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Leadership Philosophy Statement – Draft One

On February 9th, the PSEL group met and we were instructed to write the first version of a personal Leadership Philosophy Statement. I didn’t think of it at the time, but as part of our PSEL application packet, we were asked to share our Leadership Philosophy Statement. In October, I submitted my application and stated the following, “I believe that true leaders understand how to harness their own abilities so that they can provide the encouragement, tools, and resources for others to be their best.”

My draft from February 9th looked like this:

“I want to inspire others to be their best self. By implementing actions conveying that I am:

  • Trustworthy/Honest
  • Empathetic
  • Inclusive
  • Tolerant/Open minded”

I approached the February 9th task by first asking myself, “What do I want in a leader?” and then I built the rest from that. The actual thought process was a bit messier and looked like this:

The two statements are pretty similar, which is great considering I had completely forgotten about the statement I included in the PSEL application months before!

I think these statements will be further refined as I move through the program, but I think the one thing that rings true for both is the people part of it. To say I’m nothing without others is an understatement. I gain energy, inspiration and knowledge from those around me. I first realized my need to work with people while doing a consulting gig after my bachelor’s degree. I loved being outside and collecting data, but I really loved bringing that data to public meetings and presenting it to the public. I really enjoyed explaining what Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is and why it’s important to the fish. I really enjoyed learning the names of the stakeholders at the table and better understanding their concerns and issues. About this time, the firm I was working with started pushing me to become more technical knowledgeable, to increase my understanding of fish burst speeds and habitat composition. I really had no desire to focus time and energy on that when I’d rather be learning more about people! That’s when I knew it was time to move on, and started orienting my career with more of a people focus and less of a science focus. That’s how I got here today!

Even though this is only the first draft of my Leadership Philosophy Statement, I wouldn’t be disappointed if, in the end, I were able to emulate this unrefined leadership philosophy in my day to day work. This draft may not reflect the polished end product we’re supposed to garner through the PSEL process, but much of it presents a gold standard in my eyes, and implementing this rough around the edges first draft philosophy really wouldn’t be all that bad.

Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory Results

When I completed the Kolb Learning style inventory quiz, it became pretty apparent that the scenarios presented were meant to sift the user into one of 4 types of categories: observer, active, intuitive, logical. Some of the prompts seemed redundant, and about half way through it was obvious that I learn by doing. I have become more aware of my learning style in the last few years. Maybe it’s the awareness that comes with aging (Hellloooooooooo 40!) or maybe it’s because I’ve been struggling a bit over the last few years while I try to understand what I’m good at and what I want to do with the rest of my life.

The Kolb Inventory told me that I’m primarily an “Initiating” and “Acting” style, with a little of “Experiencing” and “Balancing” mixed in. Here’s what the booklet we were provided says about my primary styles:

Initiating learning style strengths:

  • Committing yourself to the objectives
  • Seeking new opportunities
  • Influencing and leading others

Challenges:

  • Controlling impulse to act (um, yah!)
  • Listening to others’ views (perhaps)
  • Impatience (do these people have a hidden camera in my house?!)

Acting learning style strengths:

  • Combining technical knowledge and personal relationships
  • Focused on getting things done
  • Leading work teams

Challenges:

  • Taking time to reflect
  • Solving the right problem
  • Gathering and analyzing information

Some of these strengths and challenges statements and the other descriptors presented in the booklet are spot on. Some of the statements about those that learn as I do, I loved: “seen as spontaneous, energetic, persuasive and courageous”! Who wouldn’t love that?! But there are some harsh truths in these statements too. The creators of the Kolb booklet correctly identified instances that hold me back or that sometimes make me seem less than prepared: “prefer action over reflection and sometimes commit to an idea without considering its consequences and alternative options or solutions.” Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

In reviewing and pondering my results, I quickly related this information to my married life, because in many ways, my husband and I are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. While I’m quick to act, he’s always thinking things through. While I’m succinct (in most cases), he elaborates to what feels like is the nth degree. The best example of our differences is our approaches in the kitchen. When I think of something I want to make, I start making it. Many times to find out half way through that I don’t have all the ingredients that the recipe calls for. While I think of this as a challenge and we’ve experienced some fun foods because of my forced improvisations in the kitchen, to my husband, entering into such a task with no, or very little preparation most certainly forebodes failure. His approach is measured, neat even. He carefully reviews a recipe, lines up every single ingredient, ensures that we have every tool necessary to complete the directions in an efficient manner, and then finally, begins. And, as his final performance, he puts every single ingredient away after he’s added it to the dish. I tend to stock pile items and then put it everything away at one time when I’m finished with the task at hand. While I appreciate the final product when he cooks, the wait through the process usually induces some “hanger” (hunger induced anger) on my behalf and perhaps even a few choice words (see “impatience” under “Challenges” above).

While I don’t feel as though I learned anything earth shattering by completing the Kolb Learning Style Inventory, I do feel a renewed awareness of why I do the things that I do. For better or for worse.

And so it begins…

I’ve been eyeing up the Penn State Emerging Leaders Program (PSEL) for a few years now.I’ve always managed to miss the application deadline.
When the deadline snuck by me again last year, I made a point to put a note on my calendar so I wouldn’t miss the opportunity yet another time. I’m so glad I did. I think…

The kickoff meeting for the Program happened at a bad time for me (is there ever a good time to trek downtown State College in January?) We had planned a long weekend in the Poconos to ski with friends, but postponed leaving town so that I could attend the kickoff event. I thought “It’ll be fun, it’s just the intro meeting!” I expected a nice easy “My name is…and I work for…” meet and greet, but what I got was a host of homework and immediate looming deadlines. Not exactly how I wanted to start my vacation, but I diligently wrote everything down and promised myself and Vera, my supervisor, that I’d complete the tasks upon my return to my desk on Monday. I then tried not to think about it too much over the weekend so that I could enjoy myself on the slopes.

When I sat down to do as promised on Monday, however, I was unable to find my notes from the kickoff meeting. Apparently, that page of my notebook was sacrificed for the sake of a game of Balderdash on the ski vacation. I struggled to remember what I could of our “to do” list, knowing that at the very least, that we had a blog assignment of some sort! Luckily the Christina Helms, the PSEL leader, was gracious when I asked for help. I was embarrassed to ask what our tasks were; not really the impression I was hoping to leave on the first week of the Leadership Program!

I think I’m all caught up on my tasks to date, however, I must admit that I need to read the Kolb’s information in a less frantic manner so that I can actually digest the information and understand what my scores mean. I’ll write more on my results from the Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory in the next post. For now, I’m trying to figure out a way to fit the 100 hours of PSEL work in, and still do my job to the best of my abilities. I’ll find a way, I know, it’s just a bit daunting at the moment.