The
foundations of our leadership are our values. It’s just that simple and, at the
same time, just that hard! Every day we read stories about leaders in business,
politics, education, and the faith-based world that established themselves as
trustworthy and credible. The problem becomes whenever they put themselves in
situations where the opposite is true. This always gets me thinking out
loud and asking why were their values so flexible?
I
think one of the reasons is that at some point, some people find their values
as a hindrance to get what they want. Values they stated that were so important
to their enterprise, campaign, corporate brand, etc. become a nuisance when it
interfered with higher profits, political advantage, personal gain, or just
their desire to win. This is what separates the leaders from the “posers”. I
know that sounds harsh but at some point you and I have to decide if we are truly
going to lead and live with integrity . . . . or not. The best barometer of
whether or not you are depends on, according to author Paul Lencioni, whether
or not you are willing to be “punished for your values”. In other words, are
you willing to deny yourself some advantage that you would otherwise gain OR be
held accountable for your actions as a
result of your values? Trust me, I have had both scenarios occur in my life
and it is not fun but it is necessary if I want to have any trace of credibility
with my clients, students, and (just as important) myself.
So
here are some questions to ask of both yourself and your organization.
- Are our stated values Permanent or just Convenient?
- Are our stated values Relevant to how we operate or just Relative?
- When times get tough are our values Expansive or just Expendable?
One of
my favorite workshops focuses on this very issue of Ethical Leadership so
please contact me if you would like more information. As always if I can help you and
the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your
contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring
initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical
in order to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
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