Tweet

Do Your Values Drive or Derail Leadership? Part 1

Guest post by: Kerri Salls

Article Overview: The world needs strong, competent leaders now more than ever before. Effective leaders are needed in big and small businesses, as well as in communities and civic organizations.

Do Your Values Drive or Derail Leadership? Part 1

The world needs strong, competent leaders now more than ever before. Effective leaders are needed in big and small businesses, as well as in communities and civic organizations. Leadership abilities are not inherited. Just like communication skills or sales skills, leadership skills are learned and honed through experience: facing challenges and learning from failures and successes.

If you consider present and past great leaders, they are alike in three areas. All effective leaders:

• provide clear direction through their vision, mission, values, goals, and plans.
• foster collaboration through team building, delegation, coaching, and a service leadership attitude.
• motivate achievement by providing feedback, support, and recognition and by resolving conflicts.

Values affect the decisions we make and the actions we take. If you want to be a successful leader, you need to know and understand the values you have and how to employ them as you lead a team toward achieving a goal.

Consider this a story:

The owner of a chain of office supply stores was approached by a local city official. The city official told the owner that if he wanted the city’s business, he should pay the official several thousand dollars. The official would then see to it that the chain handled all the city’s office supply purchases.

Indeed, it was a tempting offer and would probably result in tens of thousands of dollars of increased revenue annually for the owner’s company. With that extra income he could expand the business. But he rejected the offer. He knew it was dishonest and that wasn’t how his company did business.

The city official’s offer was contrary to the owner’s values and values of his company. Values are fundamental beliefs and ideas held by an individual or an organization. They are the set of beliefs upon which decisions are made and actions taken. Ambition, responsibility and courtesy are just a few other core values on which to base your actions and decisions.

Our values are developed through our parents, friends, school, work and community. They are enduring and slow to change. They shape who we are and the choices we make, even the work we do.

Related Articles
  The impact of thought leadership on your employees
  Developing Your Leadership Skills
  Thought leadership must tell a genuine story
  Top Ten Ways to Design Your Destiny
  The Role of Core Values in Business Strategy, Leadership and Success
  A New Measurement of Leadership Success
  Thought leadership is a culture not a tactic
  Your Brand of Leadership
  Discovering and Living by Your Core Values
  Five Undeniable Laws of Leadership
  Leadership in small to mid size companies: its important to do it consciously!
  INVENTORIES CAN BE MANAGE BUT PEOPLE SHOULD BE LEAD.
  Learn how leadership can change your life
  Be a Leader not a Seagul
  Learn how leadership affects your life and moves you closer to your goals
  Business Ethics and Values Do Not Have Expiration Dates
  Leadership Responsibility
  Are You Living Your True Self
  Its All About Values
  What Is The Meaning Of Leadership?

Article Tags: leadership, values



Related Forum Posts
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert
Re: Business Women Peer Mentoring Spotlight - Hi Everyone, Gosh, I REALLY appreciate your concrete feedback. This was far more than I expected and I'm glad you said what you thought straight out. Each of you have shared something of value and I want to take some more time to think and really go over what each of you have said. However, I can see there are some things I need to change right away. What an interesting point about a NEW program perhaps making people think they are guinea pigs! This is NOT what I want to convey! It's funny how we can see some things so clearly in others while not always seeing it for ourselves! I must admit there are a few things I've been meaning to change (like my bio which is very outdated). Obviously, these things need to be higher on my priority list. You caught me like the plumber who puts his clients first and doesn't get around to fixing his own tap! As far as my target market, I do feel quite strongly about working with Women Leaders and doing Leadership Coaching with them. It's non-negotiable in my books. In my Executive Coaching training, the terms "Leaders" and "Executives" are interchangable. To me, an Executive is a Leader and so is the Business Woman or Entrepreneur who is CEO of her own business. I love working with decision makers! What I did learn is that I need to avoid opening up the Leadership term beyond what I described above. I'm also wondering if there is a misunderstanding with the general public as to what Leadership Coaching really is. Leadership Coaching is all about developing your leadership skills, both as a people manager and in more effectively running and growing the business. There is ALWAYS room for growth in some way. As well, sometimes, we just need a sounding board to clarify what our next BEST step is. In fact, if a woman thinks she has nothing to work on, then we aren't a good Client/Coach fit anyway. How can she grow if she doesn't see the value of expressing ALL of the great ability within her? How can her company grow if she doesn't see the value of strategic planning for the next best level? Thanks again to you all! I will go back to my website and really question whether I am conveying the right message. I got more than I bargained for in this Spotlight... you generously offered way more than I was asking. I think we could be on to something great for the Forum. Now it's time to let someone else have the spotlight. It would be great if everyone took a turn! In gratitude, Tami
Patent information - I'm also interested in Part 2. Thanks.
Re: 3 Ways I Used Twitter To Grow My Business This Week - Hi Olivia, It seems you are working in the area of leadership area. Is Leadership = Learning? I am looking for some good books on strategy? Which one do you recommend? Thanks, Robert
Patent Process - Interesting to hear your experiences with the patent process - what's Part 2?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Smart & Simple Internet Techniques

B2B PR – Planning for Success

How To Calculate A Minimum Fee For Your Services

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.