Article 20: Building Your House of Leadership
Every leader has a leadership philosophy, but not every leader can clearly communicate it. To be a Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL), you must consider your leadership philosophy. A way to achieve this is by creating a symbolic house encompassing your leadership style. The HOL was developed by Dr. J.R Flatter and removes the typical leadership philosophy with a visual aid in four steps. First, a leader must determine what their leadership foundation will be. Second, leaders create the four walls using characteristics and values. Third, leaders choose the components of their home consisting of the principles and beliefs. Finally, each house must have a roof, which should take them somewhere. You are leading in the dark unless you give intentional time to think about the leader you choose to be. Below are the seven steps I have developed using the acronym INSPIRE to help you craft your HOL:
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Identify Your Beliefs
The first step in crafting your HOL is understanding what your beliefs are. To accomplish this, you must reflect on the defining moments that shaped your life. Our beliefs are shaped by our environment, both past and present. Beliefs are powerful because they create two things. First is bias, which leads to inaction. The second is drive, resulting in action. To understand your HOL, reflect on moments in time that define you. What core values did you have, and are those values the same today? If those values have changed, why? After you've isolated memories and determined your core values, it's time to reflect on the principles you continuously emulate. Principles compose our moral and ethical compass, guiding our decisions daily. I like to call this your true north. Before you can start raising your house and building the frame, spend the time determining the material needed for the foundation. PALs understand the core values and principles that guide their decisions.
Narrate Your Passion & Purpose
The second step in building your HOL is clearly communicating your passion and purpose. Start off by finding your Christmas morning. Growing up and still today, I've always loved Christmas morning. It's not about the gifts. Instead, it's about the joy of bringing hope and cheer to others. It's about being selfless, not selfish, and spending time with those you love. To start building your HOL, vividly define your passion. What action brings you overwhelming joy every day when you wake up knowing you will be doing it? Once you've described your Christmas morning, discover your purpose or why. Why is your passion important to you, and what moments in time galvanized your resolve? Once you've narrated your passion and found your purpose, find a way to connect them. Leaders create power and momentum by combining their passion with purpose. PALs understand their Christmas morning and have joined their passion with purpose.
Select Your Foundation
The second step in building your HOL is clearly communicating your passion and purpose. Start off by finding your Christmas morning. Growing up and still today, I've always loved Christmas morning. It's not about the gifts. Instead, it's about the joy of bringing hope and cheer to others. It's about being selfless, not selfish, and spending time with those you love. To start building your HOL, vividly define your passion. What action brings you overwhelming joy every day when you wake up knowing you will be doing it? Once you've described your Christmas morning, discover your purpose or why. Why is your passion important to you, and what moments in time galvanized your resolve? Once you've narrated your passion and found your purpose, find a way to connect them. Leaders create power and momentum by combining their passion with purpose. PALs understand their Christmas morning and have joined their passion with purpose.
Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
-Matthew 7:25
Place Your Walls
As you select your core values and raise your walls, ensure you use these guidelines. First, your walls must be forward-looking. Our past shapes our present and molds our beliefs, but you must be focused on the journey ahead. Second, allow the light to flow throughout your HOL. When leaders can lead with windows, they allow transparency within their leadership philosophy, vital to building trust and earning respect. Third, capture the core values that guide your actions. We all have non-negotiable values. However, it takes time and self-reflection to discover these. A way to start is to search your organization's values. Do they resonate with yours? Finally, discover your priorities in life. There are specific areas in our lives that ignite a burning desire. Make sure you're balancing those areas in your HOL. PALs raise their walls to allow light flow and provide a clear vision of the future.
Insulate Your Framing
The fifth step to crafting your HOL is to include the components or principles that define you. What characteristics and daily behavior do you practice and have practiced? Your principles must mutually support the walls and foundation you've already determined. Start by understanding your strengths. We all have unique traits and abilities that allow us to thrive. The hard part is discovering those strengths, but there are ways to help. For example, you can take a strength assessment, gain peer feedback, do deep self-reflection, or get a coach. However you define your strengths, ensure they're authentic. Avoid using buzzwords unless they're genuine and you live them. The most essential part of selecting your principles is aligning your words and deeds. PALs insulate their HOL with authentic principles aligned with their actions and words.
Raise The Roof
The sixth step in building your HOL is fitting the roof. Think of the roof as an umbrella for your leadership style. The roof must align with your head, heart, and hands and balance each part of your house of leadership. First, to involve your head, the roof must inspire you to see what is possible when each element works in equilibrium. Second, your roof must engage the heart. If you are not emotionally connected to the journey, you're leaving room for self-doubt and fear to erode your foundation. Third, list your hands. Leadership is chaotic and messy. You will never achieve extraordinary results in your chosen profession unless you actively participate in the process. PALs select their roof enthusiastically because they understand their journey and where they want to go.
Leadership is chaotic, but how we lead ourselves and others does not have to be. Understand where you want to go and aim small!
Establish Your Strength Statement
The seventh and final step in your HOL is completing your strength statement. I like to visualize this as the landscape. The strength statement is an affirmation that acts like a battery and supercharges your home by providing clarity. First, start by reflecting on the teachable moments in your life. What experience shaped you, and how are you grateful for the opportunity? Second, your strength statement must center you in challenging moments. When your HOL is tested, your strength statement takes you back to important life lessons while simultaneously looking forward to the possibilities. Once you've discovered your strength statement, share your HOL with others. The most important part is sharing your HOL with those in your inner circle. When you review this with them, it must spark a deep connection. If you get goosebumps when briefing this to your peers and individuals you know, like, and trust, you've nailed it! PALs select the statement so powerful that, when spoken, it demands a response.
Final Thoughts
Leaders inspire others to push beyond possibilities and reach new heights. To help others achieve their potential, you must clearly define the leader you choose to be. Each person will build a different HOL. There is no correct answer because we are all unique. Your responses will be discovered by reflecting on your past and dreaming forward. Start by setting a firm foundation. Finding your location to build is the hardest part of creating your leadership philosophy. Once you discover that, your house will come together. After your HOL is complete, remember to share it with others and see if your words align with your deeds. I've crafted several versions of my HOL and expect it will evolve as I progress on my leadership bridge. Leadership is a journey; we must remain curious, coachable, and committed. PALs understand their HOL will change over time because they are committed to growth.
After Action Review
Describe your ideal location to build your HOL.
What values from your work resonate with you?
What leader do you want to become, and how do you want to be remembered?
My Mission: I will end toxic leadership practices by equipping leaders with transformational leadership skills.
Together, we will impact 1 MILLION lives!!!
Every day is a gift, don't waste yours!
Joshua K. McMillion | Founder MLC | Founder MLC
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