1

Benchmark - Leadership Style and Philosophy

Janell Gonsalves

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD501: Educational Administration: Foundations for the Developing Leader

Dr. Borja

September 21, 2022

 2

Benchmark - Leadership Style and Philosophy

The underlying motivation of my life is deeply rooted in my faith in Jesus Christ. I am

not sure how to discuss my personal values and beliefs, what drives my thinking, decision

making and ultimately what shapes my goals in life without connecting it to my greatest joy

and passion. When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees in the Gospels what the greatest

commandment was, Jesus answered. He did not answer the question with another question, or

with a parable, or in a vague analogy. Jesus answered them directly, with assurance. Jesus

said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with

all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall

love your neighbour as yourself” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Matthew 22:37-39).

This commandment drives my life in every single aspect. To follow the thought further,

whenever I have questioned, wondered, or desired to learn more about what love looks like in

action, I have looked to the Bible. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 defines love and how it “shows up” in

our daily walk, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or

rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at

wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all

things, endures all things.” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). It also states in 1 John

14:16 that God is love (English Standard Version Bible, 2001), which means, every time we

love someone, we have the opportunity to bring the very essence of who God is to our very

small part of the world. When we are patient or extend grace or kindness, deserved or

undeserved, we get to experience God on a personal, almost tangible level. Loving is an

essential part of living my faith, as is working hard and giving full effort to whatever my

hand finds to do. Colossians 3:23 states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as

working for the Lord, not for human masters” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). There

are so many other Bible verses that have shaped my core values, but those three are definitely
 3

the front runners. My faith is what defines my personal values and beliefs, which in turn

shape my thinking, decision-making, goal setting, and interactions with others.

I would like to believe I possess a combination of all three leadership styles, as I truly

would like to reflect them all in some way. The servant leader closely aligns to my personal

convictions and moral code. The servant leadership model appears to stand alone in its very

own “follower” focused class. As stated in the text, “servant leadership makes altruism the

central component of the leadership process. It is the only leadership approach that frames the

leadership process around the principle of caring for others” (Northouse, 2019). This concept

is similar to what Donald Kraybill discusses in his book Upside Down Kingdom. Kraybill

proposes that when Jesus came he flipped the world upside down and everything that once

was shown to have value, was reversed, e.g., the first became last, enemies became loved,

weak became strong, the poor, rich. Essentially, Kraybill claims that Jesus shifted the values

that challenged the prevailed social order and ultimately became the servant of men (Kraybill,

2003). In the article, The Essentials of Servant Leadership: Principles in Practice, the act of a

servant leader “lifts up others and actively engages in growth and development of those being

served, as well as their own” (2013). I hope to embody the servant leader mind set, as it

connects to my core belief that we are to work hard and love others.

According to Bernard Bass, a well-known scholar in the field of leadership studies,

transformational leadership requires higher moral development (Bass, 1999). It is concerned

with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals, but its strength lies in the fact

that it includes deep consideration of followers’ motives, a strong desire to fulfil their needs,

and revolves around treating each person as a human being worthy of acceptance and respect

(Northouse, 2019). The higher moral calling of this particular leadership style closely aligns

to my core beliefs and values. This system, or way of leading, focuses on building others up

and leading with integrity and heart, which is how I strive to live daily. Even if I am not
 4

“leading”, I have always felt a strong intrinsic motivation to connect to others on a personal

level and help them be, for lack of a better term, their best self. As such, the transformational

leadership style resonates and aligns with my values and beliefs.

Lastly, I believe most leadership styles have transactional leadership mixed into their

style, almost by default. Most organizations have a focus on the exchanges that occur

between leaders and their followers (Northouse, 2019). Even if exchanges (e.g., promotions,

bonuses) are not consistently part of an organizations core structure, at some point a

transaction will occur. In this way, I believe it is included in my leadership dna. At the end of

the day, followers will, at some point, receive something from a leader if he/she is performing

at the requested level.

Acting with integrity requires a strong desire to do the “right thing”, paired with a

deep conviction to live as authentically as possible. I believe both servant and

transformational leadership styles focus on the “why” and lend themselves to creating ethical

workplace environments. Specifically, transformational leadership appeals to higher ideals

and moral values (NG & Sears, 2012), which in turn produces a culture of integrity and

fairness. I will strive to act with integrity and fairness because my core values and beliefs

demand I live what I believe. Essentially, I could not live in direct conflict to what I feel is

“right”. As an administrator, ensuring a school system of accountability for every student’s

academic and social success would be a top priority, as it is the most important objective of

the job. In order to act with fairness and integrity, I believe it is important to constantly self-

evaluate to determine areas that need improvement, actively listen and seek counsel/advice

from those in the field that have both experience and wisdom. I also think it is important to

maintain a growth mind set and be willing to adjust and change both professionally and

personally, as transformational leadership requires that leaders be aware of how their own
 5

behavior relates to the needs of their followers and the changing dynamics within their

organizations (Northouse, 2019).

The proposed philosophy above is part of an emerging model of leadership that is still

in the development stage. As I continue to learn more about effective leadership styles and

have more opportunities to watch and learn from others in the field, it will hopefully mature

into a strong philosophy based on evidence based practices, as well as deep rooted core

values and beliefs. A leadership model that will be both effective and inspiriting will require

a commitment to growth and change, both of what I am willing to do if/when needed.

 6

References

Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, Inc. (2013). The Essentials of Servant Leadership:
Principles in Practice. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://amca.com/amca/wp-
content/uploads/The-Essentials-of-Servant-Leadership-Final.pdf

Bass, B. M. (1999). Two decades of research and development in Transformational

leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8(1), 9–32.
https://doi.org/10.1080/135943299398410

Eddy Ng & Greg Sears (2012). CEO Leadership Styles and the Implementation of
Organizational Diversity Practices: Moderating Effects of Social Values and Age.
Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(1), pages 41-52, January.

English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/

Kraybill, D. B. (2003). Upside-down kingdom. Herald Press.

Ng, E. S., & Sears, G. J. (2012). CEO leadership styles and the implementation of
organizational diversity practices: Moderating effects of social values and age. Journal
of Business Ethics, 105(1), 41-52. doi: 10.1007 /s1055 l-Ol 1-0933-7

Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.