My personal leadership philosophy:

 

Since being charged with the task of developing my own leadership philosophy in September of 2013 I have done a lot of soul searching. It has been years since I have actually written goals for myself.  I am a mother of two young children; I don't usually make time for me. I turned 35 this spring and all of a sudden I'm realizing that if I want to achieve many of the ideas I have had for myself I'd better get going.

 

I read an article not too long ago that talked about being a "role model" leader. People follow these types of leaders because they see an opportunity not only to make a difference in the world but to become a better person. In essence, I want to be the type of person others would like to be. To me, this means being a person of integrity. One that always tells the truth and who cares more about the people around them or the mission they are working on than themselves.  

 

Rules to follow/live my life by:

Be Passionate: My dad always says that he never worked a day in his life. I absolutely love working as a dairy veterinarian. When I work in other aspects of veterinary medicine I loose some of my passion. I want to have a work/life blend instead of a work/life balance. When I'm working I don't want it to feel like work. If I'm not passionate about a cause I'm involved with I need to rethink why I'm doing it.

 

Be Positive: I consider myself an optimist, but sometimes I still get dragged down and loose my positivity. Life is so much easier for me and I am a lot happier when I maintain a positive attitude.

 

Never give up: I heard the quote, "Never, never give up and always have faith in yourself" when I was a teenager. I'm not sure who said it, but I frequently repeat it to myself and it is important for me to remember. 

 

In all things give thanks: In essence, this is 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I believe it is important to thank people and God for what they have done for you. I like to be polite and treat people with respect. In all actuality, I was better at this when I was younger and need to focus on being a good Samaritan more.  

 

What I ask:

High expectations: I expect a lot from myself and thus expect a lot from my family members and those I work with. I believe in people and know they can perform to a high capacity. This is one of my biggest faults, yet is also a strength. 

 

Follow through: Nothing bothers me more than asking someone to do something, they say yes, and then it isn't taken care of. If you say you are going to do something, please follow through. If you can't or don't want to do something I would rather know that up front.

 

Do unto others as you would have done to you: I belive it really is this simple. Treat others with respect, help others, don't lie, don't cheat and don't make excuses. I am an extremely loyal person. In most instances I will bend over backwards to do something or help someone else. However, once I've lost faith in someone my loyalty is also lost.  

 

I consider myself to be an approachable, reasonable person. If there is a problem, please talk to me about it so a solution can be made.