What do you believe?

Most organizations have some sort of mission statement, organizational philosophy or values proposition to guide members and focus their work. When clearly articulated, these statements help keep the organization on track and pointed toward clear goals.

A written leadership philosophy achieves the same thing on a personal level: it lets people know what you expect, what you value, and how you'll act, with the additional benefits of making the workplace less stressful and more productive. And, like a compass, it helps keep you, the leader, on course.

Since developing this compass is critical, we make the leadership philosophy part of every Academy Leadership program. Among the benefits:

• Team members know what the leader wants and don't waste energy trying to guess
• When the leader's intent is clear, it is easier to create and implement policies and procedures
• Clear priorities means better use of resources
• Leaders who are consistent and clear win employees' trust and confidence
• Sharing a leadership philosophy starts a dialogue that says: we want to become better leaders, and we support each other along the way

You have seen leaders come and go and you've seen some succeed and others fail. Have you ever wondered what explains this?

Institutions that have researched this question, from universities to for-profit companies to the US military, have found that when the leaders are clear both about what they want and how they'll support the team, the organization performs better.