Leadership Philosphy

Sample 1

www.academyleadership.com

Personal Leadership Philosophy
Brad Smith
President & CEO
Intuit

Setting Context:
The purpose of sharing this with you is to clearly communicate the ideas and ideals I strive to live up to
and inspire in others each day. It represents a psychological contract that empowers you to understand
who I am, what I aspire to become, and how you can best work with me and help me and the greater
team improve each day.

My personal philosophy on leadership:
 Your title makes you a manager; your people will decide if you are a leader.
 Leadership is not the job of putting greatness into people, but rather the recognition that greatness

already exists. The role of a leader is to provide the grand challenge, create the environment and
invest in the individual to inspire that greatness to emerge.

 Leadership is about inspiring a group of individuals to achieve extraordinary things.

The attributes I aspire to role model each day include:
 Integrity: I am a principles-based leader, and will always say what I mean, and mean what I say. In

the end, my words and my actions should be synonymous.
 Humility: Mankind has many gifts, and I do not view myself as one of them. I seek to learn from

others, treat every success and failure as a learning opportunity, and strive to be a better version of
myself each and every day.

 Teamwork: I believe that a player that makes the team great is far more valuable than simply a great
player. A team plays for a cause greater than itself or any individual, and believes that only together
can we create outcomes that will echo an eternity.

What I expect of my team members:
 Be a Learner: I encourage everyone to aspire to be the best version of themselves each and every

day. Be true to who you are and play to your strengths. Equally, be self-aware of your opportunities
for personal growth and development. In the end, lean into your learning zone. I prefer the errors of
enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom.

 Be Committed: play to win, and seize every opportunity to energize, educate and empower. Bring a
bias for action, and set the standard for all else to be measured against.

 Be Accountable: we individually and collectively own the outcome. If you ignore a situation that
needs correcting, you have just established a new standard. Don’t identify problems without offering a
potential solution.

Areas that we should all strive to eliminate in our team environment:
 Failing to prepare: showing up lacking the context or understanding of the situation, facts or

alternatives diminishes the quality of the outcome, slows the pace of the team and prevents you from
actively contributing — making you the gating factor in the team’s success.

 Failing to dissent early: harboring a difference of opinion and not offering it up for discussion and
debate is passive aggressive behavior. It minimizes the quality of the outcome and diminishes the
effectiveness of execution. If the decision goes another way, be willing to disagree and commit.

 Failing to play for a cause greater than oneself: a team is only as strong as its weakest
contributor. There are no MVP’s on a losing team. Therefore, everyone’s success is measured by the
team’s success, and should be the highest purpose for which we all strive.

My Commitment:
 To share this with the team members within my organization. Seek their input on how to make it

better, and seek to live and inspire these ideals daily.

Sample 2

www.academyleadership.com

Leadership Philosophy
Danielle Clapp
CIO
Yakima Chief Hops

My leadership philosophy is based on my experiences of leading and following. I have learned just as
much from those I chose to follow as from those I chose to abandon. My title makes me a manager, but
people decide if I am a leader. I do my best to live by these expectations both professionally and
personally. This document should be used by you as a guide of my expectations of you, what you should
expect from me, and a roadmap of how we can make our mission successful together.

Personal Attributes of leading:

 I lead by establishing trust and earning creditability through my actions, the results of my
achievements, and consistency of expectations.

 Leading is not accomplished with a single player. I am humbled when people choose to follow me
and excited when they achieve great things on the merits of my belief in their abilities.

 I believe in leading by transparency. I will always mean what I say and say what I mean.

Attributes I strive to lead and live by everyday:

Honesty: Tell the truth even when it is damaging. It should never be withheld or less than fully disclosed.
If you don’t like the truth you have to tell, choose your path differently next time.

Accountability: Be accountable for your actions and those you lead. Don’t waste time blaming others.
Time is better spent planning how to recover from the mistake and making sure it doesn’t reoccur.

Respect: Entitlement has no merit. Everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. If you don’t, you are
far too advanced to follow me. Ideas and solutions come from people, not titles, everyone should have
the freedom to contribute.

What I Expect of my Team:

Never stop learning: I expect you to fail. Without failure you cannot learn. If you do not allow yourself to
fail, you are not trying hard enough to learn. I give you permission, fail. Teaching others is the best way to
solidify your understanding of the subject. Sharing your knowledge grows respect and credibility.

Punctuality: I expect you to be on time for every meeting. You should divulge your full attention to the
presenter; they found you important enough to share their knowledge with you and ask for help, be
respectful enough to return their confidence in you.

Carry a “Can Do” Attitude: I expect you to have your own opinions, ideas, and solutions to achieving
the mission. I expect you to share all of these with your team, even if you are in a minority school of
thought. Once a decision has been made of how to move forward, I expect you to embrace the path as if
it were your own with enthusiasm and a smile.

Be a Problem Solver, not a Giver: Don’t drop problems on my desk. If you see something that needs to
be fixed, fix it, be proactive. If you need help get me involved, offer up possible solutions. Ask questions,
inform me of your progress, and tell me how I can help you achieve your goals.

Sample 2

www.academyleadership.com

Habits we should eliminate from our daily routine:

Failing to support your team: The team should always be cohesive. Those whom choose to spread
dissent and gossip without intent to offer alternatives and debate will be met with objectivity and
compassion, but passive-aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. If no resolution can be reached I will
make every effort to remove these untrustworthy individuals by asking them to be successful elsewhere.

Failing to Prepare: Lacking appropriate preparation for context of the situation and issues at hand
creates a stop-gate, artificially slowing forward progression. This behavior hinders the team, the mission
and your professional credibility. Don’t be the stop-gate. Gather your ideas, research, and questions; be
ready to engage.

Failing to Communicate: Don’t muddy the waters with FUD (Fear, Uncertainly, and Doubt).
Communication should be clear, timely, concise and open. Communication takes many forms, if one form
doesn’t work, keep trying.

My Commitment:

 I will never ask someone to do something I would not do myself. This is not to say I will have the
expertise to accomplish the task, but would never compromise my moral compass or anyone
else’s for the sake of progression.

 I will never hold you to an expectation you have not been apprised of by me. I don’t expect you to
read my mind. Once I recognize my mistake I will ask for your help to solve the situation and take
actions to prevent a relapse. In return, I remind you I am not a mind reader. If you want
something from me, tell me. If you never ask, the answer is always no.

 I understand you might not like what I have to say but I will never say things in anger or as a
personal attack. My feedback is free and yours to do with what you will, but keep in mind my
interest is in your development and success. I welcome your feedback and appreciate the time
you have taken to formulate the interest in my success.

Sample 3

www.academyleadership.com

My Leadership Philosophy
Linda Thai Schlossman
Principle Consultant, Organizational Development
University of California San Diego

What Leadership Means To Me
I am serious about my commitment to you. I am sharing my Leadership Philosophy with you so that we
can forge a strong and enduring partnership. In it, I share what I expect from myself and my operating
principles, what I expect from you and your priorities, and my commitment to us.

My Personal Philosophy On Leadership
You have roots here; now grow with us. We are UC San Diego employees, and our mission is to learn,
teach, and grow. We are partners in that mission, and my role on this team is to open doors, make
connections, and remove roadblocks so that you can connect your passion, competency, and the
organizational needs and goals. That journey will have its ups and downs, but I will stand by your side on
this adventure.

My Personal Values – The Attributes I Aspire To Role Model Each Day

• Goodness. I will presume a reservoir of goodness in others, even at the risk of being disappointed
• Strategy. My lense is “legacy.” I operate in “role.” I tune out “job.”
• Magic. I am a recovering perfectionist. I am not a control freak – I am a process freak. I do not like

to react to symptoms, and I feel most satisfied when we fix problems at their root cause. If you
ask me about E2L, Lean Six Sigma, ProSci, Do What you Are, and the Leadership Pipeline, then
I will smile.

• Start with Why. I ask why to understand my role, our stakes, all-ternatives.
• Potential. I embrace the potential that change and conflict can bring.
• Shared Governance. I appreciate and respect the balance between faculty and staff participation

in planning and decision-making processes, on the one hand, and administrative accountability
on the other. The journey may not easy, but the adventure is worth it.

My Operating Principles

• Balance. I believe in leading a full, healthy life and integrating career, home, and personal
wellness. I will put your personal well-being and family urgencies before the University’s routine
business.

• Head & Heart. I use facts as my baseline, and I take time to construct opinions based on
evidence and reason. I choose decisions that value benefitting the many instead of the few.

• Moral Courage. I am an advocate for all employees. I will exercise the courage to take action for
moral reasons despite the risk of adverse personal consequences.

• Organizational Acumen. I leverage knowledge of systems, people, structures, and processes and
how they work together to make the enterprise healthy. I value allies and make connections
because I believe we rise and fall as one.

What I Expect Of My Team Members & Their Priorities

• Be Present. Show up, dive in, stay at it. Work can drown you if you let it. Know your why, and sail
deliberately and unrelentingly in that direction.

• Strategize. Run your day; don’t let the day run you. Be aware of when you are doing-by-default,
and intentionally choose actions that are in service of the higher purpose.

• Integrity. Identify trustworthy allies to grow your network of partners and get work done. Be
intentional in how you develop and expand your reputation for integrity.

• Evaluate. Feed me well-formed, well-researched points of view, facts, and information, and I will
take you seriously. Allow me time to independently review information before asking me to make
decisions. I need this time and space to be most valuable to you.

Sample 3

www.academyleadership.com

• Team. The most important team is not the team you lead; it is the team you are on. Be generous
with your talents, abilities, and transfer knowledge. The team’s success should be the highest
purpose for which we all strive.

• Meaning. Pobody’s nerfect, but “eats, shoots & leaves” is not the definition of a panda bear.
Clarity in your language = clarity in meaning. Your written words should always tune into
customer station Wii-FM.

• Opportunity. What is your why? What is your natural best and highest use? What do you do
extraordinarily well with little effort? Know this. Then let me know. This will motivate me to identify
opportunities for you, but it is up to you to pursue them.

Our Trust Bank

• If you act in your own self-interest at the cost of others; if you intentionally humiliate or undercut
others; if you harbor a difference of opinion and don’t offer it up for discussion and debate, then
our trust bank empties.

• If you share praise; if you teach others; if a decision goes another way and you are willing to
disagree and still commit; if you resist drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred, then our
trust bank fills.

Below The Surface – My Personal Idiosyncrasies

• Writing. I write, rewrite, chuck it, start again, and repeat until I have to stop. This annoys me, and
it will annoy you. Remember this when we have to write together and before you invite me to be
your co-author.

• Motion. My hands need to write, my ears need “noise,” and I talk to myself. This is me processing
and learning with my whole body.

• Emotion. I am energized by logic, patterns, mind-opening questions, and possibilities. I become
argumentative and reject opinions when I perceive negativity, a reliance on “what’s always been
done,” and narrow-mindedness.

Commitment
Thank you. You have a choice, and you choose to be here. These words are my commitment to you, but
words come to life through actions. So, I will strive to uphold this leadership philosophy but when I fall
short, call me on it. Let us grow and be better together.

Sample 4

www.academyleadership.com

Leadership Philosophy
Emma Lewis
General Manager
Shell Polymers

The purpose of this document is to communicate the ideas & ideals I strive to live up to and inspire in
others. I strongly encourage your feedback on my performance to help me improve.

What I Believe
1. Leaders who are humble & admit mistakes outshine all others.
2. Leadership is about recognizing potential within others. It’s about providing the challenge, creating

the environment & investing time in the individual to inspire greatness to emerge.
3. Leading is a gift, I aspire to make a long-lasting positive & meaningful contribution to the lives of

those around me.
4. I promise to have a vision, which brings inspiration, clarity & focus to our work. “If you want to build

a ship, don’t assign people to collect wood, teach them to long for the immensity of the sea.”
5. Our role in Shell Polymers is to redefine this industry by delivering an Unrivaled Customer

Experience backed by a team of people that embody our core values.

Attributes I Aspire To
1. I add the most value by developing those in my organization, this will be my priority. I will push you

to struggle & figure things out. I am always here to listen & help when you need it.
2. I am passionate about our mission, I am truly honored that RDS trusts us with its growth &

understand the responsibility that brings.
3. You don’t need to earn my trust; I will put my confidence in you & count on you to deliver.
4. I have your back – if you screw up be honest & we’ll deal with it. If you make a mistake,

understanding why will be the first course of action.
5. I may be firm, but I will always strive to be transparent and fair.
6. All decisions I make are with consideration to the long-term objectives of RDS.

What I Expect from You
1. Don’t accept mediocrity – be brave & fearless – challenge yourself to strike out in new directions &

think differently every day.
2. Bring me bad news, don’t disagree by being silent – do it while we can still act.
3. Treat everyone with equal respect; show up the same way with superiors, subordinates & peers.
4. Put the mission of Shell Polymers first – we’ll fail if an individual succeeds but the business fails.
5. Assume positive intent; have the moral courage to care for others & have the difficult

conversations.
6. Be positive – have a can-do attitude – figure out how to make it work.
7. Know when it’s time for you to be the Rockstar & when it’s time for you to be the Roadie.
8. Know when enough is enough – don’t be consumed by taking care of what can wait for another

day. We need to be physically, emotionally & mentally healthy to be productive.

My hot buttons
1. Water cooler talk – it’s unproductive and undermines our values.
2. Getting ahead by diminishing your peers – putting your personal interest ahead of the team.
3. Whining and blaming others – own your problems and develop solutions as you find them
4. Be present – its disrespectful and demoralizing if you email, text and take calls in meetings.

Sample 5

www.academyleadership.com

Dennis C. Parker
President & CEO
Active Minerals International, LLC

My Leadership Philosophy is based on the principals that I have learned through the study of both strong
and weak leaders. It is my belief that following these principals will be the most profitable and rewarding
way to lead my life and positively impact the lives of those around me.

I lead by:
 Earning credibility through the achievement of results that exceed established targets for Active

Minerals.
 Setting goals which are measurable and achievable. Measurement of progress and taking corrective

action insures success.
 Integrity and character are traits critical to success and the success of AMI
 Recognizing the success of others is paramount to the success of the company. I express gratitude

and thanks for the contribution of others.
 Setting the right example by aligning actions and words with values.
 Making and keeping commitments. Execution of the plan.

I place great value in:
 Honesty. Honesty is not a judgment call or a policy. It is being honest.
 Trust. Trust is earned by delivery on goals and objectives without excuses for failure when it comes.

Transparency increases trust.
 Credibility. People who deliver what they promise build credibility and trust with those around them.
 Communication. Clear concise written and verbal communication avoids error, mistakes and

misunderstanding. Take time to think, take time to write and communicate in a manner you would
like to be treated.

 Accuracy. Elimination of errors and inaccuracy builds confidence in our process, our people and our
customers. Learn from mistakes, accept responsibility, correct mistakes and prevent mistakes from
reoccurring.

 Quality. Exceed the customer’s quality expectations to generate customer satisfaction, trust,
goodwill and repeat business.

 Knowledge. Sharing knowledge builds trust, gains credibility and increases productivity in our
company and with our customers.

 Intelligence and Competency. Complex opportunities require people that can fully understand the
benefit of win-win solutions and the ability to implement them.

 Listen. Actively listen and focus on what is being said, not what you want to say. Form your reply
with care and fore thought.

What I expect:
 When you come to me with a problem, bring multiple solutions. Ask questions, get me engaged and

keep me informed. Give me feedback!
 Tell the truth in a timely, accurate manner. Don’t delay bad news.
 Work towards your objectives daily. Keep them in focus and plan for success.
 Be pro-active in your work and take pride in it. Do your best! Fix it now! Don’t wait to be told; don’t

wait for it to break.
 Protect the company and its interest at all times. Give the company a full day’s work for a full day’s

pay.
 Focus activities on getting results, meeting goals and help others do the same by sharing

knowledge. Build credibility through results and others will trust you.
 Show respect for the individual in your words and deeds. Learn from those you lead and value their

contribution. Invest in their success.
 Be a team player and a team leader.

Sample 5

www.academyleadership.com

 Give and accept constructive, fair criticism and make honest efforts to improve. Seek and give
feedback so to reach your full potential.

 Innovate for the company to evolve and succeed. Understand the risks associated with innovation
and communicate them to the best of your ability.

 Know what customers want and what the competition is doing. Deliver what the customer wants
better than the competition.

 Do not waste time or words. Make reports concise and to the point. Meetings have an agenda and
are results oriented. Make assignments, set times and dates for completion.

Things I do not accept:
 Unsafe working environments, work practices or willful violations of company safety rules and

regulations.
 Lying to cover up a mistake or a misappropriation of company funds. A purposeful omission is the

same as a lie.
 Negligence of duty to the company or as a citizen. Do the right thing.
 People who are disruptive, disrespectful or abusive towards employees, customers, federal/state

inspectors or vendors.
 Individuals that reap personal benefit as a result of their position or control over company resources

or activities.
 Any willful act or practice that results in environmental damage which violates state or federal law.

Sample 6

www.academyleadership.com

Leadership Compass Statement
Julie Soriero
Director of Athletics and Department Head
Daper – Department of Athletics, Physical Education, Recreation
MIT

As a leader who has coached and led in all three NCAA Divisions, the following are important to me in
honoring and developing leadership across our department:

My job is to encourage you to thrive – professionally and personally.

• I consider professional development a priority for your professional growth and for the continued
success of our programs. It is important that we are knowledgeable about current trends,
governing rules and regulations and on-going national and local issues in our respective areas.

• I care about you as a person and within reason, I will support your family needs and activities as
a priority.

• I will empower you with projects, work assignments and/or committees; and even challenge the
way you think about your responsibilities or carry them out. Your growth and success helps all
of us grow and develop as a department.

• After conversation and deliberations, we might not necessarily agree on a final decision. Once a
decision is made, however, it is important that we present a professional and supportive front as
we move forward. As I have said in the past, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

No organization is immune from problems. I expect you to solve problems you encounter in your area in
which you can take immediate action and offer support. I also expect you to keep me informed.

• If a problem has budget or personnel implications, I should be informed immediately.

• If a problem negatively impacts the student experience (even beyond DAPER), I expect to be
informed immediately.

• Some challenges/problems will need to be addressed with deeper, broader conversations within
our department or across campus. I fully expect that these be brought to my attention
immediately in order for collaboration to occur in our attempts to mitigate the problem.

• If you are not sure – it is best to ask me. I would rather be informed than surprised.

As we shoulder the work of leading our staff, students and community – as well as each other – we will do
so with honesty, integrity, compassion and professionalism.

• If you cannot meet those standards, this is not the place for you.

• Dishonesty, poor decision-making specific to personnel, personal relationships, and compliance
as well as decisions that lack integrity will be reflected in your evaluation and can lead to
termination.

• We should strive to create a work environment that is comprised of mutual respect, collaboration
and support.

Our goal should always be to strive to do the best job in working together in our shared vision of success.
This shared vision and commitment to our purpose will enable all who come into contact with our
department to view that interaction with respect and positivity and allow them to enjoy a rewarding,
memorable experience. Our goal should be a continued commitment to excellence.

Sample 7

www.academyleadership.com

Personal Leadership Statement
Mark A. Turner
President & CEO
WSFS Bank

To our Team: I provide this personal leadership statement so you can more clearly know what I
believe, what to expect from me, what I expect of you, and so you can help me become a better
leader.

I am a leader who believes in service, purpose, and strategy. I believe leadership is serving others,
and working with others to achieve a meaningful mission. I promise to lead by having a positive vision,
painting it clearly for others, and providing a sense of purpose in our work. I believe in the power of
difference in moving the world forward, so I seek goals and strategies that are clearly different than others
and focus intently on optimizing those.

Because of these beliefs, you can expect me to build things with others—things that are positive,
different, valuable and lasting, and demonstrate alignment of purpose and values in all the things I help
lead (e.g., We Stand for Service and Strengthening our Communities).

I am a leader who believes in values. I believe solid values create strength, consistency and
sustainability. The values that are most important to me are: character—doing the right thing, even when
it is a struggle; genuineness and transparency—letting others see your true self, and a zeal to get to the
truth the quickest; fairness—providing both opportunities and rewards based on merit; progress—always
moving forward; and grit—getting it done, regardless of obstacles.

Because of these values, I also have “hot buttons.” These hot buttons are affectionately known as
“Turner’s Triggers,” and include: bullying, including reckless, or unfair statements demeaning others’ work
product or integrity; obstructive and opaque behavior, including withholding information for personal
advantage, and things that are done in secret or with hidden agendas; and sloppiness, including repeated
mistakes, thoughtless work, and not meeting deadlines while not communicating that fact in time to
adjust.

I am a leader that believes in self-awareness and strengths-based philosophy. I believe self-
reflection and constructively acting on it are the best source of mature growth. For example, I believe I am
good at spotting trends, risks and opportunities in confusing data points and acting on them. I am not as
good, however, in spotting risks and opportunities in futuristic things, where the data has yet to be
formed.

As a result, you should expect me to help you find what you are good at, and harvest that, and coach you
to find resources to augment your shortcomings. You should also expect me to behave the same way for
myself.

I am a leader who believes in open communication. I believe in communicating genuinely and with
conviction. As a general rule, more communication is better than less, and sooner is better than later. I
also believe you can learn the most, and improve the most by engaging in candid, meaningful
conversations with other people at all levels.

I expect us all to do things out in the open, minimize any human defensiveness we may feel, and
respectfully correct for it when we see it in each other and ourselves. When wrong, I expect you to admit
it as soon as you suspect it; and when saying sorry would help, to say it. I will lead by example on these.
I promise, at the optimal time and place, to provide you constructive feedback with the best intentions for
the individual, the team, the organization and our mission in mind. You can expect me to spend time in all

Sample 7

…