Day 14: Do You Know What You Stand For? Values Can Help!

What are Values?   Values are simply things about your work and life that are intrinsically valuable or desirable to you.  They can be accessed most easily by asking yourself the question, “What do I want out of my work/life?” or, “Why do I work?” 

Values are at the core of our individuality and experiences. Who you are and how you treat others influences your ability to be an effective leader.

People will follow leaders they like, trust, respect, and value.

When reviewing your values, look for stories in your organization or community that you admire.  Do you currently exhibit the value traits that occur in these stories? If not, can you or should you do so?

Remember – Your leadership presence must be authentic!

Trying to imitate the behavior of others to win favor is not a sound long-term strategy.

Another word for values is integrity!

Integrity is defined as: maintaining high standards of honesty & ethics at all times

People with this competence:

•  Act ethically and are above reproach
•  Do what’s right, even if it’s not personally rewarding
•  Build trust through their reliability and authenticity
•  Admit their own mistakes and confront unethical actions in others
•  Maintain an authentic openness with others about their values, beliefs, feelings, and actions
•  Take tough and principled stands even if they are unpopular
•  Keep their word, commitments, and promises
•  Are honest and give truthful and accurate information
•  Treat all people fairly, no matter their place in the organization/community

People lacking this competency:

•  Haven’t sorted out their own opinions and feelings about what’s right and what’s wrong
• Do what is most expedient, rather than what is right
• Show little independence of thought – are easily influenced by others
• Tend to respond to the needs of the moment and don’t challenge the way things are done, even if they go against their established values

Development tips for Integrity:

• Know your values and the principles you feel most strongly about
• Write them down, and keep them in a visible place (calendar, desk)
• Write a paragraph or two, exploring whether your behavior is consistent with your values
• Ask yourself what you need to do differently to live more genuinely and be true to your values and beliefs
• Figure out ways you can tell your truth
• Review your values often

Dr. Laura Belsten and ISEI®

For many of us, staying true to our values when life is challenging and when things get a little easier can be difficult. Both of these scenarios are the prime time to easily stray from your core values. My signature program CALM Power™ takes a deep dive into values so when life is difficult, like during COVID-19 and other chaotic situations, we can calmly ask “what do we value”? “Are we aligned”? “How do we get back or stay aligned”? The answers to these questions are pretty simple when you know your values! If you’re interested in having a values clarification call, I am more than happy to partner with you!  Click the link here to contact me: https://thecoachingnest.ca/contact-shelley-cox/