English

Values are defining beliefs we have about what is important to us. They are core principles you live by and a standard for behaviour. Values are central to our identity which is why awareness of your values helps us make choices that are aligned with what we deeply desire. Understanding your own values can be truly transformative for your leadership and even your life in general and in this session, I'll help you find yours!

Find Your Core Values

Hello and welcome. Today we are going to discover your core values, or if you already know what they are, we are going to put them to the test and possibly refine them. Why do core values matter? So I teach intentional leadership, which is how I define to lead yourself and others with presence and purpose. And that requires for you to lead in alignment with your values. Therefore, the first step is really knowing what your values are. Because your intentional leadership looks different from mine or the next person's because intentionality really truly means to align your actions with your values. And because the value is different from person to person, and they can even change a little bit from lifespan to lifespan. That also means your intentional leadership looks a bit different. I'm sure that you know too that what was important to you in your 20s or your teens even may not be the same as what matters to you in your 30s or 40s. But your deep underlying values don't change as much as your preferences or priorities do. They are actually fairly constant. So understanding your own values can be really transformative for you as a leader, but even just in life in general. So before we go into the exercise, what exactly are core values and why do they matter? So values are defining beliefs we have about what is important to us. So they are core principles that you live by, consciously or not, and a standard for your own behavior or behavior you accept or judge in others. Values are very central to our identity. And that's why awareness of your values can help you make choices that are aligned with what you deeply desire. When our actions align with our values, we are content. When they are not, we get that this doesn't feel right feeling. And sometimes we can, you know, put that into words and sometimes you can't. So intentional leadership is ultimately born out of values. Reactive leadership, on the other hand, is making decisions out of habit, out of pressures, out of fear, without connecting to values or goals. Therefore, on the other side is intentional leadership, which is making thoughtful, purposeful decisions rooted in core values and your long-term vision. Really, you can't be an intentional leader without leading from your own values. That's why the first step is to know what your core values are. And because your core values are uniquely yours, I can't teach you much about them. So in this session, instead, we are going to aim to uncover yours if you're not keenly aware of what your values are already. And if you are clear on what your values are, I invite you to still be curious during this session and see if they solidify or perhaps change because sometimes we may think something is a value, but if we're truly honest, maybe not. So start by getting comfortable and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths in and just feel yourself arrive in the here and now. Now, before we go into values, we're going to do a little visualization. So bring to mind a time where you feel like you led with clarity and intention, perhaps a moment, pivot a moment in a relationship with a superior or a time when a team member just really got it and you felt a certain fulfillment or pride and a positive connection. It might have even been a challenging situation that ended positively. So really try to envision the situation. What happened? How did you feel? What did you say? What do you hear someone else say? Just really deeply think about the situation. Chances are in that situation, you were living your values or you heard them expressed. What values were expressed in those moments? Can you pinpoint anything? And now think of a time where you were upset or irritated at work in a leadership position. What was the situation? How did it make you feel? Chances are that something happened here that did not align with your values or you weren't living them. Now, keep your eyes closed. I'm going to list a number of core values and I'd like you to just listen. And just so you know, no one value is better than another. Some are just more you than others. Okay? Integrity. Honesty. Respect. Belonging. Candor. Accountability. Compassion. Courage. Competition. Growth. Impact. Excellence. Innovation. Collaboration. Responsibility. Diversity. Authenticity. Perseverance. Empathy. Kindness. Transparency. Gratitude. Creativity. Service. Justice. Justice. Humility. Sustainability. Spirituality. Family. Now, if you have my workbook, I invite you to open your copy now and you'll see that there are three sections in your journal. What I'll do next, I'll go over these same 30 values once more a little slower. And for each, I'd like you to write the value into one of three sections. If you do not have my workbook, that's okay. Get a piece of paper and create three columns labeled yes, maybe, and no. And as I name each of the values, write them into the appropriate column depending on how much the value I mentioned resonates with you. And make sure you're truly honest with yourself. No one else needs to ever see this list if you don't want to. It's not about who you wish you were, but who you truly, deeply are. All right, here's the list once more a little slower. Integrity. Honesty. Respect. Belonging. Candor. Accountability. Compassion. Courage. Competition. Growth. Impact. Excellence. Innovation. Collaboration. Responsibility. Diversity. Authenticity. Perseverance. Empathy. Balance. Kindness. Transparency. Gratitude. Creativity. Service. Justice. Humility. Sustainability. Spirituality. And family. Now, for the time being, ignore whatever you've written in the maybe and the no sections and just focus on what's in the first section, on what resonated. If you've written down a lot of values, see if some of them are similar and could be grouped. For example, you might combine honesty and candor into speaking the truth or similar. It doesn't just have to be one word either. And as you workshop these a little bit, two questions you can ask yourself. One, if no one else ever saw this list, would I add or remove anything? And two, if someone who knows me very well reads this list, would they agree with what I wrote in? I invite you to workshop these a bit more after we finish this session. And when you've written your list of values for like about four or six values, see if they feel right. And you might want to feel if something that matters to you deeply is missing, and if so, write that down. And just go over these a couple of times in the next couple of days and think about if they sit right and if they feel right. And of course, you can also redo this exercise. I hope you enjoyed it and found it valuable. Bye for now.