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Leadership Style and Philosophy

Danette K. Wilson

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-501: Educational Administration: Foundations for the Developing Leader

Dr. Hoggard

December 20, 2023

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Leadership Style and Philosophy

At the core of my existence dwells a desire to create an environment which allows people

to feel safe and loved. This desire grows from the knowledge that people are unique, beautiful

and develop at their own pace. It is important to understand their needs in order to meet them.

We all have something good to offer, whether it be a skill, knowledge or encouragement. I strive

to make time to connect with the people around me through genuine conversation and positive

interaction. When disagreements arise, they can be handled calmly and with humility, based on

the relationship built. In Leadership: Theory and Practice, Northouse notes that authentic

leaders, “are willing to share their own story with others and listen to others’ stories. Through

mutual disclosure, leaders and followers develop a sense of trust and closeness” (2022). People

are more likely to open up to their leaders when their leaders show vulnerability in opening up

themselves. Modeling the practices desired among staff and students is an effective way to

inspire change.

The personal beliefs and values that I have described above, closely align with the

servant leadership style. Servant leadership places a priority on serving those you work with

(Northouse, 2022). Leaders who follow this style show empathy, kindness, care and overall

support for the individuals on their team. This kind of leadership is seen in thousands of years

ago in the life of Jesus Christ (Martinez & Leija, 2023). Jesus Christ taught through service to

His followers. He sought to help meet the needs of His followers, performing miracles of

healing and strength. Although his followers could not perform the same miracles, they were

influenced by the selflessness and pure love of Christ and went out to serve others, becoming

servant leaders themselves. Service provided to individuals was in hopes of helping them
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become better versions of themselves. Servant leaders have respect for their followers and a

stronger, more genuine connection to them than other leadership styles.

Transformational leadership is like servant leadership in that it places the follower’s

needs above the leader’s (Martinez & Leija, 2023). It is the leader’s role to inspire followers to

align their goals with the organization’s goals. Ultimately, the leader and their followers place

the organization’s goals before their own. The leader’s enthusiasm and drive to work toward

these goals will motivate followers and bring greater success to the organization they work for.

Jacobsen et al. (2022) explain, “transformational leadership is conceptualized as leader

behaviors that seek to develop, share, and sustain a vision.” I have experienced this style of

leadership first-hand with the company I am currently working for. The company has a clear

vision which leaders are trained to uphold and share with enthusiasm. I am inspired to support

that same vision when my leaders share team goals and procedures with excitement. On the

other hand, I am discouraged when I see my leaders have a lack of hope or enthusiasm in the

work they do. Within the same company, I have witnessed transactional leadership.

Transactional leadership places an emphasis on rewards in response to desired

performance (Jacobsen et al., 2022). Utilizing both transactional and transformational

leadership styles can lead to desired organizational outcomes. The more strategies used to

influence followers, the greater chance there is of being successful. Da’as (2023) states,

“Transactional leadership entails placing a value on the exchange with no mutual pursuit of a

higher purpose – or just enough of one to produce minimum organizational production, thereby

maintaining the status quo.” The school I work for offers many promotions or rewards

throughout the school year to entice employees to refer potential hires or student enrollments.

If the potential hire or student joins and stays at the school for at least 3 months, the employee
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can receive a bonus. This encourages staff to help boost enrollment and fosters growth for the

company.

Although I have seen examples of each leadership style outlined above, servant

leadership resonates with me the most. It encapsulates the essence of my character. I see the

value in each style, to bring forth success and growth whether it be for the followers, leaders or

organization. As a leader, it is my goal to act with integrity and fairness in all that I do to

ensure a school system of accountability for every student’s academic and social success. I will

do this by getting to know my community, fostering genuine relationships and taking

accountability for my mistakes because I know I will make them. I stand to inspire the people I

work with to become the best versions of themselves by exemplifying that same principle in

my everyday life.
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References

Da’as, R. (2023). Between principals’ and a teacher’s perspective taking: the role of

transformational and transactional leadership styles. International Journal of

Leadership in Education, 26(4), 722–744.

https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1850871

Jacobsen, C. B., Andersen, L. B., Bøllingtoft, A., & Eriksen, T. L. M. (2022). Can leadership

training improve organizational effectiveness? Evidence from a randomized field

experiment on transformational and transactional leadership. Public Administration

Review, 82(1), 117–131. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/puar.13356

Martinez, S.-A., & Leija, N. (2023). Distinguishing servant leadership from transactional and

transformational leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 25(3), 141–

188. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/15234223231175845

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. SAGE.

https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/9781071834473/epub/OEBPS/

s9781071834497.i1287.html#page_288