My leadership values

This week participants of the leadership development pilot are asked to write a blog about their values. What are they? Why are they important? And what they’ve done when their values have been challenged?

This is a personal reflection exercise and I’m not ignorant to concerns about portraying oneself publicly. This week I’d like to lead by example and share my values on my blog, including where they’ve been challenged.  My main values are:

Integrity

Wikipedia defines integrity as  “the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions”. To me, integrity includes honesty but only when that honesty doesn’t conflict with my overall integrity. For example, if someone confides in me and asks that I keep it to myself I do just that, even when asked point blank.

Integrity also means standing up for what you believe in. If I don’t agree with something, or someone, I generally express my views. If I don’t it’s because I’m either being polite, shy or avoiding conflict. When I do avoid conflict, I see this as a weakness.

Transparency

I’d like to think that what you see is what you get with me.  For a while I did work at being less transparent. I still believe I need to be a bit more diplomatic about how and when I say things, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t express it.

Integrity and transparency go hand in hand for me. I have left a job because I felt they were being threatened. I felt I was expected to engage in personal gossip about employees that colored manager perceptions and influenced decisions. I actually stayed in the job a lot longer than I should have but it caused me much stress and anxiety.  

My leadership Brand

My values represent my leadership brand. These are the things that I want to be known for. I am trying to make my brand quite explicit but I am also opening myself up to criticism.

I don’t believe I embody those values wholeheartedly. There are many things I need to work on. I also need to achieve a balance between them. I hope to be transparent (there is that word again) about my weaknesses.

My values define the behavior and ethical boundaries that shape me as a leader. They also contribute to the achievement of my leadership purpose. They are the wheels on my car that help me go in the direction I want to go.

So what are your values? Why are they important? And, how do they shape you as a leader?