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Assignment 2: Leadership Philosophy and Action Plan

Kyle Wallace

Northern Arizona University

CCHE 600 Leadership Skills

Dr. William Guerriero

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Leadership Philosophy

While my leadership philosophy includes several approaches covered in this course, the

most prevalent theory throughout is that of authentic leadership. Throughout my philosophy, I

try and relate everything back to how authentic leadership is my overarching framework. As I

develop as a leader I hope to use elements of authentic leadership, leader-member exchange

theory and transformative leadership in using my strengths and developing my weaknesses.

The first theory that aligns with my leadership philosophy is authentic leadership.

Characterized by a “strong emphasis on the character traits and behaviors of the leader”

(Guerriero, 2022, Unit 1, p. 22), authentic leadership embodies my ideal leadership style. This is

primarily because I recognize that I can’t control others’ actions and decisions, but I can make

conscientious decisions that align with my moral compass. Authentic leadership is defined by

three perspectives: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and developmental (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 1, p.

22). These three perspectives focus on the leader internally, their relationship with followers and

characteristics that can be further developed with time. I view authentic leadership as the

overarching theory that affects my other choices for inclusion in my leadership philosophy

because of the interpersonal and developmental aspects. I believe relationships are key to being a

successful leader and can be a hindrance to a leader when not fostered properly. Additionally, I

believe we can always continue to learn and grow over time, becoming a better leader each day. I

see this as going beyond the trait approach of leadership.

The trait approach to leadership asserts that “the ability or capacity to lead is a function of

certain personal qualities demonstrated by the leader,” (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 1, p. 9). In essence,

this approach explains that leaders are born with natural qualities that make them a good leader.

While I do believe some people are indeed with born with qualities that make them good leaders,
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I don’t think they’re a necessity for determining if someone is fit for a leadership role or not.

Authentic leadership creates space for introspection and personal growth within a leader. It

seems naïve to think that a leader ascends to a leadership role and then stops growing. They’re

able to build relationships and continually focus on their personal growth.

My affinity for the authentic leadership theory has also been furthered upon completing

the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire. I was surprised to learn that I possess

strengths in several of the dimensions of authentic leadership. Self-awareness, balanced

processing, and relational transparency were all personal strengths with scores of 19, 19 and 18,

respectively. I feel that I understand my strengths and weaknesses, after much trial and error over

the years. I’m able to take a step back and consider other perspectives prior to making a decision.

I also present my authentic self to people from the start. What came as a surprise was that my

internalized moral perspective score was relatively low, coming in at a score of 15. The

dissonance comes from the fact that while I do feel I possess a strong moral compass in wanting

to always do the right thing, I don’t always feel empowered in situations to do so nor am I

upfront about my stance on controversial issues. This is especially true in my professional life.

There have been situations where I haven’t felt I’ve been able to follow my moral compass, but

instead must comply with orders handed down to me by leaders. The reason I steer away from

controversial issues, especially in the workplace, is I want to be able to maintain a sense of

understanding multiple perspectives. I feel when you vehement express your own views, you’re

automatically alienating those whose views may differ from your own. Great things can be

accomplished when different people from different backgrounds can come together to solve a

problem. This is also something that was brought up in my interview with Matt Lopez for

assignment 1A. He mentioned one of his great accomplishments was building a culture where a
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group of diverse individuals could join to solve problems and work towards a common vision.

Based on the results of the questionnaire, I think this is something I should focus on improving

but tempering it with the desire to allow others to share their perspective.

The second theory that fits within my leadership philosophy is leader-member exchange

(LMX) theory. This theory emphasizes how relationships, or a dyad, between leaders and

followers can be optimized to attain mutual goals, (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 2, pp. 13-14). I chose

to include this theory because I believe it to be an accurate depiction of how relationships can be

developed between leaders and followers based on my professional experience. In my work

experiences as a follower, I’ve found myself moving from the out-group to the in-group, building

a relationship with leaders that have allowed me to grow and receive special benefits in exchange

for me producing highly engaged work. This was further confirmed after completing the LMX –

7 questionnaire (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 2, pp. 35-36). I completed the questionnaire as a follower

examining my relationship with my current supervisor as the leader. My score totaled out to 34,

indicating high level leader-member exchanges which corroborates my status as an in-group

member. Lastly, I also chose LMX theory because it is complementary to authentic leadership,

which I mentioned previously is the overarching theory for my philosophy. LMX theory ties into

authentic leadership by explaining how to develop optimum leader-follower relationships, which

is key to the interpersonal perspective found within authentic leadership. Another advantage of

LMX theory versus another theory, such as path-goal theory, is that it allows followers to

develop their own paths to succeed.

Path-goal theory requires leaders to evaluate followers’ abilities and motivations against

tasks to be completed and the organizational setting, (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 2, p. 5). This

approach is dependent on leaders determining the best path for followers to achieve goals and
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removing barriers they may face in doing so. While I see the value in placing the onus on leaders

to set goals and lay out how to move followers towards them, I also see this as bordering the line

of micromanagement. I think there’s more opportunity for innovation when you allow followers

to chart their own paths and let them take ownership. LMX theory is more focused on

relationships with followers versus completing the tasks at hand. It’s not to say that there aren’t

situations where followers may need to follow a prescribed path. Thinking from a more general

perspective, I believe you can create more highly engaged followers by concentrating on your

relationships with them and giving them autonomy to fulfill their responsibilities. I also feel this

will lessen some of the burden on leaders as well. Relating back to authentic leadership, this

allows more room for intrapersonal development within a leader. From the course readings,

Cuddy uses the term presence to explain the state in which we can express our authentic selves,

(Guerriero, 2022, Unit 1, pp. 26-27). I believe freeing up some of a leaders’ time to focus on

themselves is necessary for allowing them to be present for their followers. This creates a culture

of being present that trickles down to followers. The act of being present and developing

relationships are hallmarks of authentic leadership and thus why I also chose LMX theory to be

part of my philosophy.

Finally, the last approach I’ve decided to include in my leadership philosophy is

transformational leadership. This approach contends that a transformational leader uses

persuasive communication skills and promotes a shared vision to accomplish significant change

at various levels, (Guerriero, 2022, Unit 3, p. 1). I view this approach as one of my ideal

leadership styles that I want to work towards practicing once I am in a significant leadership role.

In assessing my own qualities, I think I possess charisma and the ability to understand followers

on an individual level. However, I know that I can improve on being more inspirational and
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creative. I’m someone who identifies more with the proverbial statement “If it ain’t broke, don’t

fix it.” While I do see myself as charismatic, I don’t know that I would call myself an

inspirational visionary. That’s a skill I haven’t quite figured out yet and hope to develop in the

future. Going forward I want to be someone who embraces change and can even lead it. This

feels more natural to me than that of a transactional leadership style, whereas it’s more of a

temporary solution in terms of improving and maintaining follower motivation. In my interview

with Matt Lopez, he mentioned the importance of being able to lead change for an entire

department as a key skill that he developed in his career. While I identified him as demonstrating

adaptive leadership, a transformative leader must also know how to lead change among

followers. I believe transformative leadership is more sustainable in the long term and can help

lead change among followers who will be fulfilled and motivated.

Leadership Action Plan

Based on the theories discussed in my leadership philosophy, I’ve developed an action

plan that utilizes my existing strengths and develops my weaker skills to round out my potential

as a leader. My strengths include sociability, empathy, and transparency. Conversely, my areas

for improvement include decisiveness, congruence with my moral compass, and self-confidence.

Starting off with strengths, the first area I think will be valuable to my growth as a leader

is sociability. I’m generally an approachable person and have been told that I excel in making

others feel comfortable. The balanced processing component of authentic leadership was an area

that stuck out to me during the course readings because of the sociability element required. Being

sociable and communicating clearly are why I feel I’ve been successful working in admissions

and recruitment for the last 6 years. I know how to approach strangers and friends alike in a

manner that makes them feel comfortable enough to converse with me even about sensitive
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topics. One of the traits I possess that I believe contributes to my sociability is my humor. I try to

keep the mood light-hearted when appropriate and gain trust by being friendly. Research has also

shown that humor can be used as leadership tool in developing interpersonal relationships,

(Grace-Odeleye & Santiago, 2019). I see this trait as being vital to my ability to develop

relationships as a leader. The challenge will be to maintain a balance between humor as a

positive and not relying on it so much that damages my credibility.

I’ve become a good listener over the years, especially in the workplace, for both

students/families I work with as well as my colleagues. I don’t judge, just listen. I strive to make

sure I understand someone and seek their affirmation of such in conversation. I can’t tell you the

number of times I’ve worked with a student or parent who has shared an incredible amount of

personal info with me over the phone or a coworker who shares things happening in their

personal life affecting them. Empathy, also a hallmark of authentic leadership, is key to building

trust, which is something I feel I have a strong grasp on. While I do see empathy as a personal

strength, I am by no means a master of empathy. My goal is to maintain that sense of empathy

and developing it further by self-reflection and existing literature. I’ve made a list of several

works cited in this course that touch upon the need for empathy (especially from Brene Brown),

that I’m hoping to read once I have more time.

Lastly, I’m very transparent and this is something that is valued highly among leaders

today. I think I excel in presenting my true self and being comfortable with who I am around

others. Now this may partially be a weakness, but I also have the tendency to speak candidly.

This of course has gotten me into trouble from time to time, but I often find my colleagues value

it because I’m not afraid to say what everyone is thinking. Over the years I’ve honed the ability

to be honest in a respectful manner. My last three supervisors have confided in me that they often
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came to me to get an idea of what our team thought about new projects, organizational changes,

or anything else that may cause some disruption for our team. This falls in line completely with

authentic leadership, which is based on a leader presenting their whole self to others.

Additionally, my hope for being transparent is also that this will stave off any feelings of being

left out sometimes present in the application of LMX theory. As a leader, my plan for

maintaining transparency revolves around communication. In an analysis of transformational

leadership and transparency, Yue et al. (2019) found that transparent communication builds

employee trust as well as create positive attitudes towards change. Thus, I see transparency, in

communication especially, as key to leading and promoting change. When followers feel

informed, they’re more likely to react positively.

Shifting focus to my weaknesses, one of the biggest areas of improvement I’ve identified

is the ability to make decisions. I tend to suffer from analysis paralysis and overthink everything.

As someone who is very data drive, I want as much information as possible before making a

decision. Additionally, I want to include everyone in the decision-making process and consider

multiple perspectives. This helps people feel included, but often prevents me from being decisive

in situations that require immediate action. I also have the tendency to acquire so much data, that

I don’t know how to sift through all of it or draw too many conclusions. I did realize this was a

weakness of mine, so I have been working on it over the past 6 months ago. What’s helped me

work on overcoming this is the realization that mistakes happen and we can always learn from

them. Being afraid of making a mistake is what ultimately keeps me from taking decisive action.

I’m hoping over time that this fear reduces further until I’m willing to make decisions without all

the answers.
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I mentioned previously in my leadership philosophy that my internalized moral

perspective score was the lowest on the Authentic Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire

from the first unit. The issue is not that I lack a moral compass, but more so I don’t always

follow it like I feel I should. Or at the very least, express my dissatisfaction with decisions made.

A good example of this was earlier in my career when I would advise students and families on

financial aid. The college I worked for really wanted us to push families to take on Parent Plus

Loans for those who weren’t quite able to cover their costs. I wish I had objected to this or at the

very least has been more transparent with my thoughts about them with families. This is

primarily a weakness I feel as a follower, that I’m hoping won’t necessarily be as apparent as a

leader when I feel I can make decisions that are consistent with my moral compass. Much like

my indecisiveness, I contribute this partially to a fear of failure. Learning how to follow my

values more and resiliency are skills I hope to develop throughout literature on the topic. For

example, Angela Duckworth’s Grit has been on my reading list for a few years now, but I

haven’t made time to read it. Now I feel like it’s one of the next books I should read.

Finally, the last weakness I identified was in self-confidence. I often harbor feelings of

inadequacy in both personal and professional situations. In fact, it was much easier to identify

weaknesses for this assignment than it was to identify strengths. I will admit I’ve gotten better in

this area over time and have come a long way, but it’s an area in which I still need growth. I do

believe there is a correlation between my indecisiveness and lack of self-confidence. This has

also kept me from pursuing supervisory positions in my professional life as well. If you can’t tell

by now, I love to turn to books to learn new things and develop as a human. Another book I’m

hoping to read is Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead. I’ve heard it’s essential reading for anyone who
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may be afraid of leading (such as myself). My hope is that when I finish this master’s program

this Summer, I’ll have more free time to devote to reading for pleasure.

Ethics and diversity fall into one section because they’re intertwined, and inclusion is an

ethical issue leaders must be wiling to tackle. The ability to establish trusting relationships and

follow a moral compass are qualities of authentic leadership that directly relate to diversity and

inclusion efforts. Cottrill et al. (2014, p. 285) found that “authentic leaders play a significant role

in contributing to employee perceptions of inclusion.” My goal as authentic leader is to create

inclusive spaces that allow for followers to be their authentic selves. This in turn will hopefully

help recruit more diverse followers which includes faculty, staff and students from different

ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I think it also falls on an ethical leader to give those historically

underrepresented a seat at the table, but also creating a culture where they have space to bring

new ideas, change existing structures and educate others.

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References

Cottrill, K., Lopez, P. D., & Hoffman, C. C. (2014). How authentic leadership and inclusion

benefit organizations. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 33(3),

275–292. https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-05-2012-0041

Grace-Odeleye, B. E., & Santiago, J. (2019). Utilizing humor to enhance leadership styles in

higher education administration. International Journal of Educational Leadership and

Management, 7(2), 171–202. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.2019.3912

Yue, C. A., Men, L. R., & Ferguson, M. A. (2019). Bridging transformational leadership,

Transparent Communication, and employee openness to change: The mediating role of

trust. Public Relations Review, 45(3), 101779.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.04.012