To become a successful leader in any field you need to develop a solid set of values and a

positive mindset that will assist you in spreading your own impactful message. Throughout this

course I have been finding the questions provoking in the sense of developing my own

leadership mindset. While there are many different styles and variations of leadership, I feel the

most successful leaders have a combination of styles at their disposal. Not being cemented into

just one leadership style will allow for a very well-rounded approach. The three leadership styles

I see myself incorporating into my leadership philosophy are Servant, Transactional, and

Transformational.

Servant Leadership is often described as building up individuals, organizations, and

faculties for the better. The verb serve is also commonly used when illustrating this style. St.

Thomas University outlines three major positives of Servant Leadership and they are as follows:

considers the needs of employees first, commits to helping employees develop expertise and

improve performance, and insists that the organization make a positive contribution to society.

Those are three majorly positive attributes of this leadership style. Putting forth effort to improve

you staffs capabilities is a great method to get the “buy in” factor accomplished quickly and

effectively. Also, instilling the importance of a positive impact on the community will go a long

way with supporters.

Next, Transactional Leadership is most often described as a military-style leadership

method. St. Thomas University quickly defines Transactional Leadership as valuing order and

structure. Also, this style is described as results being the main focus. While this style is

sometimes referred as being difficult to implement; letting desired goals and actions be known is

a positive in my book.
 Lastly is Transformational Leadership style. Northeastern University defines

Transformational Leadership as relies on encouraging and motivating followers to participate in

molding a successful future for an organization. Developing an overall “vision” and “mission”

are also mentioned by Northeastern University. Transformational Leaders are said to obtain these

aspects: visionary, team-centric, engaging, inspiring, inclusive, emotionally intelligent, and

collaborative. I see this leadership style being extremely effective in many fields because of the

“genuine” characteristics it promotes.

Three words that I would use to describe my professional values and beliefs are

Positivity, Passion, and Determination. These three attributes motivate my thinking, decision

making, goal setting, and interactions with others. Positivity shows the choice of looking for all

the good in a situation, not just the bad. A positive attitude in essential to a first impression,

work/learning environment, and personal presentation. Passion shows that I love what I do for a

living and truly enjoy coming to work every single day. Showing passion and excitement is

extremely powerful in a leadership position, and will lead to a team-like setting for success.

Lastly, Determination shows that I will not stop until my desired goals are achieved. Showing

this work ethic will continue to hold myself accountable, as well as teach others the importance

of finishing what you start and accomplishing what you set out to do. Through researching

various leadership styles, I feel that Transformational is the style that best fits my personality and

views. The sense of genuine truth I feel from reading the definition and attributes of a

Transformational Leader shows me that is how I am meant to lead. Inspiring, team, common

goal, charisma, empathy, and motivating are a few key words that commonly popped up in my
research. I view all those key words as positive and moving for a leader to obtain. Also,

Transformational Leaders are often seen as creating a positive workplace culture; I would

absolutely love to be known for that. I also feel I will sprinkle in some of the positive attributes

from both Servant and Transactional Leadership to created a well-round approach to my

philosophy. Having the combination of mainly Transformational with dashes of Servant and

Transactional will allow me the best chance of success in leading a varied, whole school

community.

I will act with integrity and fairness to ensure a school system of accountably for every

student’s academic and social success because that is just who I am. The way I was raised and

the countless lessons I have learned and continue to learn through the world of athletics, mold

me into the person I am today. Acting in truth and respect are extremely important to me as a

leader, but more important as a person. I feel the way I will become the best leader possible is to

just be myself. Show students, staff, families, and the community my genuine desire to be a

successful leader will speak volumes and make a lasting impression. I feel my philosophy is an

emerging model of effective and inspirational leadership because it is uniquely my own. I

absolutely believe in modeling my traits after those who have been successful, but the trick is to

make it uniquely mine. I understand it will take time, effort, and patience to achieve the summit

of my leadership success. However, I feel I am absolutely on the road to success with my ideals

and philosophy. I will continue to strive to improve and lean on my support system to become

the best leader and person I possibly can.

Northeastern University. (n.d.). Transformational Leadership: How to Inspire Innovation in the

Workplace. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/transformational-leadership/
St. Thomas University. (n.d.). What is Transactional Leadership? How Structure Leads to
Results. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/what-is-
transactional-leadership.aspx

St. Thomas University. (2014, November 25). What is Servant Leadership? Retrieved May 18,
2020, from https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/what-is-servant-leadership.aspx