You are who you are, regardless of your position in an organization. If you are the CEO or a customer service representative your actions/behavior stems from your core values. Your core values serve as the engineer to your life and leadership. It is the engineer of a car that causes the car to operate, and your behavior operates from your core values. There are three reasons why core values matter in leadership.
First, your core value serves as the foundation to your self-inner capital. It informs others of how you think, process, and act. The definition of self-inner capital is your internal personal values, which can be leveraged to achieve goals and navigate life challenges. How do you feel about yourself? If you feel good about yourself and respect yourself then you will respect others. As a leader your core values determine your authentic self and how you will treat those you lead. It will set the course for how you will lead.
Second, your core values guide your decisions. Your decisions will align with what you believe, thus your core values. Leaders that believe in soliciting feedback from their team when facing a major decision will actively listen to all sides of an augment. Your core values guide you when facing challenges and times when you are faced with a difficult decision. You cannot be guided any other way because you are who you are, which is your core value.
Thirdly, a leader’s style of leadership is shaped by their core values. “Core values provide a framework for leaders to navigate complex situations, ensuring their decisions align with their stated principles.” By leading through their core values, leaders cultivate a clear and consistent leadership style that reflects their core values. Thus, determining the success and effectiveness of the leader. For example, as a former college division I assistant women’s basketball coach I learned quickly that head coaches style of leadership was a derivative of their core values. Thus, it was displayed in how they treated their team, and coaching staff.
In closing, I recalled a former leader I reported to, she believed in transparency. When the time came layoffs were inevitable or the route that appeared to be the best option at the time. In the spirit of transparency as a core value she believed in, thus she spoke with our leadership team and provided a high-level truth and reasons for the changes. What I appreciated the most was her statement that “we will be impacting mothers, fathers, wives, and husbands so we must treat them with dignity and care.” You guessed it, care was another core value she lived. I offer you to consider what are your core values?
If you need assistance or support as a leader feel free to reach out to E3 Leadership Institute, (www.e3leadershipinstitute.com) we are here to serve you. Inspiring leaders to lead with purpose and passion!