Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News
My Leadership Philosophy
One thing I learned pretty fast in leadership positions was that I needed a guide I could follow to help me become the best leader I could be.
So through a lot of trial and error, watching good and bad leaders, I developed a leadership philosophy, which I have written and committed to memory. And I strongly believe that everyone—regardless of where you are in your career—should have one. Your personal philosophy is a commitment to your way of effectively leading others. Defining who you need to be.
My personal leadership philosophy is threefold. One, you have to be a leader of character. Two, you have to be competent. Three, you have to have empathy.
So, let me dig into each of those, and I’ll start with character. I believe leadership is earning your team’s trust and respect so that they will follow you. So when you tell your squad, “Hey, I’m all about teamwork,” or “I have an open-door policy,” you better be a team player, and your door better be open. Your actions must match your words.
One of the most effective ways to motivate your team is for them to see you engaged and driven. People do as they see. Effective leadership is a gift of trust from your employees, and you have to earn it every day.
Next, I believe leaders have to be competent. That does not mean knowing everything from the moment you show up to a new assignment or take a new role. You might not be well-versed in the program you’re in charge of. You might not know the people you’re managing. So you have to put in the work to understand what your people are doing well enough to lead them.
And if you give it time, you’ll work through it. You’ll gain a vision for that organization, and you’ll improve things. Because when you own the program, it’s up to you to put together a strategy and lead it effectively. That can be and should be challenging—or else you wouldn’t be growing.
Finally, and most important, is empathy. Now sure, I see a leader’s primary role as helping your people—from individual employees to small squads to large divisions—execute their mission priorities. But we cannot forget the human element in all of that. Leaders often fail when they lack compassion. Our priority should be to serve those who serve.
Another way to say that is, “Mission first, people always.”
And as a leader, you need to make sure your people know they’re more than just employees to you. They need to know you care about who they are. Not just when they’re in the office, but outside of work, too. The only way you can do that is by listening to what they share with you.
Caring about people—understanding and having empathy for them, being able to see things from their point of view—that’s essential to being a good leader.
But it’s important to care about every person in the room. To know where they’re coming from and why.