A Personal Management Guide for Business Leaders

A personal management philosophy is an individual's set of ideas, precepts, attitudes, and methods that direct their self-management, interpersonal interactions, decision-making, and problem-solving in both their personal and professional life. Due to its importance, each manager must have a management philosophy in order to maintain consistency, match their actions to their convictions, and always aim for development and progress. Leaders in both the professional and personal domains can make the right decisions and follow through on them, no matter how difficult they may be when they have a personal management philosophy. This essay explores the various aspects that individuals should consider when creating their personal management philosophy that would make them successful leaders.

The most important aspect that a manager should consider including in their philosophy is communication. Research shows that about 80% of a manager's working time is spent communicating either verbally or non-verbally in their realm of work (Whetten and Cameron 191). Further research shows that managers believe communication is an important aspect of their work (Subrahmanyam, 2054). Given the chunk of time and the number of leaders who believe in communication, all managers and aspiring managers need to spend time creating a personal management philosophy that puts into account the importance of communication to the leaders and the institutions that they lead.

In addition, a personal leadership philosophy should not revolve around communication alone. Instead, it should encompass important aspects of communication that motivate employees and stakeholders to make the business better. Therefore, a manager's personal management philosophy should be focused on supportive communication. Unlike other forms of communication, supportive communication focuses on the problem at hand and avoids laying blame on others (Whetten and Cameron 192). Due to these aspects of supportive communication, leaders ought to intentionally dedicate themselves to learning the art of supportive communication and include this form of communication in their leadership philosophy.

Additionally, conflict resolution should be something that managers want to have the know-how in order to effectively lead their organizations. Organizations are often made up of diverse demographics of individuals, and due to this diversity, differences of opinion and beliefs become inevitable. It is estimated that managers spend between 20 and 40 percent of their time as managers dealing with conflict among employees, stakeholders, and even clients (Whetten and Cameron 308). Although there are conflicts that are practically unresolvable, like personality clashes and ideological differences, the majority of workplace conflicts can be mitigated with the right processes. It is, therefore, the responsibility of every aspiring manager to educate themselves on the various conflict resolution strategies that they can employ and educate themselves on the diversity of the employees who work under them. Including aspects of peaceful and fair conflict management philosophy in a leader's personal management philosophy ensures that they are equipped to bring cohesion to the workplace and, by extension, enhance productivity.

Moreover, in order to be an effective manager, it is important to be a creative thinker. Creative thinking allows leaders to think outside the box when developing solutions for workplace problems. Given that the manager's role inherently revolves around problem-solving, it is important to apply creative thinking (Whetten and Cameron 137). In order to think creatively, leaders often have to weigh the implications of a decision, both the positive and the negative implications. Therefore, an effective leader knows when to take risks and when to hold back during times of crisis in business organizations. Creative decision-making in a personal management philosophy incorporates creative thinking in a manager's day-to-day life, allowing them to make decisions at times when it might be difficult. Considering that personal management philosophies involve how a leader conducts themselves and is perceived by other employees, incorporating a personal management philosophy into a leader's philosophy ensures the decisions that a leader makes set them apart from the rest.

Furthermore, collaboration underscores the importance of teamwork in achieving company goals. It is the responsibility of a leader to create positive relationships with the entire team, which in turn ensures healthy relationships that contribute to enabling people to work together effectively (Whetten and Cameron 192). Collaboration between teammates at work fosters productivity, but before total collaboration is achieved, managers often have to ensure that the workplace is conducive enough for such relationships. As a leader, collaborating with others within the organization includes acknowledging that their opinions are valid and considering their input in company matters. Another very important aspect of a personal management philosophy that contributes to collaboration is effective communication because it is effective communication that allows for the formation of meaningful relationships between employees and their employers. Through leveraging collaboration as a key aspect of management philosophy, leaders allow those who work under them to feel special to the organization and the mandate of the organization, thereby improving productivity.

Furthermore, effective leaders ought to have high levels of emotional intelligence. Through their work, managers often have to deal with instances where they are wrong or others have wronged them. Emotional intelligence allows a manager to understand and control one's emotions as well as be empathetic and understanding of the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is an indicator of success in personal and professional life because it means that the leader is able to move past what they are feeling in the moment and focus on the important aspects of the business (Whetten and Cameron 49). Emotional intelligence reduces the probability of having burnout and stress-related illnesses and ensures productivity. Emotional intelligence is also an incredible tool in other areas of management, such as conflict resolution and collaboration, because it allows one to make decisions based on logic and not feelings. A manager who incorporates emotional intelligence into their personal management philosophy has a higher chance for success.

Ownership and accountability are important aspects of a leader’s personal management philosophy. At times, being a leader could potentially cloud one’s judgment, such that they perceive themselves as better than anyone else within the organization, and thus prevent them from acknowledging their shortcomings and mistakes. A healthy leader accepts responsibility for their mistakes (Whetten & Cameron). Taking accountability allows those who work beneath a leader to have a lot more commitment to work because they know that they are not made responsible for mistakes that they did not commit. It is important to note that taking accountability for one’s shortcomings and mistakes requires a great level of emotional intelligence. Ownership and accountability stretch beyond taking ownership for mistakes that leaders might have potentially made to making key decisions that could change the outlook of an organization because, as a leader, it is one's responsibility to make decisions that might change the organizational outlook (The Institute of leadership and management 4). As such, a leader who has ownership and accountability as part of their leadership philosophy stands out as one who has good values as an individual.

Unless one is influential, the ability to lead in a managerial role is absent. In other words, power becomes leadership if the people that a leader leads are able to follow and support what those in authority say (Whetten and Cameron 240). Being a manager, therefore, requires one to have basic influence and the capacity to inspire others to be devoted to and supportive of the company. Establishing a rapport, encouraging cooperation, and using persuasive communication strategies are all essential elements of successful influence. Effective managers can support organizational change and the accomplishment of group objectives by strategically using their power and influence. However, influential leaders are often met with resistance from those who work under them, making it impossible to accomplish institutional goals. It should be the mandate of every leader to be influential. However, at the same time, because personal management philosophies often invoke values, leaders should not cross the line between influence and manipulation.

A comprehensive personal management philosophy is a guide that modern leaders may use to appropriately and successfully negotiate the demands of a varied workplace. By incorporating the fundamental concepts of effective communication, conflict resolution, creative thinking, partnerships, emotional intelligence, ownership, accountability, and influence, managers may cultivate a work environment that values trust, cooperation, and innovation. Individuals who use a comprehensive approach to leadership are able to achieve organizational objectives as well as personal and professional advancement. An effective leader can participate in continuous self-reflection and learning to ensure alignment with the changing needs of an organization and personal convictions, as well as to enhance and perfect one's management philosophy. In the end, by fusing these concepts and skills, managers may motivate team members' commitment, quality, and organization. In a dynamic and ever-changing corporate environment, this aids the team in achieving its objectives and enhancing performance.