Angela Michaud

Business Law and Ethical Leadership

February 25, 2014
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
With examples of leadership all around in todays world, one must ascertain for themselves
what defines true leadership. What are they looking for in a good leader and what type of leader do
they want to be themselves in time. Study after study has been made regarding this topic and even
when the control group is changed, the same qualities seem to be the same these qualities would
be that of integrity, fairness, inspirational, leading by example, not only being a visionary, but
instilling such a vision within his followers, and empowering his people.
A leader of integrity is a leader well respected. His followers may not always agree and
may not always like his decisions, but they will almost always respect him aside from their personal
feelings, and will often follow through without a great amount of cause and effect. In all reality, at
the end of the day, followers will remember how a leader treated them and handled various
situations, far more than something they said. If a follower feels as though a leader may be
handling a situation or various scenarios in a wrongful way, the leader can try to defend it but such
explanations will often fall on "deaf ears". Lee Cockerell, author of Creating Magic, states, "At the
end of the day, there are no untold stories. The stories that are told about you matter a great deal
because they determine your reputation. When your reputation is tarnished, you lose your
credibility, and when your credibility goes, you lose the one thing leaders need most: the trust of the
people they lead." (p. 231) Always maintaining that trustworthiness will ensure that even in the
most awful of possible situations, that integrity will stand on its own and act as a proof without need
for explanation.
Another quality that is often present in an excellent leader is that of fairness. This could also
be considered a deeper understanding and regard for that of equality and justice. An excellent
leader does his best to be consistent and fair, no matter what the situation or who is involved. A just
leader is well respected for the fact that everyone knows, if one person is going to get a reprimand
for something, the next one will too. A leader who treats his followers with respect and fairness,
will ultimately, be far more impactful than that of a leader who is always unpredictable in his
actions and judgments. This goes for both disciplinary situations, as well as even day to day
procedural happenings. Part of being an excellent leader is that of always acting with excellence in
mind and being reliable in your actions. Fairness in judgment is a must.

Angela Michaud
Business Law and Ethical Leadership
February 25, 2014
One of the qualities people love the most about a great leader is that of being inspirational.
Empirical evidence and scientific research has proven time and again that people will perform more
highly for that of a leader to whom they feel has a belief in them. John Maxwell, well-known
speaker, and author of the book, The 360 Degree Leader, states these types of leaders "get more out
of their people because they think more of their people. They respect and value them, and as a
result, their people [often naturally] want to follow them." (p. 221) Positivity does not always
beget positivity right away, and some followers are tougher to reel in than others but eventually, and
over time, even the toughest, most thick skinned follower, will eventually find himself giving in
when he truly feels that a leader likes him and believes in him. For example, the leader is always
demanding and tough as nails, never seeming to see the good anyone does, he will often find it
much tougher to pull from a grouping of people who would be willing to step up and do something
extra for him to help him get an extra job done. But, the leader who is looking for the greatness in
people and makes sure his people know how much he values them and how much he appreciates
them, he will find it far easier to find people, when he needs someone to help with an extra project,
and ensure that project gets done on time. In addition, the leader who then takes this to the next
level and makes sure his followers know how much he believes in them he will always have
volunteers ready and on stand-by to help, no matter what else they have going on, and no matter
how unbelievably tired they might be - all because they know he believes in them. In retrospect,
regarding this same topic, but looking at it from a bit of a different point of view, people who feel
that their leader believes in them, will often excel at a greater pace, because at that point, they have
learned to trust that leader and even though they might make mistakes, they are willing to work
through them, because they know those mistakes are not going to be a means to the end, they know
that their leader is going to help them with those mistakes and ensure that they are able to turn them
around for the positive in an effort to get where that follower is ultimately wanting to go. John
Maxwell states, "Look for the greatness and the potential that is within each person you lead. When
you find it, do your best to draw it out." Leaders who believe in their people, reach down and lift
those people up. (p. 222)
Not only do leaders draw greatness out of their people through being fair and just, and
allowing their people to know how much they believe in them, but they also never lose sight of just
who they are and where they have come from. A great leader does not think so highly of himself as

Angela Michaud
Business Law and Ethical Leadership
February 25, 2014
to expect that he has attained such a position of authority that he no longer needs to ever "get his
hands dirty", or

help on the front lines if needed. A great leader cannot only delegate well

and ensure processes and productivity demands are met, but he can easily jump on the front lines
himself, and do the job when needed. A leader who is willing to lend a hand when the situation
arises, will be a well-loved leader and very highly respected. There is nothing more substantial than
that of a leader who knows just how hard a job or task really is. When his followers have seen him
on the front lines, doing the same job they do, and have seen him pitch in when needed, without
regard to people being "higher or lower in status", his followers will put far more stock in his
decisions regarding policies and procedures.
Leadership as a whole, can make or break an organization and most definitely have a
profound impact on those individuals around them. I don't know necessarily what my particular
leadership style would be considered but I am very definitely, more of a middle of the road type of
leader. I am not a huge fan of having to jump up in front of people and be the one who facilitates a
large gathering or event, and although I have done tasks of that similar nature, I do not like that type
of leadership. As a resident assistant, my leadership style tended more toward the quiet and in
charge, unless otherwise needing something much stronger. I rarely raise my voice over much of
anything. My best technique and skill in situations that might need a more stern action or reaction,
is always to talk in a lower tone, with a softer but authoritative voice and to never lose eye contact
with the person needing such attention at the moment.
Because I have always appreciated an authority who would get in there and do a job with us,
I have always tried to do this myself, especially if I was asking someone to do a task that was out of
the norm and was going to take some extra "elbow grease". Having grown up in a military home on
a ranch no less, I am not afraid of work and it is my belief that if I am going to ask someone to do a
job that is out of the ordinary, I should be willing to lend a hand, at least in helping get them started
and on the right track, and if possible, follow it through with them, and see it to the end. More than
once, I gained the respect of the residents on my dormitory floor because I pitched in and helped
with a big job.
I am also a great believer in the ideal that positivity begets positivity, and while sometimes it
takes a little longer for certain followers to come around, they usually do in the end. I am not the

Angela Michaud
Business Law and Ethical Leadership
February 25, 2014
kind who is constantly watching and looking for someone to do wrong. It is my firm belief that if
they doing something that might need to be addressed, as a leader, I will not have to look for it, they
will usually end up doing something that puts them over the top and they will ultimately and usually
expect a fallout of some type of disciplinary action. I believe that when followers feel as though
they are being watched and sometimes preyed upon, as though the leader is just waiting for the
chance to nail a wrongdoing, those followers do not handle the resulting disciplinary measures as
gracefully and all too often, they don't feel that they are even just or fair. However, when a follower
does something to the extent that there is no choice but to address it, they almost always know in
their hearts that the disciplinary action is deserved and they are more willing to accept responsibility
for their actions.
As the teacher type of personality, I absolutely love to help people and see them succeed. I
believe it is the leader's responsibility to get to know their people as much as possible and if
possible, to help in some way, either by working through various plans and goals with them or
helping them reach out to a different leader who might be able to help in a more specific way.
Setting people up for success only sets you up for success as leader yourself. In the book, The
Leadership Challenge, authors Kouzas and Posner state, "[people] look for leaders who demonstrate
an enthusiastic and genuine belief in the capacity of others, who strengthen people's will, who
supply the means to achieve, and who express optimism for the future."(p.349) Here again, people
will bend over backward to take care of a well loved leader who has shown that they believe in
those people.
None of this would at all be possible though, if I weren't a structured and organized type of
person. Having a good handle on time management and being organized, allowed me to be out and
among the residents on my floor so much more because I wasn't always scrambling at the last
minute, trying to take care of various given tasks, on top of the ever present surprises that always
seem to arise in the dorms at the most inopportune times. Being able to be out and among the
residents on our floor, allowed me to then just listen in on conversations and get to know various
students without them even realizing it, and yet, when needed, I was able to help because I knew
something about that person and already had an idea of what might be the best way to handle their
given situation.

Angela Michaud
Business Law and Ethical Leadership
February 25, 2014
Overall, I feel that a great leader is one who can give and take. A great leader knows how to
step up when needed and yet, he knows how to step back and follow as well. He inspires his people
to be greater than themselves and in return, he reaps the benefits of a happier group of followers. A
great leader motivates, inspires, instills teamwork, and envisions his people.

Works Cited

Cockerell, L. (2008). Creating magic: Ten common sense leadership strategies from a life at
Disney. New York: Random House.
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2007). The leadership challenge. (4th ed.). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
Maxwell, J. (2005). The 360 degree leader. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc.