Background Information: A leadership philosophy is derived from how we see ourse

Background Information:
A leadership philosophy is derived from how we see ourselves as
leaders. Our philosophy impacts our actions, guides our behaviors, and
helps us as we think about our career. Leadership philosophies typically
change as we grow to understand our actions and behaviors within the
context of leading.
Creating or finding our leadership philosophy means that we must
explore and reflect upon your beliefs, personal values, and assumptions
about leadership.
Beliefs are our trust, faith, or confidence in someone or
something. Our beliefs directly impact how we view situations and
ourselves. Many times, our beliefs come from our traditions or from the
culture in organizations. Many times, we behave in organizations
according to the beliefs of the organization. This can be a problem when
the beliefs of the organization counter our own.
Personal values guide our intentions and influence how we
lead. When our personal values are clear and we are aware of them, we
can then formulate a solid foundation for leading. Just as we have
personal values, organizations also have values. It works best when
these values are aligned.
Assumptions are notions that are accepted as true or as
certain to happen, without proof. Assumptions are a combination of our
world view and our personal view. Most of the time, we are not aware of
the assumptions we hold. And most of us are unwilling to admit that our
assumptions drive our interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. We
are less willing to change our assumptions even after realizing they
exist.
Assignment Instructions:
During this activity, you will develop a personal philosophy
of leadership. The following three exercises will assist you in
developing your personal Philosophy of Leadership Statement.
This assignment expresses qualities of Capacity Building,
Learning and Development and Developing a Personal Philosophy of
Leadership.
Exercises:
The following is an exercise to help you create, find, or define your personal philosophy of leadership.
Exercise 1: Identifying Your Leadership Values
From the list below, pick five core values that you feel describe and
guide who you are as a nurse leader. You may choose other values that
are not on this list. Place them in the following chart and answer the
questions in the matrix.
Achiever
Competent
Dutiful
Listener
Advanced
Competitive
Effective
Loyal
Appreciative
Conscientious
Empowered
Organized
Authoritative
Courageous
Engaged
Perceptive
Autonomous
Creative
Growing
Performance Oriented
Collaborator
Culturally aware
Innovative
Recognized
Confident
Development Oriented
Intelligent
Talented
Communicative
Diverse
Integrity
Team Oriented
Other values that you would like to include but are not on the list?
Identifying Your Leadership Values
VALUES
List your values here
Personal Definition of Values
List here your definition of these values here
How do you envision these values playing out in your nursing leadership?
1. Achiever
2. Competitive
3. Culturally aware
4. Listener
5. Team Oriented
Exercise 2: Uncovering Your Leadership Assumptions
Answer the following questions about leadership. By reflecting on
these questions, you will find what assumptions are driving your
leadership thinking. For each of the questions in this section, ask
yourself:
Write two narratives about leadership. One narrative should describe
a positive experience you’ve had with leadership and the second
narrative should describe a time when you had a negative experience with
leadership. (in one page or less)
How might others (co-workers, friends, supervisors) see the situations I described differently?
What were my assumptions?
What influenced my assumptions?
Write your definition of leadership.
Describe the individuals or organizations that influenced your leadership definition.
Describe how the leader in your positive narrative gained
credibility? What could the leader in your negative narrative have done
differently to positively impact their credibility?
Exercise 3: Finalizing Your Leadership Philosophy
Now that you’ve identified your leadership beliefs, you are now ready
to write your leadership philosophy using the responses above written
in the present tense.
Your leadership philosophy should be a statement that consists of
your responses from the above exercises. Start by writing an initial
publish of your philosophy. Revise it as often as you need. Remember, your
philosophy can change depending on where you are at with your
leadership.
The following is a sample philosophy statement consisting of one
sentence statements. Remember, you can write your philosophy in any way
that makes sense to you.
My Leadership Philosophy is…
Leadership is a journey and combines personal and professional successes.
It is important to reflect on my leadership and its implications on others.
I value integrity in personal and professional development.
Now put it all together.
Integrity is the heart of my leadership. I reflect on my own
integrity as an integral part of my leadership journey. I know that my
professional and personal successes directly relate to my core value of
integrity.