What are your values?

What truly matters to you in life? What drives your decisions, shapes your relationships, and defines your sense of fulfilment? In my coaching with leaders, I’ve found that getting clear on personal values is a game-changer—and that’s where the VALUES CHECKLIST comes in.

Why do values matter?

"Imagine two people working in the same role.

One feels deeply fulfilled; the other constantly struggles.

The difference? Alignment with personal values.

When we live by our values, we feel purpose-driven and energised.

When we ignore them, we experience frustration and stress."

Values are your heart’s deepest desires for how you want to behave as a human being. They describe how you want to treat yourself, others, and the world around you.

"Choosing values is like choosing your favourite ice cream flavour. There’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’—just what resonates with you. But unlike ice cream, values aren’t just about preference; they shape the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us."

Russ Harris

40 Common values - A checklist

Below, you will find a list with common values.

These are neither the correct values nor the best values.

They’re just to give you some ideas. If your values aren’t listed, there’s room at the bottom to add them.

This is not a list of “the right” values; there are no “right” or “wrong” ones.

1. Accepting:

open to, allowing of, or at peace with myself, others, life, my feelings, etc.

2. Adventurous:

willing to create or pursue novel, risky or exciting experiences

3. Assertive:

calmly, fairly and respectfully standing up for my rights and asking for what I want

4. Authentic:

being genuine, real, and true to myself

5. Caring/self-caring:

actively taking care of myself, others, the environment, etc.

6. Compassionate/self-compassionate:

responding kindly to myself or others in pain

7. Cooperative:

willing to assist and work with others

8. Courageous:

being brave or bold; persisting in the face of fear, threat, or risk

9. Creative:

being imaginative, inventive, or innovative

10. Curious:

being open-minded and interested; willing to explore and discover

11. Encouraging:

supporting, inspiring, and rewarding behaviour I approve of

12. Expressive:

conveying my thoughts and feelings through what I say and do

13. Focused:

focused on and engaged in what I am doing

14. Fair/just:

acting with fairness and justice — toward myself and others

15. Flexible:

willing and able to adjust and adapt to changing circumstances

16. Friendly:

warm, open, caring, and agreeable toward others

17. Forgiving:

letting go of resentments and grudges toward myself or others

18. Grateful:

being appreciative for what I have received

19. Helpful:

giving, helping, contributing, assisting, or sharing

20. Honest:

being honest, truthful, and sincere—with myself and others

21. Independent:

choosing for myself how I live and what I do

22. Industrious:

being diligent, hardworking, and dedicated

23. Kind:

being considerate, helpful, or caring — to myself or others

24. Loving:

showing love, affection, or great care — to myself or others

25. Mindful / Present:

fully present and engaging in whatever I’m doing

26. Open:

revealing myself, letting people know my thoughts and feelings

27. Orderly:

being neat and organised

28. Persistent/committed:

willing to continue, despite problems or difficulties

29. Playful:

being humorous, fun-loving, light-hearted

30. Protective:

looking after the safety and security of myself or others

31. Respectful/self-respectful:

treating myself or others with care and consideration

32. Responsible:

being trustworthy, reliable, and accountable for my actions

33. Skilful:

doing things well, utilising my knowledge, experience, and training

34. Supportive:

being helpful, encouraging, and available—to myself or others

35. Trustworthy:

being loyal, honest, faithful, sincere, responsible, and reliable

36. Trusting:

willing to believe in the honesty, sincerity, reliability, or competence of another

37 - 40. Other:

Values not mentioned above but which are essential to you

Invitation to do a Reflective Exercise

I now invite you to pick an area of life you want to enhance, improve or explore.

This could be work, relationships, health, or personal.

Then consider which values in the list above best complete this sentence:

In this area of my life, I want to be …

• If a value seems very important in this area of life, put a V by it.
• If it’s somewhat important, put an S.
• And if it’s not that important, put an N.
• Try to limit your top values to no more than 10 and your somewhat important to 15.

Once you’ve marked your values, ask yourself:

• Where in my life am I already living by these values?
• Where do I feel misaligned?
• What small change could bring me closer to living my values daily?

To facilitate the task, I created an Excel worksheet, which is available in English, German, French and Spanish.

Do you want a copy of the Excel worksheet? Drop a comment with three values that matter most to you - plus your preferred language - and I’ll send it your way!

Wishing you clarity, confidence, and joy in your journey of exploring and living your values!

Considering working with me? Here’s how I can support you:

?? 1:1 Leadership Coaching – Personalised support for managers and senior leaders to navigate challenges and grow with confidence.

?? Strategy Workshop Facilitation – Gain clarity and alignment with customized strategy sessions for your leadership team. Learn more: www.agility3.com/strategytools

?? Group Coaching for Team Leaders – A dynamic space for 3-4 team leaders to develop leadership skills, exchange insights, and tackle real-world challenges together.

?? Curious about which option fits you best? Let’s chat — just send me a message, and we can explore if we are a good fit.