Running

head: PHILOSOPHY FINAL

Leadership Philosophy Final
Melissa Van Drimmelen
Seattle University
EDAD 570
Instructor: Monica Nixon
February 18th, 2014

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Leadership is such a large and encompassing concept to think about because there are so
many different views about what leadership is. There are many people that come to mind when I
think of a leader, but they have all been leaders for very different reasons. A leader can be
someone who did terrible things or was part of a devastating cause, and yet we generally
associate leadership with positive traits or outcomes. Leadership is not something we may see
immediately in a person, but is seen more often through their actions, so determining if a person
is a leader based purely on traits can be challenging (Witherspoon, 1997).
Leadership serves the purpose of offering guidance or direction in a given situation.
Leadership also gives people purpose and meaning in life, both for those who lead and those who
follow; it is a type of meaning making and leaders are often the shepherds of that meaning.
Leaders have a purpose when they have a group or a cause to lead. Many things may inform a
leaders purpose: their background, their values, or even the environment they are in (Kezar,
2006). Leadership also has the ability to unify people for a common goal; without some sort of
leadership in society it would be difficult to achieve much of anything or make any kind of
progress. Leadership gives people an example to live their lives by in many different forms.
Mentorship is very closely linked with leadership and how people come to be leaders.
Many leaders started with a mentor or role model they could follow, as well as later becoming
mentors to others. Finding a mentor was recommended by several of the leaders. One
suggested that aspiring leaders get a mentor and observe what you like and what you would
modify in their leadership style (Schuh, 2002). Observing those who we strive to learn from,
as well as those we want to avoid being like, is extremely important to our development as
leaders. Having a mentor to guide many leaders in a certain direction helps them to distinguish
their own leadership styles as well as gives them support.

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Leadership does often have an element of having followers or being identified by others
as a leader. Something I had not thought about before was the distinction presented between
leadership, power, and status. When I think of leadership, several things come to mind right
away. Often I think of a charismatic person or the type of person that can command a room with
their presence. I also think of a person that left some sort of lasting impact or was the driving
force behind some sort of change. I see a person that others are drawn to or look to for guidance
or that they admire. Gardner (2000) talks about this distinction when he says that we must not
confuse leadership with statusLeaders always have some measure of power rooted in their
capacity to persuade but many people with power are without leadership gifts. It is also,
therefore possible to be seen by some as a leader but not by others. Some may see a person in
power as a leader while others do not, further highlighting leadership as something that depends
upon context or viewpoint (Dugan, 2006).
I have seen many different types of effective leaders. It is the fact they provide for a
given need with their leadership that makes them effective They also know what they have to
offer others. I believe that leaders listen and look to help others best utilize their own abilities to
contribute. Leaders are representatives of whatever cause or organization they are leading.
(Deal & Peterson, 2000). I think about the types of leaders I have respected and they often have
traits that align with my own morals or values. Effective leaders can, in many ways, be
dependent on what the viewer values. One may value something that others do not in a leader.
One quality that I believe to be absolutely necessary to being an effective leader is resilience. I
do not believe that a person can make an effective or admirable leader if they lack the resilience
factor. They must be able to mange and navigate through difficult situations that are bound to
come up during their role as a leader. Being able to stand against a storm or guide others through

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on of the major qualities that define a leader for me. A leader is also not afraid to be unpopular
or to take a stand for something they believe is right (Bolman & Gallos, 2011). This is why
some leaders have faced great hostility or hate at times in history when some were not ready for
them.
While I do identify myself as a leader, I am still learning what this means for myself.
Boatwright & Egidio (2003) resonated with me because I definitely feel that I tend to identify
more with masculine traits than with feminine traits, as when Kreuzer found that women who
rated themselves high in masculinity and low in femininity expressed stronger leadership
aspirations than their male colleagues. My father raised me, and as a result I feel I was raised
with values and ideals that are seen as more traditionally masculine. I can see how the research
would point to those females who identify more with masculine traits identify more as leaders.
As a society, we have been socialized to believe that feminine traits are not ones that are good
qualities to be present in a strong leader (Dugan, 2006; Linder & Rodriguez, 2012). A barrier to
seeing myself a leader at certain times is the fact that I identify as an introvert, which I believe
sometimes clashes with my ability to successfully lead others. Over the years, however, I have
taken on many leadership roles and fared just fine as an introvert. It does, however, mean that I
have to push myself outside my usual comfort zone. I see myself as a quiet leader, but I have
many of the strengths that are required to lead. I can advocate for the group I represent and I can
command attention when necessary.
As a leader, I personally identify with what Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky (2009) have to
say about the fact that leaders bring many identities to the table that we can be true to. I have
often felt that I need to be the type of leader that someone or an organization wants me to be, so I
have felt that this means that I need to change. I have learned, however, and what the authors

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have articulated is that leadership is less about changing our identities and more about learning
to adapt to situations while using all of the skills that we bring as multifaceted individuals. As a
leader, there are several identities that are most salient for me and that I am most cognizant of.
The identities that have most shaped my identity as a leader are: my identity as an Asian
American, my identity as a woman, and my experience being from a low socioeconomic-status
background.
As a woman-leader, I feel that a lot of socialization around leadership tells us that it is a
more masculine discipline to pursue (Boatwright & Egidio, 2003). I have challenged this notion
and have taken on many leadership roles, but still feel the effects of a society that has historically
privileged male leaders. As an Asian-American, I felt the pressure to be successful and involved,
so participating in leadership or being a leader did not feel like my own decision at some points
even though I did enjoy what I was doing. Finding other leaders with the same identities as my
own really enabled me to grow in terms of my confidence in my identity and myself. Leading
with others who share my identities is also what pushed me to learn and explore my identities
more deeply (Linder & Rodriguez, 2012). Knowing myself was a key piece I needed before I
could successfully lead others. Acknowledging my low socioeconomic-status background was
another piece that enabled me to grow as a leader. Acknowledging that I was at a disadvantage
in certain circles and knowing some resources were not readily available to me helped me to
navigate the systems and overcome my disadvantage.
My leadership journey really began in high school, were I was always in some sort of
leadership position. It felt natural to me to be in roles that required responsibility, though at this
point in my life, these roles were more about involvement than leadership (Komives, et al. ,
2006). A major milestone for my leadership development was definitely when I started my

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undergraduate work at Oregon State University. College was the first time I was really able to
choose from a vast amount of opportunities and pursue learning about topics I was most
interested in. I had never heard about things like social justice or privilege before, nor did I
know what it meant to be a leader in the field of higher education. Becoming a Resident
Assistant was probably was the most significant experience I had in my undergraduate time
because it was what ultimately led me down the road to student affairs. As a Resident Assistant
I had many professional development opportunities afforded to me, as well as a great amount of
responsibility in my position. Having other students depend on me and look to me as a mentor
created a large amount of motivation in myself. I identified more and more as a leader in my
own right, enhanced by my positional role (Komives, et al. , 2006).
Serving in my current role as a Residence Life Coordinator was also a major milestone
because it was my first full time professional leadership position. This role, coupled with my
coursework in the SDA program at Seattle University is helping me to hone my knowledge and
skills so I can be a credible leader and learn about all the possible ways one can lead in this field
successfully. While both my professional role and Masters program have helped me determine
more of what I want my leadership style to be, I have also seen myself move back and forth with
regard to the Leadership Identity Development Model each time I have taken on a new role.
Each time I do, I realize how much more there is for me to learn (Komives, et al., 2006).
Mentorship has been my most heavily utilized tool when it comes to my role as a leader.
I find I operate best when I see my supervisor as a mentor and when I feel like a mentor to those
I supervise. Having a mentor has been an essential part of my development as a leader, which
seems to be a common theme among leaders from all backgrounds (Schuh, 2002). My mentors
have informed my leadership style immensely because I try to learn from what works about them

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and what I would want to do differently. In the future, I would like to find mentors with traits
that I am not as strong in, but with whom I can still feel a connection. I often gravitate to those
who are like me, but it would be helpful to learn from mentors who are different or opposite
from me, such as extroverts or more strategic individuals. I have experienced supervisors that
were not mentors and it always made my position feel less fulfilling since I was missing out on
that connection and professional development.
One of my greatest strengths is my empathy. It is what enables me to connect with
people on a deep and meaningful level and makes me have connections with them. This is why
what Sergiovanni (2000) says about tapping into emotions in order to motivate people resonated
with me so much. I can definitely relate to Sergiovannis idea of stewardship in relation to
being a leader because I do feel my style is morally oriented and not as closely aligned with more
traditional notions about leaders such as the idea that one must be decisive or forceful.
I definitely feel that I under utilize my networking resources. It can feel disingenuous to
me to utilize my network or people I know for personal benefit. I want to be as authentic in my
relationships with people as I can. In this way I feel I could learn a lot from the political model
of leadership. Networking and forming a coalition are all things that are more characteristic of
the political model (Bollman & Deal, 2000). If I can improve my networking skills I will
become much more effective in the future when it comes to progressing an agenda or getting
support for something I am trying to make happen. I have not found my underutilization of
networking to be a major hindrance yet, but I know that it will become one in the future if I do
not consciously work at it. Attending conferences and events has helped me reach out of my
comfort zone in this area. I also intend to get more comfortable with informational interviews so
that I can make connections while I am a young professional, particularly while still in school.

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With my relational focus, I believe that I will eventually be a good political leader, but it will
take some time.
Of the four frames of leadership, the human resource frame has resonated with me most.
I believe in caring about the people I work with, and relationships with people are the part of my
work that is most important to me (Bolman & Gallos, 2011). I get a lot of satisfaction from
empowering those whom I mentor, and I agree a lot with what the human resource model has to
say about building teams. I often learn a lot from my staff because I care about them as people
and see them as more than just my subordinates. In this same realm of leadership, I think about
the care based mode of thinking, since I do tend to put love of others first (Kidder 1995). As a
result, my decisions as a leader are often based around caring for the people being affected by a
decision.
When thinking about my traits as a leader I think about the four dilemmas that Kidder
(1995) puts to us as leaders. I find that I tend towards justice instead of mercy, but then loyalty
and truth become blurred (Kidder, 1995). I struggled with the concept of these opposing forces
that leaders must think about. For me, the ultimate factor in my decision-making is how a
decision affects people and if it is the right thing to do by them.
The benefit behind the Human Resource model is that it puts people at the center of the
institution and promotes strong meaningful relationships with people. The main challenge that I
see with this frame is that in having close relationships with people, there is a potential for
people to let professionalism slip or to let personal matters come into conflict with professional
matters. I do have to keep my both my care and my professionalism in check to make sure that I
am still viewed as a person of respect and authority in my role (Bollman & Gallos, 2011).
A leadership situation that required me to exercise my leadership style was the process I

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went through to get my housing staff to the point it is currently. When I was hired on as the
Residence Life Coordinator, I inherited a staff that I had not hired nor trained. They had been
without a direct supervisor for several months and were reporting to the Dean of Students. The
staff was very dysfunctional and there was a lack of care among the group when I came on
because they lacked a leader. They were distrustful of each other and had not been encouraged
as leaders, but merely as subordinates in the past. My strong association with the Human
Resource frame of leadership was very helpful in this situation because of the need for care and
people focus that was required (Bollman & Gallos, 2011). The style that was most needed
given the situation also happened to be the style that comes most naturally to me.
In this situation, not only did I have to create and implement training for the staff I
inherited, but I also had to encourage them to see themselves as leaders and act like it. I was also
short staffed and had to hire new members to join the housing staff as Resident Assistants. It
was very important that I bring on staff members who would contribute positively, as the Human
Resource frame encourages everyone to hone their individual talents that they bring (Bollman &
Gallos, 2011). I then had to maintain the changes I made for the staff and encourage their
continual growth. With the amount of changes I was implementing, I remained very transparent
about why I was implementing the things I was and why the changes were necessary.
Supporting my staff at all times was always a priority for me to aid them in becoming leaders
and making sure that we are all getting everything we need out of our positions.
I like the idea of people being self-managers versus always relying on someone to
manage them (Sergiovanni, 2000). Believing in the people that I hired and trained has not only
made me a happier supervisor but has also made my staff happier and more productive. I am
able to rely on my RAs and their abilities and I do not have to micromanage their actions

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(Wheatley, 2000). For instance, when I first came into the position I had to articulate and lay out
the process for move in day to the residence hall. The RAs had to be told every task that needed
to be accomplished and given deadlines. Now they just know what needs to be done for every
move in and often start the process before I even set it on our agenda. Their opinion and
contributions are valued and it shows that there is mutual trust among the staff. This strategy
also makes them take ownership of what they are doing and instills leadership skills in each of
them. My approach has been very successful in many ways. I have never been part of a staff
that genuinely likes working with each other to such an extent. I feel I am trusted and respected
and my staff seems to feel the same way. When I saw that the Human Resource model uses care
as a currency I knew that it was the model that appealed to me most. Schuh (2002) found that
leaders find relationships with staff and students was where they found the most fulfillment and I
agree that I too feel most successful when my staff is thriving and successful.
I did learn that people sometimes respond differently to leadership styles based on their
experiences. One of the students who I supervised was a former military member and, as a
result, was not used to being led by someone from the Human Resource style. I learned through
him that he was used to there being a very definite, defined line between those who are
supervisors or leaders and those who follow. I can understand why the Human Resource model
would be a difficult transition to make from the leadership that is used in a military setting. I
also learned that sometimes the Human Resource model can require time for individuals to adjust
if they are not used to it.
Many people think of the stereotypical forceful supervisor when they of leaders, so the
Human Resource would contrast against traditional leadership conceptions. I found that this
style was tricky to keep in mind when facing certain conflicts. For instance, when terminating a

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student staff member, I was still keeping the person in mind and operating from a place of care,
but it did feel less like I was using the Human Resource style given the fact that the termination
would still happen regardless of how much I cared.
In my future work, I feel that it will be helpful for me to hone the skills of the other
leadership frames such as the Political model (Bolman & Deal, 2000). This is the frame I am
least comfortable using but that could be extremely helpful to work at. Being able to progress
my agenda by making allies out of those who wouldnt normally be, would be an extremely
useful skill to have, especially given my aspirations to reach the Dean level someday. I do feel I
am good at managing conflict already but it would be the persuasive and strategic nature of the
political model that are areas to improve on.

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References
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