Understanding your values allows you to develop a leadership style that best fits you. By fully committing yourself to your dreams, your journey through life will be filled with that much more love and life. You might value respect or commitment, maybe you value money or security. Whatever it is that you value becomes a direct reflection of what you stand for as a leader.
There are many different management styles. The better you understand what kind of leader you are, the better leader you can be for others. It is important to have your values relate to your management style in order for your team to fully be empowered. For example, if you are a laissez-faire leader yet your organizational structure is top-down, mixed messages would be sent. It would be difficult for you, the leader, to reach your full potential. Your direct report might not see you as a good fit for their organization, all because you were unable to line-up your values and your leadership style to match the organizational structure.
In order to develop my personal mission statement, I determined my values, identified my management style, researched an inspiring leader and how their values emulate mine and described my expectations. The result: I stand for belief in your dreams; I believe that hard work equals dedication; I value respect, commitment to excellence, selflessness, and self-confidence; my management style is a blend between democratic and authoritarian, with an emphasis on people; I wish to emulate my grandmother for her unconditional love, constant inclusiveness, and desire to leave the world a better place; and people can expect a person who lives their life to the fullest, loves harder each day, and never forgets to laugh.
What’s your personal mission statement?