Leadership style and Philosophy

David Salgado
Grand Canyon University
EAD 501
5/31/2022
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My Leadership Philosophy

My Christian values drive my thinking and decision making. My parents instilled in me that I

must use my talents to help others better. The moral and personal beliefs that drive my thinking

aligns with the American dream. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to seek the

pursuit of happiness. I also believe that the people that work with you have commonalities and

therefore as a leader I need to find ways to combine talents to make something great. Everyone

has strengths and as a leader I would make decisions that use people’s strengths to make our

school a model of teamwork.

My values and beliefs align with transformational and servant leadership styles. My values of

respect, integrity, and strong work ethic; along with my dispositions and emotional intelligence

lead me to belief that I would serve and inspire others to succeed. Every school I have worked at

I have found myself looking for ways I can create a change. I try to work to help others achieve

their goals. According to Northouse P.G. (2018), Transformational leaders set out to empower

followers and nurture them in change. They attempt to raise the consciousness in individuals and

to get them to transcend their own self-interests for the sake of others (p. 233). As a second-year

teacher, I took a mentorship role with a new teacher and provided feedback on her instruction. I

took two mentorship roles to a new teacher when she struggled with classroom management. I

spoke to the administration for change regarding discipline issues and the next year a climate

committee was created. They also hired a socio-emotional specialist to work alongside the dean

of students.

I think the best way to make sure that I am acting with integrity and fairness is by referring to the

PSEL standards. According to Reston (2015), More specifically, the Standards can be a guiding

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force to states and leadership preparation programs as they identify and develop the specific

knowledge, skills, dispositions, and other characteristics required of educational leaders to

achieve real student success in school (p. 5, 6). My core values and beliefs need to be present in

every decision I make to assure students’ academic and social success. When confronted with a

tough decision I must surround myself with knowledgeable people that have experience in the

field. I would like to network with other administrators and superintendents and learn from all of

them.

I believe that if I clearly communicate my vision then I can set forth goals, expectations, and

accountability for staff members. As an authentic leader I can push for equity and self-efficacy in

the school building and people will see the urgency because I would speak of a topic dear to my

heart. According to Northouse P.G. (2018) they know what they are about and where they are

going. In addition to knowing their purpose, authentic leaders are inspired and intrinsically

motivated about their goals. They are passionate individuals who have a deep-seated interest in

what they are doing and truly care about their work. (p. 259) My philosophy is that when

administrators clearly share their vision with passion, it can empower teachers to find ways to

contribute to the mission.

I believe that as an administrator I must use emotional intelligence and disposition to create a

safe learning environment. When a leader reads and reacts to others with empathy then teachers

will do the same. If I treat others with respect even when we disagree on a topic, then we can

move forward with a healthy working relationship. My former principal used to say that a

person’s character is shown in how they react to a disagreement. As a leader I believe holding a

grudge is detrimental to success in an academic institution.

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I believe that if I work hard and surround myself with positive, goal-oriented people that have a

team-first mentality then any obstacle can be overcome. My philosophy is based on the laissez

faire and democratic leadership theory. I want to give as much power and opportunities to staff

members. I want them to become leaders. I had a classmate share once that a good leader is

determined by how many leaders his leadership produced. I like a quote from Michael Jordan

who said, “Heart is what separates good from great.” I take that to mean that a person’s

perseverance, dedication, and self-sacrifice will determine success. I will work from the heart to

bring about a positive change in the Education field.

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References

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership (8th ed.). Sage Publishing.

Reston, VA. (2015). National policy board for educational administration (2015). Professional

Standards for Educational Leaders

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