This document provides guidance for developing a leadership philosophy by distilling leadership experiences into simple maxims and rules to follow. Leaders are prompted to define maxims for the standards they hold their team to, where they are taking people, how they will foresee the future, and how they will drive action, and to describe a story behind each maxim.

1. Leading the Thinking
Your leadership philosophy should be about YOU. To write it well, you must distill your leadership
stories and experiences down to simple “maxims” which become rules of behavior you can follow.
Here’s what you need to define your “leading the thinking” maxim of your leadership philosophy.
What standards do you hold your team to?
My maxim is _____________________
The story behind this maxim is ____________________
Where are you taking your people?
My maxim is _____________________
The story behind this maxim is ____________________
How will you foresee the future?
My maxim is _____________________
The story behind this maxim is ____________________
After all that thinking, how will you drive action?
My maxim is _____________________
The story behind this maxim is ____________________