “The function …show more content…
In the case of academia, administrators and particularly college presidents need to “become the living embodiment of the mission of institution you serve” (Hendrickson et al. 2013). Being mission-driven provides a clear directive and a sense of purpose. It builds trust between constituencies and allows for necessary changes to be made in congruence with the mission and vision. Theoretically, it is possible to apply this concept to any type of leadership, this is in line with Nietzsche's statement that “he who has a why to live can bear almost any how”. Applied here, knowing the why drives you forward to operating with intent and focus upon the greater good of not only an institution, organization or plan but all those connected to it.
Another essential principle of leadership is communication. ability to clearly communicate a vision to others helps to enhance relationships and increases collaboration efforts. Furthermore, it is not enough to be able to speak effectively. One needs to learn to listen, perhaps more than one speaks and acknowledge the ideas of others. Part of effectively communication includes the ability to tailor a message to the audience in such a way that they are engaged and feel connected to it, often at an emotional level, thus increasing their investment in what is being asked of