The Importance of Developing Your Leadership Philosophy

There’s a popular saying that “success occurs when preparation meets opportunity.” It’s rooted in a quote by the Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Both luck and success are the result of being prepared when the right opportunity presents itself. 

When it comes to leadership, each of us has opportunities every day to demonstrate our leadership abilities. Whether you’re a CEO or an intern, every day we have multiple chances to influence others in a positive way, which is the essence of leadership. The question is how prepared are we to be effective leaders and increase our influence? 

One of the foundational ways to prepare for leadership is to create your leadership philosophy. It’s not something we often think about, but it is fundamental to the type of leader you want to be and the type of impact you want to create. How often do we just default to our subconscious strengths and weaknesses when it comes to our leadership style? When we’re intentional about our leadership philosophy, it gives us and our teams direction, clarity, and accountability. 

You may develop some important leadership skills such as empathy, active listening, or setting a strong vision. But how would someone describe the overall experience of your leadership? It’s important to be intentional about our leadership style and the impact it will have on our team and organization.  

There are many leadership styles. Whether it’s coercive, democratic, or coaching, you can start developing your philosophy by determining what culture you want to create for your team and organization. Do you want an energy that’s authoritative and controlling? As an America’s Future supporter, you’d probably prefer a philosophy rooted in your belief of liberty and collaboration.  

Make a list of your values. What is most important to you in a workplace culture? What brand or “feel” do you want your leadership style to be known for? Do you prefer motivation based on empowerment or direction? How do you want your team to interact with each other? What kinds of results do you expect and how do you want to achieve them?

Once you’ve created your list of leadership values, you can then create a leadership statement.  This is a quick way to summarize your leadership philosophy. Here’s an example of a leadership statement based on the democratic leadership philosophy:

Theory: “I believe everyone should participate in the process.” 

Intention: “I intend to share responsibility with my team.” 

Guiding principles: “I will respect my team, listen to their ideas and inspire them when needed.” 

Behavior: “I will behave with empathy, thoughtfulness, and kindness.”

Your leadership philosophy and statement may change over time and adjust to fit different situations. In some cases you may need to be more authoritative for a short period, then move to a coaching leadership style. By creating a leadership philosophy and sharing it with those around you, you’ll have greater clarity so you can stay true to your leadership values and create more clarity for your team. 

If luck and success result when opportunities meet preparation, let’s all experience more luck and success by preparing our leadership for the abundant opportunities we encounter every day.