How Great Leaders Lead with Their Core Values

“Living into our values means that we do more than profess our values, we practice them. We walk our talk — we are clear about what we believe and hold important, and we take care that our intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with those beliefs.” Brene Brown?

Why do our core values matter as leaders???

“Because they are the principles and standards that guide your decisions and behaviour.” Source: https://thefocuscourse.com/brene-brown-on-values/

Good leaders demonstrate strong leadership skills, while great leaders consistently set the bar higher and demonstrate these vital leadership behaviours. Their core values are demonstrated through their actions and words. Their behaviours are their trademarks and legacy as great leaders.

Simply put, when we lean into our values, first by defining them and then living and breathing them, we make better decisions, build trust and inspire others to follow our example.

How can we identify our core values??

Here are a few tips to bring those core values to the surface:

• Reflect on your past experiences and how they’ve shaped you.?
• Think about past and recent decisions you’ve made. Ask yourself why you landed on those decisions.?
• Ask your loved ones to describe you and pay close attention to their words. Ask why these words stood out.?
• Identify the qualities you gravitate towards in others, and on the contrary, identify the qualities that leave you feeling agitated or triggered.
• Notice trends in what inspires and motivates you. What draws you in and speaks to who you are at your core??

Remember, when we live up to what matters to us most - our core values - we remain true to ourselves and show up as authentic, passionate and inspirational leaders.?

Be intentional with your core values. To get started, grab a piece of blank paper and list words that resonate with you. Need some inspiration? We found Brene Brown’s “Dare to Lead” values list a perfect place to start: https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/

What values will guide who you are and how you appear in your organizations??