Northouse Personal Leadership Philosophy

Personal Leadership Philosophy: When developing my own leadership philosophy, I prioritized the leader’s commitment and persistence towards the group’s goal and mission. In practice, a strong level of commitment is necessary for the functional success of a group. It is important for leaders to remain committed and persistent to the group’s overall goal, so that they can, in turn, impose that same level onto the other group members as well. Northouse describes a leader as one who can “provide followers with a vision and a sense of mission” by modeling their own level of commitment (191). A leader has a great deal of influence on their subordinates, and Northouse highlights this dilemma in the transformational approach through his explanation …show more content…
In chapter one of Northouse’s Leadership: Theory and Practice, it states how “leaders have an ethical responsibility to attend to the needs and concerns of followers” (6). I believe integrity is necessary for a leader to incorporate in their leadership practice. A strong leader attempts to earn the respect from their followers, and integrity is what separates a respectable leader from a non-respectable leader. A dependable leader relies on their “referent power,” a power coming from respect of subordinates, because subordinates have trust that the leader is it for the mutual benefit of everyone and perform for the good of the project (Northouse 10). Trustworthiness and dependability are key traits that can help a leader effectively maintain order and keep subordinates content and happy with the process. The mutual respect between leader and subordinate is key to making effective leadership possible. The integrity I saw in the people I chose to interview and their equal value of this trait directly caused me to incorporate integrity as a central theme to my personal leadership …show more content…
A leader should have the technical competence to get the job done and the ability to foster frequent communication between subordinates and themselves. Northouse suggests, “that knowledge and abilities are needed for effective leadership,” as a requirement for the success of a leader in any given situation (43). A leader must be in constant communication and know exactly what is going on at any given moment. According to French and Raven’s “Five Bases of Power” model a leader can acquire “expert power,” from a follower’s perception of the leader’s competence (Northouse 10). Expert power grants a respect for the leader from the follower and creates a trust for the leader competence and decision making abilities from the follower. Leaders should be competent in what they do and use their technical skills to guide followers and offer assistance when needed. If leaders apply their technical skills when appropriate, it can create mutual respect within the group managing the concept of expert power