Types of leadership

To select one leadership type over another may not work for your particular situation.
In this brief article, three leadership types are analyze

People in the past have asked me what leadership type I use in my work. To
say that I am a follower of one type of leadership over another, is not
entirely correct. I report and analyze on the various types of leadership and
the skill-set required for each. The various leadership types can briefly be
described this way:

• Principle-centered leadership is focused on the principles rooted in

the unchanging laws that govern human and organizational
effectiveness. This could easily be restated to imply that godly
immutable laws affect all of us. Breaking them causes harm to the
individual and to society, and keeping them allows for individual and
organizational success;
• Character-based leadership is rooted in the belief that principles are
not complete by themselves in leading people to greatness. Often
principles kept for a long time becomes character. The chain of
creating the future through character-based leadership methods
goes something like this: "Thoughts (thinking on Principles) leads to
Action, Acting on Principles leads to Habits, Habits lead to Character,
Character then leads to creating your future or Destiny." Character in
this regard refers to ones moral and ethical structure. However, the
problem is that people tend to only briefly embrace principles and
shortly thereafter return to their set behavior and character. A moral
and ethical character structure must become the essence and
operating motive in every situation before a perfect moralistic and
ethical leader could emerge. But it should be realized that being a
great character-based leader is not an insurance for effective
performance;
• Value-based leadership focuses on adding value to the entire
process. In some instances, this type may overlook the aspect of
being the nice guy on the block and rather focus on adding value to
the leadership process. It is an organization's responsibility to add
quality (value) to each service and product delivered to its
customers. Corporate America rate leaders on their vision for the
organization and their final performance of that vision. The general
public often rate leaders on their character or principles followed.
I believe that in order to be the very best leader you need to:

1. follow principles (correct ones);

2. develop a character that produce a moral and ethical work force that
provides excellent service to the organization's (or the individual's)
customers and assume corporate social responsibility involvement
within its community and environment, through improving business
and social conditions (following grandma's edict "leave the place
better off than you found it");
3. Add value to each process, product and service delivered to your
customers.

Leadership is very much about performance. It is about doing the right

things. And in many ways, the board and the stockholders could care less
what principles you follow or if you are moral and ethical in leading the
organization. What they care about is your performance. The bottom-line is
the P&L statement or your quarterly views and other trends that will
indicate the stock price.

Because of my moral and ethical belief system, I cannot neglect my duty

and responsibilities to mankind and the environment as a leader, but as
well, I cannot refuse to acknowledge nor neglect that my job security is
based on what value I can give to the customer and the stockholders and
my and my organization's quarterly performance.

So to sum it up, leadership is about all three, but in the war model that
corporate America is based on ("business is war" principle), and the
damnable Darwinist "survival of the fittest" belief--that nature does not
exhibit--producing by adding value and performance excellence according
to business objectives are what a business leader must consider before
anything else. If he/she instead is a spiritual or community leader,
exhibiting ethics and morality beyond reproach would be higher on the
chain of belief. You need to factor in all aspects and requirements of your
situation and of your customers and stockholders before you subscribe to
a particular leadership type, or an appropriate mix of these.
 PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
TAFT AVE. MANILA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR PERS. ED 5

PROF. MENDEZ

SUBMITTED BY:
SHARON B. MERCADO
IV-3BEED
S.Y 2007-2008