Leadership is often a misunderstood concept. A leader is not the most charismatic person in the room. It is the person willing to take the initiative to work towards a group’s common goal. This drawing represents the journey to find my personal leadership philosophy, which began as an officer in the Canadian Forces, and continues into the profession of teaching. Recently, during 7 Habits of Highly Effective People training, I completed a personal mission statement. I decided to place this at the centre of my leadership philosophy. I believe that you have to have a firm grasp of who you are before you put yourself in a position to provide leadership to others.