A Statement of Leadership Philosophy
Director of Residential Life and Student Housing

Seldom is it that leaders are born into their role.  There are many mistakes and errors, successes and failures that come together to make the effective leader.  To me, it is important that we give the leaders that we have the honor of mentoring a safe place to learn and hone their skills.
So what is that critical moment where individuals take their life experiences and apply them in a role that others define as leadership?  What was the motivating factor that came together to make leaders step out front and become effective change agents?  While we can certainly identify the traits that can make an effective leader, we will not always know the answers to these questions.  Looked at clinically, a leader is the sum total of their life experiences, looking at life through the filter that life has given them.  Therefore, we must remain vigilant in our role modeling our values and providing support for the emerging leaders by giving of ourselves to all that will follow. 
The following are the principles that guide my work:

• First, a leader must possess integrity.  It is from this value that all others flow.  For a leader to be effective, they must demonstrate that they are worthy of being followed.  Leaders must show that they are honest, genuine, trusting, sincere, moral,  and care about whom they are leading.
  
  
• An effective leader must demonstrate collaboration.  A leader must be constantly learning and the best way to obtain new information is to be willing to accept new information from all sources.  Collaboration also shows that the end goal is mutually important and that success depends on all persons involved.
  
  
• A leader must “do”.  There is no try.
  
  
• A leader must act and must trust others to act autonomously.  While this may often be a leap of faith, we have to believe that all of us possess different skills and abilities and that while we may use different methodology, that we ultimately all have the same end goal in mind.
  
  
• A leader must have courage.  You have to believe in where you are going and show those who would follow you that you are personally invested in the outcomes.  If you show that you do not have the courage in your convictions to stand up and be accountable and that you are willing to accept the consequences, than you are showing all those who will follow you that what they are fighting for does not matter.
  
  
• An effective leader must be loyal.  A leader must look at their ownership in process as well as the product, stepping into the fray for a teammate as well as pushing them out front for praise.
  
  
• A leader must have humor.  Positive change comes from radiating positive energy.   An optimistic, upbeat atmosphere is conducive to creativity and critical thinking.  To maintain a negative atmosphere leads to problem solving that looks to alleviate the immediate concern of the problem and not necessarily the best solution.
  
  
• A leader must strive to be constantly learning.  We must show that we don’t know it all or that there may be a better solution to the issue at hand.
  
  
• A leader must be compassionate.  A leader must care about those who follow them and be willing to invest in them.  To lack compassion for teammates is to have those that follow you the same lack of compassion for their leader.  Their focus can quickly become an investment in your failure, rather than an investment in the team’s success.

Finally, a leader must believe in the power of individual to change.  If you do not show people that you believe in them and their power to make their position (and ultimately your position) better than when you started, then one must wonder why you embarked on this journey at all.