Core Leadership Assumptions

George Mason’s Campus-Wide Leadership Steering Committee formulated a set of leadership assumptions, core values, and competencies for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to consider in their own exploration and practice of leadership. For example, we believe you do not need to have a formal title to engage in a leadership process or to assume leadership responsibilities. Through self-reflection and reflective practice, we are confident that members of our campus community will make a difference through their leadership. We embrace a set of core leadership values and common competencies founded on the ideas that leadership is learned and that leadership development is a lifelong journey.

1. Leadership is contextual and is influenced by culture.
   The nature of leadership depends to a great extent on the situation. Therefore, leadership can take different forms in different places and at different times.  Cultural influences on leadership range from personal experiences with family, committees, or peer groups to broader influences such as nation of origin and religion. There is variation in the concept of leadership across world cultures resulting in a wide range of beliefs about what constitutes leaders and leadership.
2. Leadership competencies can be learned and developed.
   Although some individuals may appear to be born leaders, we each can learn and develop leadership skills.  We may express leadership differently, yet every person in the university community is capable of leadership development.
3. Leadership development is a lifelong process.
   Continuous learning and improvement are essential to the development of leadership knowledge and skills. Leadership development is a process, not merely a focus on products, tasks, or the current desired outcomes. Through various experiences in leadership, feedback from others, and self-reflection, we continue to fine-tune our conceptual and experiential understanding of leadership throughout our lifetime. 
4. Leadership does not require a formal position.
   Leadership is not a specific title, position, or role. Leadership can be practical and embodied in many ways within the lives of individuals and at the university.
5. Leadership is inclusive. 
   Effective leaders cultivate the participation and learning among all constituents. The aim of inclusive leadership at Mason is to encourage, expect, and expand the emergence of leadership thinking and practice across all contexts of the university. 
6. Leadership is ethical.
   Leadership includes ethical action, both in the process and outcomes. The consistent demonstration of honest and ethical decision making and behavior by leaders form the foundation of trust and credibility on which relationships are built and maintained.

Core Competencies  |  Core Values

*These leadership assumptions were adapted from Komives, S.R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T.R. in Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference (2007). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.