This paper is a statement of your personal philosophy of educational leadership, which should focus on the purpose of leadership, which is why leadership is carried out and not so much how it is carried out. Your purpose of leadership is to emphasize the long-range impact you believe leadership should have on stakeholders and on the community—the outcome of leadership. As you convey your philosophy, you are to focus on its outcome rather than on methods and practices. Those are tools of carrying out your philosophy; therefore, a simple discussion of leadership strategies does not make up your philosophy of leadership.

As an academic paper, it is to be supported by the body of knowledge in the field, which is to include references to the literature from educational philosophy, psychology, curriculum, and learning theory. Treat this as a position statement, a persuasive paper. Make declarative statements of “ought” and “should.”