Values are what’s important to you; what drives you toward or away from what you seek; how you filter information; the foundation to your actions and behaviours – therefore the foundation to an organisation’s strategy and leadership practice.
Organisational values are what the organisation hold important to them in their vision and purpose and ultimately how they go about achieving their mission.
Valued-based leadership is a philosophy about how an organisation is driven to develop a culture and add value to the organisation’s customers, suppliers and stakeholders without any personal gain.
Your own individual values will have a level of influence on how you operate as a leader and individual within an organisation. Many leaders seek out organisation’s that align with their own values, beliefs and aspirations for how they want to add value to society and achieve their purpose.
An organisation will ultimately have a Vision, Values and Purpose supported by their strategic plan and operational actions, to deliver their services.
Without strong foundations like this, how can a structure hold?
For an organisation to achieve its vision, and purpose the values must be met, must be visible, must be in leadership and all practices, decision making throughout the organisation.
If values are not being met, an organisation can appear to be at odds with itself.
Within an organisation values-based leadership is developing a strong culture that leads an organisation to achieve their purpose, their mission through the values. It is not about the position you hold, but rather the relationships you develop, the processes you enact and your behaviour throughout
🔶 Values drive behave
🔶 Values drive actions
🔶 Values drive decision making
🔶 Values drive how you interpret and filter information
By understanding your organisation’s values, your own personal values and how they interact, as a leader you can:
✅ Make confident decisions that align with organisational operations and strategy
✅ Develop long-lasting relationships with colleagues and staff
✅ Develop and drive a workplace culture that supports the team and the organisation
✅ Build capability and capacity within yourself and your team
✅ Empower others to lead
✅ Build resilience within yourself and your team – have a home base to come back to when things are out-of-wack.
Values are at the base of everything that you do as an individual and for organisations. To understand your own values is key; to understand your organisation’s values is key; to understand the values of others, what they hold important to them and how that influences their behaviours is also key. A triangular approach to achieving strong foundations and understanding team dynamics to achieve performance.
So how do you get your team engaged with your organisation’s values to be on the same page, and how do you understand what drives them?
Check out tomorrow’s post for tips on valuing differences, and team values activities.
Support your leadership practice with activities that empower you through your values – Nourish Yourself to Success
