In order to develop a leadership philosophy it is important to understand our own definition of what leadership is. There are many definitions of leadership but the way I see it, leadership is how we use the positions we are in to develop effective relationships with our team in order to make a difference in our environment. If we achieved that level of commitment and trust with the followers we lead, then the goals we establish would be attainable.
Management vs. Leadership It is a very popular misconception to assume that all managers are leaders. Management is something all leaders are able to do but leadership characteristics are not necessarily present on all management employees. Northouse presents many differences between management …show more content…
I found many of them to have a piece of what a leader should be. If we mix them all we might even be able to describe the perfect leader. However, based on my personality and the way I think, there are a few theories that go more in line to the leader I would like to become. One of them is the “Behavioral theory”. I believe that the way we think has to be directly reflected in the way we act. It is not only important to have great leadership traits and skills, but it is equally or even more important to know how and when to act to put those traits and skills to use. Northouse describes this approach as one that “focuses exclusively on what leaders do and how they act… [it] expanded the research of leadership to include the actions of leaders toward followers in various contexts” (p. …show more content…
However, there is a lot that entails to be a leader that I did not considered before. I used to think that the most important part of been a leader was to know how to deliver a message to a group of people. If the delivery was effective, then your team would understand what needed to be done and did it. I also thought that many managers were, for the most part, leaders on their own right. I learned in the past six weeks that not only managers are not necessarily leaders but most do not even scratch the surface of what a leader should be. Leaders are nothing without the people they are responsible for and, although I always treated my team with the outmost respect, I now have a better understanding of what I have to do to be a better leader for them. I have come to learn that leadership is not just something I do but something I need to continually work on for the rest of my life. Professional development is a process that must continue throughout a career reality is different, and you can’t force your perceptions or reality on someone else. I have also learned to be more proactive, to identify goals, and to communicate
Management vs. Leadership It is a very popular misconception to assume that all managers are leaders. Management is something all leaders are able to do but leadership characteristics are not necessarily present on all management employees. Northouse presents many differences between management …show more content…
I found many of them to have a piece of what a leader should be. If we mix them all we might even be able to describe the perfect leader. However, based on my personality and the way I think, there are a few theories that go more in line to the leader I would like to become. One of them is the “Behavioral theory”. I believe that the way we think has to be directly reflected in the way we act. It is not only important to have great leadership traits and skills, but it is equally or even more important to know how and when to act to put those traits and skills to use. Northouse describes this approach as one that “focuses exclusively on what leaders do and how they act… [it] expanded the research of leadership to include the actions of leaders toward followers in various contexts” (p. …show more content…
However, there is a lot that entails to be a leader that I did not considered before. I used to think that the most important part of been a leader was to know how to deliver a message to a group of people. If the delivery was effective, then your team would understand what needed to be done and did it. I also thought that many managers were, for the most part, leaders on their own right. I learned in the past six weeks that not only managers are not necessarily leaders but most do not even scratch the surface of what a leader should be. Leaders are nothing without the people they are responsible for and, although I always treated my team with the outmost respect, I now have a better understanding of what I have to do to be a better leader for them. I have come to learn that leadership is not just something I do but something I need to continually work on for the rest of my life. Professional development is a process that must continue throughout a career reality is different, and you can’t force your perceptions or reality on someone else. I have also learned to be more proactive, to identify goals, and to communicate