Introduction
A personal leadership philosophy is crucial for effective leadership practice in educational organizations. I define leadership as the process of fostering effective communication between leaders and followers to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties. I believe a leader must be empathic, sociable, responsible, insightful, and innovative.
Of the approaches to leadership studied during the course, servant leadership, the leader-member exchange perspective, and the psychodynamic approach were the most closely aligned with my perspective. I am sure that a leader must develop professional qualities to manage a team effectively. Ethics, tolerance, and declaration of equality are the most important in today’s organizational environment. Each leader must continuously develop and self-improve to integrate the best aspects of existing approaches, creating comfortable conditions for followers and achieving high results.
Topic Overview
My approach to leadership is primarily influenced by servant leadership, leader-member exchange theory, and the psychodynamic perspective. The primary goal of the leadership process should be to foster the personal growth of followers and create a comfortable working and learning environment. The primary value is communication, which serves as the foundation for forming trusting relationships and achieving the shared goals of the leader, followers, and the organization.
Defining Leadership
For me, leadership is a communicative process leaders build with their subordinates. The importance of communication is recognized by almost all approaches to leadership, especially those that view it from the perspective of followers (Northouse, 2016). Communication should be effective and should be aimed at identifying the needs of followers and ways to motivate them.
Communication must be two-sided; the leader must constantly receive feedback from the followers to adapt the leadership strategy. With the help of open, honest, and competent communication, a comfortable environment is created that fosters both professional and personal growth. Such a relationship enables effective collaboration to achieve high results.
Fundamental Purposes of Leadership in Organizations
Leaders are present in every organization and are essential for organizing the work of a large number of people. People in leadership positions are needed to support the overall process of a work team, which can involve individuals of different ages, genders, and social and professional backgrounds. Leaders are individuals who serve as a common link, and their contributions are crucial for binding all members of the organizational group together, as seen, for example, in the theory of team leadership (Northouse, 2016). Each professor and most of the administrative staff in educational organizations should be leaders. These people serve the common purpose of organizing the educational process and addressing the needs and requirements of students.
Core Assumptions and Beliefs About Leaders
I am convinced that leaders are not born, but rather that this important and complex human resource management skill develops throughout life under the influence of social conditions. However, a leader may have important innate qualities that facilitate this process, such as empathy, responsibility, and systems thinking (Northouse, 2016). I also believe that anyone who aspires to become an effective leader can achieve this goal, but it will require considerable effort.
Leaders’ Influence on People and Organizational Performance
Leaders serve an important common goal: creating a comfortable environment that fosters work and development, thereby improving organizational performance. People in management positions can influence these factors in various ways, depending on the approach they choose. For example, in the path-goal theory, motivation is recognized as a key factor on which the leader must have a direct influence (Northouse, 2016). In the psychodynamic approach, leaders must look even deeper and build their interactions with followers based on explanations of human behavior (Northouse, 2016). The leader must use the skills of social communication, management, and psychology to influence people and the results of their work.
Relation to the Studied Theories
The course materials had a significant impact on my understanding of leadership. Appendix 1 presents the summarized results from passing the inventories of the studied chapters, which signal the severity of leadership traits in my personality. I can name my strengths as empathy, sociality, responsibility, and attention to followers and their needs. I also need to develop the skills of delegating, systematizing, and making decisions so that my approach is as effective as possible. To form my own ideas about leadership, I identified the most important and relevant features of the studied approaches.
Servant leadership appears to be one of the most important approaches because it challenges the very understanding of leadership. I appreciate the notion that a leader should serve the common good (Northouse, 2016). Leader-member exchange theory seemed to be the most detailed approach. This concept emphasizes establishing communication and gathering feedback, which I find crucial in the leadership process (Northouse, 2016). The psychodynamic approach is the most profound of all the methodologies studied, as it focuses on the root causes of human behavior (Northouse, 2016). The combination of the theories and models that I have studied forms my idea of what a leader should be like.
Professional Values, Shaping the Philosophy
Equity
Fairness, impartiality, and promotion of equality are the qualities that define a leader in an educational organization. Equity is a value that every professional should embody, as it aligns with the perceptions of an ethical leader. An ethical leader must set aside personal gain and favoritism to work for the common good, which is what is expected of an employee in an educational organization (Northouse, 2016). An ethical approach is essential to ensure that all students have equal access to quality education.
Creativity and Innovation
A true leader must be creative enough to offer unique solutions to difficult situations. In an educational organization, leaders should especially value and encourage the development of creativity, as this is one of the things that makes people unique. Appreciating innovation and being able to recognize it should also be part of a leader’s professional duties. Innovativeness is emphasized as an important trait of a leader in the psychodynamic approach (Northouse, 2016). Innovation implies movement toward the future and continuous development, so a leader needs to be on the lookout for such solutions.
Accountability
A leader must be a person who can always be trusted and relied upon in any situation. Valuing accountability is crucial for professionals because it is the key to building trust and lasting credibility with their followers. A true leader should not be afraid of taking responsibility and making decisions (Northouse, 2016). At the same time, a leader who can be relied upon will always act in the best interests of the group and will not shift responsibility for their personal decisions to subordinates.
Honesty and Openness
Ultimately, a leader must value honesty and openness in their relationships with others. These are the most valuable factors that enable a leader to establish an effective and two-way communication process. Respecting honesty and openness is emphasized in all contemporary approaches to leadership (Northouse, 2016). The inadmissibility of manipulating trust and hiding the truth from followers leads to negative consequences for all involved: the leader, the followers, and the organizational process.
Influence on the Way to Practice Leadership
My developed leadership philosophy will be beneficial to me in future leadership practice within educational organizations. When building interactions, I will prioritize communication and ascertaining the needs and requirements of the followers. As part of the psychodynamic approach, I will always be attentive to the underlying factors influencing behavior and motivation (Northouse, 2016). Ethical interaction and promoting personal growth will be my primary goals in organizing leadership practice. I am confident that, having critically reviewed my leadership philosophy, I can maintain this approach for years to come.
Discussion of Implications for Practice
When formulating my leadership philosophy, it was imperative to me that its provisions were practical and applicable. I have successfully developed an approach that can be translated into a strategy and applied in educational institutions. My philosophy is that communication is paramount, which means building relationships is the first step for a person in a leadership position.
Building trust can be possible by identifying and addressing the needs of followers (Northouse, 2016). This can be practically identified with the help of questionnaires, general coaching practices, and personal conversations. Employee satisfaction surveys are a powerful practice for leaders to determine if they are moving in the right direction. Polls should be anonymous, while participants should be rewarded for expressing honest opinions. By using this practical advice, the leader can be sure that their role benefits the followers.
Conclusion
My leadership philosophy is grounded in the importance of effective communication and feedback between leaders and their followers. I consider the primary goal of a leader in an educational organization to be addressing the needs and requirements of students and facilitating their personal and professional development. The leader-member exchange theory, servant leadership, and the psychodynamic approach are most successfully incorporated into this concept. To achieve this goal, a leader must value equity, encourage creativity and innovation, and be an honest and open person who can be trusted.
Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. (7th ed.). SAGE Publications.