Purpose – The purpose of this paper, drawing on the authors' experiences in leadership positions, is to suggest the importance of having a written core leadership philosophy that transmits who you are loudly and clearly and permeates everything you do. It also aims to offer suggestions for consideration for the practitioner.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper summarizes the importance of having a core leadership philosophy, coupled with guidelines on development and refinement.

Findings – The insights provided through this manuscript should encourage individuals, particularly managers, to develop a core leadership philosophy.

Practical implications – Leadership is a quality highly coveted by individuals, groups and organizations. The philosophy that serves as a foundation for the actions of leaders is of paramount importance. This core philosophy, as the foundation, is examined in this article with guidelines provided to help practitioners develop a personal core leadership philosophy.

Originality/value – This article makes a unique contribution to the literature by providing an intentional process for developing a core leadership philosophy.

Core beliefs, Leadership, Philosophy