Leadership Starts with Values...YOUR Values

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The Center for Creative Leadership (Leadership Development Results That Matter | CCL | Learn More) published a short booklet in 2001 called “Setting Your Development Goals: Start with Your Values.” The authors, Bill Sternbergh and Sloan Weitzel, discuss the importance of setting value-based goals for your personal and professional growth.

Starting with our values is a great first step in thinking through our leadership journey. It centers and grounds us—in ourselves. This is important because before we can lead others, we must first lead ourselves. We must model the behavior we expect from our peers, subordinates, and colleagues.

The booklet includes a useful values exercise, which is something everyone should take. Google “values exercise” or “values leadership assessment” and you’ll find many ones that you can use. Once you are able to really identify your core values – which can be defined as those anchors or guides that inform our behavior at its most basic level – then you can intentionally use, develop, grow, and mature those behaviors in a way that is authentic and consistent.

The authors put it like this: “one aspect of effective leadership is the demonstration of your values in pursuit of something you believe in. When your leadership comes from the heart you present yourself with integrity and authenticity. People will follow your lead when they sense you are authentic and your integrity is real” (p. 9).

They also provide a five-area framework for you to consider your values:

  • Work/professional life
  • Self
  • Family
  • Faith/spiritual life
  • Community

Measuring yourself and reflecting on your values, goals, and aspirations in these give areas will be result in a much more holistic approach to the reflection. Remember, we bring our whole selves to work and all five are often present, even subtly, in our daily lives.

Finally, the booklet concludes with three questions that we should always be asking:

  • Are my goals the right goals? (i.e., have I committed myself in both mind AND heart?)
  • Is my goal statement specific? (i.e., can I actually work toward achieving it?)
  • Who is in my corner? (i.e., who is my support system I can count on to help me achieve it?)

Keeping these questions—and your values—at the forefront throughout your career development and leadership journey will be central to your ability to be properly equipped for the trip.

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