all good personal leadership philosophies I have seen and heard. First, they are short enough to articulate and remember. And second, they are not a secret.
While the importance of having a personal leadership philosophy applies not only to HR leaders, but to all leaders, wouldn’t it be great if you were better at it than anyone else and could put yourself in the position of teaching others how to create such a philosophy? There is no better way to be perceived as a credible leader than to teach other leaders how to be more capable and credible leaders.
The personal leadership profile (see Appendix 1 for the full version) is a tool I use to work with all kinds of leaders in crafting their personal leadership philosophies. It’s a process for working through your beliefs and priorities about leadership and what you want to be known for by others. So ask yourself the following questions and see where you stand:
1. Role Model: What leader has served as an inspiration to me, and why?
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2. Bringing Out the Best: When have I been at my best as a leader, particularly in bringing out the best in other people?
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3. What Is Important to Me: What people, things, philosophies, values, beliefs, and/or experiences are most important to me?
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4. What I Value in Others: What are the behaviors, attributes, and/or characteristics I value most highly in others?
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5. My “Hot Buttons”: What things might people do – or fail to do – that drive me crazy, upset me, or keep me from being my best?
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6. My Personal Leadership Philosophy: What are the principles for which I want to be known?
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Once you have spent time working on your personal leadership profile and begin crafting your personal leadership philosophy, put it down for a while. Then come back to it every few days to review, rethink, and refine it. After you have had a chance to get comfortable with it and begin to believe
