An Individual Vision: One Researcher's Personal Leadership Philosophy

A Philosophy Preface

The researcher holds close the following statements: "A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link," and "United We Stand, Divided We Fall." Such statements hold truths within their implications, especially when applied to the contexts of leadership. History has been known to repeat itself. Leaders worldwide have dealt with the brevity of learning the lessons of weaknesses, opposition, and chaos "the hard way." In many instances, history has been reshaped, or in essence rewritten, due to these lessons.

Notwithstanding the role of history, the researcher's present organization, too, holds implications for change and discussion. The researcher belongs to a large organization and has a limited role of authority within that organization. However, the researcher does have an immediate influence on the small population of individuals in the organization who are within the researcher's control. The researcher has developed a personal leadership philosophy based upon experience, observation, and research.

Leadership covers a large expansion of topics. The processes and practices of leaders are subjective. Although the various degrees, styles, and personalities of leaders may vary, commonalities among leadership qualities exist (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). The aforementioned authors, Kouzes and Posner (2002) raise the following questions in facilitating the challenge of leadership:

· How do I build a cohesive and spirited team?

· How do I share power and information and still maintain accountability?

· How do I put more joy and celebration into our efforts?

· What is the source of self-confidence required to lead others?

· How do I go about improving my leadership abilities?

These questions provide a strong foundation for dialogue within the organization and among its constituents. Providing acceptable answers to these questions may prove beneficial to the success of many organizations.

Personal Statement of Philosophy