A leadership philosophy is a set of beliefs and principles that strongly influences how you interpret reality and guides how you react to people, events and situations. Research has shown that consistent leadership behavior and actions require a clear personal leadership philosophy.
A written leadership philosophy also lets others know what you expect, what you value and how you will act in any given situation. This helps to make your workplace environment less stressful and more productive, as well as keeping you on track and aligned with your core beliefs and values.
By creating your own leadership philosophy and then identifying the behaviors that will help you implement these guiding principles, you will avoid the trap of deciding everything on a case-by-case basis. Understanding and being able to explicate your own leadership philosophy results in consistency of leadership behavior; a benefit for both you and those you work with.
No single leadership philosophy can be viable for everyone as a “one size fits all.” Each leader faces different circumstances, brings different backgrounds to their leadership position, and leads widely different teams of people. You must figure out what is right for you—your philosophy is important for what it is, but it is also important within your specific context as well. Make sure you add information about that context to clarify your leadership philosophy to your audience.