Have you ever seen a leader miss the mark? It can arouse strong reactions in the team or with clients. Perhaps most difficult is knowing when we ourselves have missed the mark. A common root cause is when our actions are out of alignment with core values.
In current Western/Northern cultures there is perhaps a crisis of values, where many sit in the comfortable position of critic without offering preferred alternatives. Yet deeply held values are crucial to an organisation’s success, because values motivate action (See research by Elster). Knowing, articulating and living by them requires purposeful work. Here are some ways to go about it:
- Seek input from competent leaders, researchers, theorists and teachers to clarify a set of core values. Particularly helpful are peer reviewed articles and books through respected publishing houses. If the organisation’s values are already well articulated, it is a matter of deepening our understanding.
- Evaluate. Spend 10 minutes at the end of each week checking on the extent to which we ‘walked the talk’. Start with feelings experienced during the week and memorable interactions, as these provide a window into key moments. Then evaluate what we did and what we failed to do.
- Seek reliable feedback at regular intervals. This helps us know the extent to which our organisational practices align with core values.
Leading by core values can be difficult, at times bringing us into disagreement with others. Yet if our values include respecting the inherent dignity of every person and being truthful, we have a good chance that those disagreements will become moments of growth.
18 July 2024