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Every business decision reflects a value system, even if it’s not named outright. When sales drop, do you cut costs or beef up your sales team once you’ve confirmed your sales strategy still works? That choice reveals where you put your weight, i.e., what you prioritize when resources are constrained but the company still has room to maneuver.
For me, the answer is to invest in the right people. However, some organizations make the choice of never calling out which approach is driving their decision-making.
Instead of making a strategic choice, these companies operate from unnamed assumptions. This leaves their leaders in a precarious situation. When a crisis hits, some choose security while others choose growth, creating confusion and conflict. That is a value killer.
It’s people who create value, however you define it — be it profit, revenue, standards or culture — and the leader’s job is to give them the clarity they need to align their roles with organizational goals. So here is how to bring those values to the surface to create space for principled decisions, even when the right path isn’t easy or perfect.
Decision-making can be a good gauge of how well an organization is aligning its priorities. The bigger the company, the higher the cost of people pulling in different directions. McKinsey found that fewer than half of the 1,200 global business leaders it surveyed described their decisions as timely, and many of their decision-making processes were ineffective.
Decision paralysis does not afflict companies because they lack data like sales, profit and headcount, but because they haven’t named their values or aligned their value within the company as part of their culture. When priorities aren’t explicit, people judge each other’s actions through their own value lens. Then they get frustrated when the other party is doing it differently.
There are exceptions. When survival is at stake due to looming bankruptcy or market crashes, the scope of decision-making narrows and cost-cutting becomes unavoidable. However, in most downturns, I have to align the whole team on what we should do. It’s then that I prioritize people over short-term profit concerns, not because I ignore financial results, but because empowered people build sustainable businesses over time.
When values clash
The tension between people and profit isn’t theoretical — it’s a lived reality on a daily basis. Corporate culture is basically an aligned value system that needs to be called out so everyone follows it to maximize effectiveness.
We need to see value systems not as obstacles, but as guiding forces. They help reveal what matters most when trade-offs feel murky. Think about these clashes of values, which companies of different sizes may face without clear priorities:
Speed vs. quality: Do you ship fast or perfect the product before going to market?
Innovation vs. efficiency: Explore new markets or optimize current operations?
Customer satisfaction vs. margins: Absorb costs to build reputation or protect profitability of the current quarter?
Centralization vs. autonomy: Head-office control or local decision-making?
Confronted with these kinds of tensions, I don’t aim to impose my values, but I also don’t believe avoiding the conversation serves anyone. Instead of choosing between competing values, the goal is to agree on the structure for how we balance them or prioritize one over the other under what conditions. Forget neutrality. Prioritizing and balancing values is not a 50-50 proposition. Instead, we first have to lean into conflict to create clarity.
The best approach to get everyone on the same page is practical, although perhaps sometimes uncomfortable. If I am on the management team and there’s disagreement between whether to cut costs or invest in more people, let that argument surface at the table so everyone can discuss it from their own perspective.
Cost-cutting is not necessarily anti-people. And investing in people is definitely not anti-profit for the long run. But it may feel the wrong way when decisions aren’t grounded in a shared value framework.
The safety versus speed crisis over at OpenAI showed how misaligned values can play out if leaders are divided. The board operated from OpenAI’s original nonprofit mission that put safety first, while CEO Sam Altman valued speed to market. When Altman was briefly fired in 2023, the chaos that followed — employee revolt and investor panic — put the organization at existential risk.
The resolution came only when OpenAI built a frame that let them hold both safety and innovation together. To avoid value killers like OpenAI’s one-time crisis, values need to be named explicitly. If there’s conflict over assumed values, this is your opportunity to build structures that hold them in balance.
The lesson from OpenAI was that every growing organization faces moments when values seem to clash. In mission-driven companies especially, scaling brings tension between staying true to purpose and chasing market opportunities. Rather than avoiding that tension, it must be confronted.
This isn’t about moral superiority or choosing sides in some philosophical debate. The organizations that thrive are the ones that make their priorities explicit and have the agility to balance them when they appear to conflict. That’s what putting people first actually means: giving your team the clarity they need to navigate complex choices and create lasting value together.
Every business decision reflects a value system, even if it’s not named outright. When sales drop, do you cut costs or beef up your sales team once you’ve confirmed your sales strategy still works? That choice reveals where you put your weight, i.e., what you prioritize when resources are constrained but the company still has room to maneuver.
For me, the answer is to invest in the right people. However, some organizations make the choice of never calling out which approach is driving their decision-making.
Instead of making a strategic choice, these companies operate from unnamed assumptions. This leaves their leaders in a precarious situation. When a crisis hits, some choose security while others choose growth, creating confusion and conflict. That is a value killer.
As adults, many of the personal core values we live by are often a direct result of those instilled upon us by our parents and what they believed to be important.
The values our parents taught us as children are called family core values, and whether we realized it or not at the time, they were playing a part in influencing the person we’d grow up to be.
Typically starting in the teenage years, kids start to question their parents. In fact, they may choose to disagree with or ignore some of the family core values they are trying to impart upon them.
Younger children, however, are not often capable of making that distinction or exercising free will… so what their parents teach them is often considered law.
House rules, if you will.
Differences aside, values are the glue that holds a family and society together… and often serve as a moral compass when it comes to decision making, emotional ties and our behavior.
Now that you are the parent, you have the massive responsibility of establishing family core values for your kids. This means that you are tasked with not only leading by example, but teaching them how to think for themselves and behave appropriately in all kinds of social settings.
So how do you go about establishing and defining these values?
In this article, I will outline a 5 step process to get the ball rolling. I’m convinced you won’t find it terribly complicated, but it will be helpful nonetheless.
Step #1: Sit Down With Your Partner And A Notebook
When you were contemplating marriage, your partner’s core values obviously played a huge part in the decision.
After all, if you didn’t share similar beliefs, passions or goals… it’s unlikely you would have gotten as far as you did in the relationship.
On our first date, my husband and I discussed many of these things… and while that may seem “heavy” or unusual, we were already in our thirties and both knew we were ready to find someone to settle down and have children with.
We weren’t there to play games… dating was for mating.
And once our first child came along, another conversation needed to happen regarding our family core values.
So, if you haven’t done so already, you need to grab a notebook and sit down with your partner to discuss the kind of children you want to raise.
You also need to take a good look at yourselves and see what it is you could possibly do better… or something you may want to change about your own lives.
Your children will emulate your actions.
For instance, if you work long hours and miss out on a lot of things, you might want to find a way to carve out more family time.
Family Core Value Goal: Togetherness
As another example, if you have a tendency to spend money on extravagant things… perhaps you want to incorporate some volunteering or charitable donations into your family core values. (Check out this list of great songs about family love.)
Family Core Value Goal: Selflessness
You and your spouse promised to be there in good times and bad… for better or worse. You are best friends, which means you should be able to be honest with one another when it comes to making changes for the better.
Step #2: Ask Each Family Member to Identify Their Strengths and Weaknesses
At the dinner table one night, propose a small challenge to your kids. You can even call it a family homework assignment.
Give them a few days, or even a week, to come up with a list of their personal strengths and weaknesses. Let them know it will be discussed later.
If you have younger children (under age 6 or so), you may need to help them out with this. It can be done by simply asking them some questions. Things like:
What is your favorite game or sport to play?
What is your favorite subject in school?
How many friends do you have?
What do you like most about yourself?
What makes you angry?
Are you scared of anything?
Questions like these may seem vague, but you can learn a lot by their answers. For instance, if your child is scared of the dark, maybe a family core value could incorporate Courage?
If the thing they like most about themselves is the way they sing, perhaps your family core value list could include Creativity?
Asking your child a few simple questions is a great way to get the ball rolling when trying to put together a list of values.
Step #3: Call A Family Meeting, Vote On What’s Most Important
Now that you’ve made your wish list of family core values with your partner, and your kids made their lists of personal pros and cons, it’s time to call a family meeting.
If you don’t already do this on a regular basis, it’s possibly something you could work into the core values chart.
Family Core Value Goal: Open and Honest Communication
Family meetings can be as casual or formal as you’d like. Some families I know prefer to have a speaking “object” that gets passed around so that each person gets a turn to say what’s on their mind and share their feelings. The person holding the item can’t be interrupted until they open the floor for questions and comments.
Other families prefer to work family meetings into a game or movie night. Where they talk a bit about what’s going on before the fun starts. The fun is a good way to put anything heavy off to the side and not let it ruin the evening.
You always want to end your day on a positive note.
During the meeting, let everyone share their feelings and keep a running list of the family core values that could arise from what was said.
Using the ones I’ve mentioned above, the list would include:
Togetherness
Selflessness
Courage
Creativity
Honesty
Open Communication
Once your list is compiled, have everyone vote for the ones they want to incorporate.
Keep in mind, there is no limit to how many values you select… but you don’t want it to seem overwhelming either.
You want and need to be able to adhere to your family core values, so it is okay to be selective when it comes to what is most important to you moving forward.
Sometimes less is more.
Step #4: Create And Sign a Family Core Values Creed to Display
Now that you’ve decided on your family core values, the next step is to get on the computer and create a creed.
You can use graphics, fancy fonts… whatever floats your boat.
The creed can read something like this:
“We, the members of the Jones Family, hereby solemnly swear to do our best to live by the family core values established here on this 19th day of June, 2021.
These include:
Humility
Respect
Commitment
Stability
Persistence
Appreciation
Fitness
We promise to help each other grow and support one another in all life’s endeavors.”
Then have everyone sign the creed.
Even if your kids are too young to write their own names, you can get creative and use ink to make a fingerprint instead.
Once finished, find a nice frame or have a canvas print made, and prominently display the creed in your house as a constant reminder of your commitment to your family core values.
Step #5: Come Up With An Actionable Plan to Execute Your Family Core Values
Now that you’ve established your family core values, it’s time to come up with a plan of action to make things happen.
Believe it or not, this is the tricky part.
Why?
Because it is in our nature to be gung-ho about something new… and then peter out as time goes by and the allure wears off.
Think about it.
It is the same reason why so many people have New Year’s resolutions they ultimately abandon.
Sure, the gyms are packed in January… maybe even February or March. But come Springtime, when the weather gets nicer and the biergartens open, those eager beavers start to veer off course.
After you have established your family core values, create a plan of action to make things happen.
And before long, they are in bathing suit panic mode and regretting their choices over the last few months.
Being able to stick with your family core values should be treated no differently.
It starts with a plan of action… a course you can follow for the long haul.
And that begins with acknowledging your support system.
Your family is your greatest asset when it comes to keeping your family core values intact. If one person sees someone start to stray, remind them of the creed.
Help them get back on track.
Next, remind each other of the big picture… the reason the values were adopted in the first place.
Not only do you want to be the best version of yourself today, but you want to succeed in the world tomorrow… and instill these values on others.
Finally, check in with one another regularly to make sure you’re staying on track. If anybody is suffering with certain values, talk with them or call a family meeting.
It’s in your best interest to stay involved when it comes to reaching and maintaining the family’s goals.
Final Thoughts on How to Find and Define Your Family Core Values
As promised at the beginning of this article, I have outlined 5 seemingly uncomplicated steps to help you establish your family core values.
It isn’t rocket science.
It’s simply taking the time to figure out what is most important to you… and deciding what kind of life you want for your children in the future.
If asked, most parents would say they want their children to grow up to be happy and healthy. Some will say they wish them great success and financial stability.
Whatever personal dreams you have for your kids, know this: it starts at home.
If you lay down a solid foundation of family core values for your children early on, you are giving them all of the tools they need to achieve the future they desire.
Nicole Krause has been writing both personally and professionally for over 20 years. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Film Studies. Her work has appeared in some of the country’s top publications, major news outlets, online publications, and blogs. As a happily married (and extremely busy) mother of four… her articles primarily focus on parenting, marriage, family, finance, organization, and product reviews.
In a world that rewards short-term thinking and instant gratification, staying true to a long-term mission is becoming increasingly rare. In this personal reflection, I share the challenges and rewards of dedicating 15 years to The Emotion Machine, and why fighting the temptation of rapid success is key to building something truly meaningful and lasting.
When I first started this website in 2009, I told myself it was a lifelong project that I could continue to build on until the day I died. Fifteen years later, I still stubbornly hold onto this belief, but I underestimated the difficulty of this commitment.
Our current society does not reward long-term thinking. We are taught to live in the moment, take what is right in front of you, and indulge in what is comfortable and convenient; not in what is meaningful, but hard.
This short-term attitude has taken over all of our society from business to politics to relationships.
It’s rare to see someone think on a long timeline, especially 10, 20, 50, or 100 years into the future. In many ways, our brains aren’t wired to think on this scale; but we’re capable of doing it, and developing real foresight and concern about the future is a necessary ingredient to almost all human greatness.
But who is really thinking about the future today?
Companies focus on their daily stock prices and quarterly earnings, politicians focus on their election seasons, new relationships are just one swipe away on a dating app, and modern work has become increasingly focused on gigs and temporary contracts.
Today, it’s rare to see anyone committed to anything for over 10 years, whether it’s a career, a relationship, a creative hobby, or a personal goal.
It’s not completely our faults. Our current world incentives this short-term thinking by promoting hedonism (“give pleasure now”), materialism (“money is the most important thing”), and nihilism (“nothing really matters because eventually I’ll die.”)
All of these beliefs and attitudes come together to create an epidemic of shortsightedness and selfishness, which ultimately lead to a lack of real meaning and purpose. This is not just an individual problem, but a systemic problem that permeates our society and institutions on almost every level.
Where are the long-term visions?
Our society lacks long-term vision and it manifests itself in countless ways. One example I know from firsthand experience is short-term thinking within the online creator “self help” spaces.
As someone who has been writing and sharing content for over a decade, I’ve seen thousands of other websites, blogs, and social media accounts come and go. Many of them get really hyped up on some version of “become your own boss” or “I’m going to be an influencer”-type mindset, and then give up after a couple months of disappointment.
One fundamental problem is they weren’t ever emotionally invested in what they were building. Their work wasn’t driven by a long-term vision or deep-seated convictions, they were solely interested in what they perceived as an easy and convenient way to get popular or make money.
Once again, materialism shows its weakness. Money can be a bad motivator – even a destructive one – when it clashes with certain goals that require you to think beyond a mere trader mindset to achieve. If you are only motivated by money, then you are at the whims of money. If you are motivated by something deeper, then it takes more than money (or lack of) to stop you.
This same attitude reveals itself within a lot of startup and tech companies. Many of today’s entrepreneurs start new companies or new projects just so they can sell it to a bigger corporation in a couple years. They don’t build things from cradle-to-grave anymore. They don’t care about creative ownership of their projects, or what happens to what they’ve built when it reaches the marketplace, they just see these projects as vehicles for quick bucks and rapid exits.
Fighting the allure of rapid and cheap success
Over the years I’ve had many opportunities to abandon the mission of this website for quick personal gain, but I chose not to.
I’ve rejected numerous money-making opportunities because I felt they jeopardized the integrity of the website, from paid sponsorships, to SEO backlinks, to advertisements, to having tempting offers to buy the website outright.
In theory, I could sell this website overnight and it would be a massive financial relief to me, especially as costs of living increase and more people experience economic hardship and debt-based living.
These are difficult temptations I wrestle with. This world incentives short-term thinking and immediate rewards. I have to remind myself on a daily basis what my core values are.
I imagine my life if I sold this website. Sure, it takes care of financial problems and it gives me more free time. I definitely have other goals and passions that I could put more energy into like music or screenwriting, but it’s also walking away from fifteen years of blood, sweat, and tears. That’s an emotional investment that is hard to rebuild with anything.
Most importantly, there’s more work to do. I still have hundreds of ideas and drafts for future articles that I need to write and publish. There’s still more to say – and I feel like I’d be doing a disservice to the world if I didn’t say it.
I look around the self help space today and believe my work still adds something special and valuable.
Building an evergreen website
Fifteen years isn’t that long compared to the timescale I’m thinking on.
All of the content on this site is designed to be evergreen, so someone can read an article a hundred years into the future and still take something valuable from it. In contrast, the majority of content on the internet that is focused on news, pop culture, or current events is barely relevant after a week.
From an intergenerational perspective, The Emotion Machine could be a website that exists long after my death if I can find someone to pass it down to as a successor at some point. I would love for it to be an ongoing project. Our tagline is “Self Improvement in the 21st Century” so I’m at least thinking on a one hundred year scale. I’ll have to remember to update that in 2100.
To be completely honest, I’m proud of the work accomplished here so far, even when I feel it isn’t fully appreciated. This site has a vast library of articles, quizzes, and worksheets, and while I find that most people (including monthly members) don’t fully take advantage of these resources, I know they stand on their own as evergreen education for whomever is willing to learn.
A lifetime commitment
This article is a declaration to myself more than anything. It’s been a tough year so far and I needed to remind myself what really matters to me and why I invest my energy in the things I do. People like you also help keep me going, especially those that join and support this work. Thank you.
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Our core values influence how we live our lives.
When we know our core values, making decisions becomes easier. We are also less likely to be swayed by other people’s opinions.
Everyone has their own set of personal core values. Whether you’re aware of them or not, your personal values shape your relationships, determine your choice of city to live in, and even come into play when you are looking for a place to eat.
Going against your core values leads to frustration, often resulting in destructive behavior. Thus, it is essential to know your core values so you can effectively handle various situations in your life and find peace within yourself.
Worksheets, quizzes, and other self-discovery tools for identifying core values can help determine what is most important to you.
Today, we’re sharing our collection of core values worksheets. Hopefully they can help you live life in accordance with what you truly believe.
1. 32 Find Your Passion and Skills Printable Worksheets
This Find Your Passion Worksheets bundle is perfect for those ready to turn their dreams into actionable goals, with thoughtfully designed worksheets to help you gain clarity and direction in your life.
This all-in set includes a vision board, a passion discovery planner with reflection questions, worksheets for values clarification, goal setting, and skills assessment, along with a journal with daily writing prompts.
This bundle is your ultimate guide to finding and pursuing your true calling.
Ready to discover your personal core values? We created this template to help you pinpoint what values are the most important in order to you to guide you create a more meaning life.
The first step in using this template is to choose 30 core values from a list of 100 of the most common values. We’ve provided space for you to list these 30 core values.
Out of those 30, you then choose the 10 values that you feel are most aligned with who you are. Finally, from your list of 10 values, you choose the five that resonate most with you.
Congratulations, you’ve uncovered the core values that will serve to guide you in everything you do moving forward.
Knowing our core values can help us live authentically and propel us to greater success and lasting happiness.
If you’re looking for a guide or a tool for determining your core values, this core values worksheet from BestSelf provides clarity, as well as points you to the direction of your destiny.
Compared with other worksheets currently available, this item stands out for its elegant design, conciseness, and ease of use.
The worksheet is designed for use together with BestSelf’s Core Values Deck. Once you’ve chosen 3 core values to work with, the worksheet provides a couple of questions to serve as a prompt in discovering the importance of those 3 core values and how you can apply them in your daily life.
You can purchase this worksheet for a minimal amount. It’s available as a digital download so you can immediately start charting the top 3 core values that will guide you in different aspects of your life.
Identifying these values can make it easier to create your personal value or mission statement.
5. Understand Your Values
If you’re not aware of what your core values are, there’s a good chance that you’re working against them.
As we mentioned earlier, this “unknowing” negatively impacts your life.
This worksheet helps you determine if you’re working with or against your core values. It uses the terms “above the line” for working in sync with a core value and “below the line” for working against it.
First, you need to identify what your core values are. Then, using the worksheet above, you need to determine how you use these values in an “above the line” way.
This worksheet also prompts you to identify scenarios where you could be using the core value in a way that negatively impacts you or others.
Finally, it has a column for your answer or proposal on how you can use your core value in a more “above the line” way.
6. Digging Deeper
Worksheets like this one are often used by companies to help their employees determine their core values by exploring different sources of influence.
For example, you are asked to name a person you admire and to list down the core values you think they hold.
Moreover, the worksheet encourages you to specify actionable steps that show how your core values can help overcome challenges that you might encounter.
7. Align Your Truth With Your Actions
It takes a different level of bravery to live an authentic life—a life in keeping with the things you truly believe in. This worksheet provides space for you to explore and determine what those values are.
The leftmost column has space for writing down the personal values that are important to you. There are enough blank boxes to list up to nine core values.
Meanwhile, the middle column is assigned to “actions aligned with values.” It prompts you to create specific action plans on how to live according to your core values.
Lastly, the rightmost column has space reserved for writing down practical situations where your chosen values can be demonstrated or applied.
8. Identify Your Core Values
This worksheet helps you identify the values that are of utmost importance to you through severalwriting prompts.
Meditate on the following in order to come up with the values that will make up your personal core values:
Top three accomplishments.
Three most meaningful experiences.
What is important in your life?
The worksheet comes with a beautiful quote from J. Loren Norris about the purpose of core values:
“Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life seems to leave you wandering in circles; when you encounter that moment when every decision is a tough one and no choice seems to clearly be the better choice.”
9. Live Your Values Worksheet
Knowing your core values make it easier to set personal boundaries. It gives you the freedom to be a person who lives according to his or her own truth.
The worksheet above helps you identify the values that bring you closer to who you truly are. It provides a space to brainstorm ways in which to live out the values you’ve chosen.
10. Ask Why
Defining your life’s purpose brings clarity, motivates you, keeps you focused, and helps you live longer. Uncovering this purpose begins with asking the question, “Why?”
This worksheet helps you uncover your core values by prompting you to ask why they are important to you. You’re supposed to answer multiple times until you reach a point where your answer cannot be distilled down any further.
Then you’ve found your why.
11. Values Clarification
Some people find it a bit of a challenge to determine their true personal core values. This worksheet may be able to help you discover what is truly important to you.
Here, you’ll find a list of the most common values that are important to people.
In order to determine the ones that are most important to you, you’re encouraged to choose 10 values from the list, ranking them from 1–10 (with 1 being the most important).
Blank spaces are provided for writing values that may not be on the list.
When you’re living in line with your core values, you’ll notice that events in your life run more smoothly. Decisions are made in greater confidence. Finally, there is a sense of anticipation about the results of decisions made in alignment with what you truly believe in.
12. Discover Your Values Workbook
Knowing your core values brings you closer to being your most authentic self. Moreover, discovering who you truly are is the wellspring for having a richer, more meaningful life.
Naomi, the creator of this workbook, provides a step-by-step guide to the process of discovering your main core values. The 11-page workbook has sections to help you:
Give your core values priority
Determine your top five values
Live out your newfound sense of self, guided by your personal values
There are several writing exercises throughout the workbook. All are designed for you to uncover your authentic self and identify the values you hold dear.
Ultimately, the workbook gives you the opportunity to live life to the fullest.
13. Get Clear on Your Highest Values
Learning about and clarifying your personal core values can be less challenging when you have a guide for how to go about the process. This worksheet, created by life coach Elisabeth Kingsley, helps users identify what’s important to them.
The four-page worksheet contains activities and reflection questions to help you clarify your priorities.
All the activities and writing exercises found here not only help identify your personal values, they also reveal the most authentic you, equipping you with new ways of expressing yourself.
14. Determining Your Core Values in Life
This worksheet features eight pages of writing exercises that promote reflection, discovery, and application of your personal values.
The first page contains a list of different values, and you choose 10 values that resonate most with you. After tha, from the 10 that you chose, you select the best five values. These represent your core values.
The following pages provide writing prompts to help uncover what each value means to you, as well as create an action plan for how to apply these values in your everyday life.
15. Values Defining Worksheet from Coach Meg
We’ve mentioned that not knowing your core values can lead to decisions that negatively impact your life. However, once you’ve discovered the values that represent your most authentic self and begin living in alignment with them, life flows more smoothly.
Here is a worksheet to help you define the values that truly represent who you are and your purpose in this world.
The worksheet provides a quick guide to knowing your personal values and helps identify conflicts and challenges you encounter once you start living in accordance with your core values.
16. Get Clear and Focused: Know Your Personal Core Values
Living in accordance with your core values brings happiness, satisfaction, and meaning into your life. However, there is another benefit that is often overlooked when people live by their core values.
This benefit is positive abundance.
The worksheet above is designed to help you identify your core values, specify the reasons why each value is important to you, and create an action plan to live by these values each day.
Resources are provided in this worksheet that show you how to work with your core values to achieve financial abundance.
When you’re aware of what is truly important to you, you begin to align your life with these values. They will serve as your anchor, even in the most turbulent moments of life.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When I started Appfire in 2005, hardware was king and companies like Dell, IBM and HP were the leaders and innovators of all things tech. Businesses relied heavily on hardware to fuel their IT infrastructure, and the idea of the cloud seemed like a utopian dream. My partner and I built our business to support traditional hardware-centric models, and it was a system that served as well in those early years.
By 2010, I found myself at a crossroads as the rise of cloud computing was slowly shifting focus toward virtualized environments and we were deep in development to deploy new collaboration software on a hardware-based platform. VMware burst onto the scene, making virtualized software all the rage. Hardware evaporated almost overnight.
As a business leader, I had to make a difficult decision: should I steer my team and company in a direction that would essentially abandon all the work we’d put towards our hardware-based product to jump on the virtualization trend with the rest of the market and our competitors? Or should we stay the course, pressing on with our product that was built on a hardware platform? After careful deliberation, we decided against investing in virtualization right away as the timing wasn’t right for us.
I’m reminded of this anecdote as the AI boom continues its momentum, with no signs of slowing down. Just take a look at Nvidia’s recent earnings or Atlassian’s introduction of Rovo, an AI assistant. Someday, when we look back at the history books, this period will be marked by the incredible rush and shift we’ve seen from companies of all sizes to integrate AI into their offerings. This extends beyond merely providing AI-powered solutions. Companies are rebranding, restructuring and reinventing themselves as AI-centric to attract investment, talent, and market share.
As business leaders, we’re constantly faced with the challenge of whether we, too, should jump on the latest trend. Do we follow the pack and shift our entire strategy and product roadmap, or remain on our current path?
Through my own journey of growing and scaling a leading software company from $10 million to over $200 million ARR in four years, I’ve identified three tips that can help leaders determine whether to embrace a trend or stay the course.
1. Ensure the shift aligns with what customers want
Don’t lose sight of customer wants and needs during times of change. Getting it right for your customers is more important than being right. Research has found that more than 90% of people believe companies should listen to customers to drive innovation. Even if as a business leader you vastly desire to incorporate AI into your end model, if it’s not important to your customers you will fail and you won’t make a profit.
There are several ways you can get this feedback from your customer base. Deploying customer surveys, implementing a customer advisory board and meeting with customers in person are great ways to understand if what you are building makes sense for your customers. If your company has a strong channel program, talk to your partners regularly about what they are hearing from customers
2. Determine if you have the right resources
It can be tempting to jump on a trend, particularly when the market demands it and competitors are already on board. In 2010, one of the main reasons we decided not to quickly shift from our hardware platform strategy to virtualization was that we didn’t have people in place with the right skill set. Because of that, we knew we couldn’t succeed in virtualization in a way that would have an immediate impact on our customers.
When a drastic market shift happens, instead of jumping on the bandwagon, put those efforts and resources into training your staff. Many are willing and looking to expand their skill set – in fact, one study shows nearly 75% of employees are willing to learn new skills. Then once you have the right people with the right skills who can help you make an impact, you can turn your focus to innovation. When employees get the right training to gain the skills they need, the business itself will see the benefits.
Remember the core values you established when you launched your company and use them as guiding principles as you make decisions. Nearly all employees agree that a workplace culture grounded in core values plays a critical role in long-term success.
If the latest trend aligns with your mission, vision and purpose, it could be a valuable addition to your strategy. However, if it doesn’t, pursuing it may not help your company long term. Staying true to your foundational principles ensures that your business remains focused, authentic, and purpose-driven amidst evolving market dynamics.
When a new trend disrupts the market, navigating a path forward can be challenging. Consider the approach Atlassian took with Rovo. While others rushed to get an AI assistant to market last year, Atlassian was intentional and strategic. It mattered more to them to release a tool that aligned with their mission of making teams more effective than being the “first.”
Remember that getting it right for the customer matters more than conforming. Oftentimes blindly following the crowd without critical thinking can lead to conformity and a loss of innovative thinking. Don’t lose sight of your mission, vision, and purpose. These values are likely what attracted employees and customers to your organization in the first place, and what will keep them long after a trend has faded out.
If you were on your deathbed right now, what would your biggest regrets be? The answer can change the way you decide to live the rest of your life.
Thinking about death can change how we live our lives. Our time on Earth is limited, and this realization can completely shift our perspective. It puts our real values and priorities into sharp focus, causing us to step back and re-evaluate if we are living our current lives in the best way possible.
When I was going through a period of depression in college, I would take the bus to the local cemetery by myself with nothing but my camera. I’ve always been comfortable with solitude and doing things alone, but these cemetery walks were an especially meaningful and humbling experience for me. Walking among the graves and reading the names of people I’d never know showed me that life is much bigger than my ego. The realization that death is a necessary part of life sparked me to reevaluate and see the bigger picture behind my choices and actions.
These cemetery walks were a powerful reminder that I would be dead one day too – but not yet – and that filled me with a sense of power and responsibility so long as I’m still breathing.
How people think about death can have a profound effect on their psychology. Some people face the prospect of mortality by ignoring it and engaging in escapist behaviors driven by materialism (“buy more things”) or hedonism (“seek more pleasure”). Others embrace the prospect of death and recognize that it means they need to make the most of their time here before it’s too late.
In the popular book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, Bronnie Ware documents her experiences in palliative care, working closely with those who had terminal illnesses or were approaching the end-of-life. She identified five main regrets of the dying based on conversations and confessions with those on their deathbeds.
This article will outline her main findings along with my personal thoughts on each one.
Deathbed Motivation: Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
According to Bronnie Ware, the five most common regrets shared by people nearing death were:
“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
It’s cliché but true: you only have one life to live.
Many people cave to social pressures to choose paths in life that are expected of them, such as what school to attend, or what career to pursue, or what types of relationships to cultivate. However, what brings one person happiness isn’t necessarily what brings another person happiness. If we only try to make others happy, we often end up neglecting our own needs, wants, passions, and ideals.
Understanding your core values is one of the most important steps you can take in life. Knowing what you really want will help you make choices that are harmonious with what you really care about, not just what you think you “should do” or “ought to do.” One interesting study published in the journal Emotions found that our most enduring and long-lasting regrets are usually “ideal-related,” such as personal goals and aspirations.
Our biggest regrets are often the things we didn’t do but always wanted to, like starting a rock band, or writing a book, or traveling to a place we always wanted to visit.
“I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
Most people don’t lay on their deathbeds thinking, “I wish I spent more time at my job.”
Work is important and it can be fulfilling, but many people in today’s world become myopically focused on advancing in their jobs/careers or making more money by any means necessary (sometimes even in unhealthy, destructive, or unethical ways).
We wrongly believe that wealth is the only real measure of value in life, and thus we get distracted from other important things like spending more time with family, taking care of our health, giving back to our community, or pursuing personal passions.
In our materialistic and consumerist culture, nothing seems more important than “working hard” and “making money,” but as the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you when you die.”
“I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
We often have trouble expressing our true feelings toward people because we see emotions as weakness or we don’t want to risk being vulnerable.
This is especially true when it comes to feelings of love, gratitude, and appreciation. There are some families, cultures, and couples where it’s rare to hear the words, “I love you,” or “I appreciate you.” The feelings are taken for granted, but they are never explicitly said.
It’s important that we learn to express love and appreciation toward others while we still can (including toward family, friends, loved ones, or mentors), because we will often regret it if we miss our chance.
Recently I wrote my mom a thank you letter for her birthday. It helped me communicate a lot of feelings that I’ve always had but were difficult to say out-loud. It felt like an emotional weight was lifted off my shoulders once I finally expressed my tremendous gratitude for her and everything she’s done for me.
There are also people I’ve lost in life whom I was never able to tell that I appreciated them. Those are regrets I’ll have to live with – the crucial lesson is don’t miss the opportunity to tell people you love them while you still can.
“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
One common theme in life is that relationships come and go.
Our circle of friends often changes dramatically throughout high school, college, and into adulthood, especially when we move to new places or leave our hometowns. We tend to lose touch with people over time. Those who were once “best friends” we now go years without even speaking to.
In theory, it’s easier to stay in touch with people now more than ever; old friends and family are just a call, text, or email away, yet we rarely take advantage of these opportunities.
It’s never too late to check in on past connections. It can seem awkward at first to reach out to those we haven’t seen in years, but often they will appreciate the gesture and you both will enjoy reconnecting and reminiscing about your shared past.
The simple act of checking in on people on a regular basis (such as holidays, birthdays, reunions, etc.) can preserve our social connections over time and remind us all the positive relationships and social support we have. Each person you stay in touch with is another layer of meaning in your life.
“I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
People are too busy these days to be happy.
We get easily trapped in the hustle and bustle of daily life with work, school, chores, family, and other responsibilities and obligations. In the midst of all this, many forget the simple art of stepping back and finding happiness in the moment.
You don’t need to wait for something life-changing to be happy. Many people don’t realize that happiness is in their control and you can start finding it in little things, like savoring positive experiences, counting your blessings, having things to look forward to, and prioritizing positive activities. These are habits that are available to anyone no matter what their current situation is in life. You don’t need to be rich or famous; in fact, sometimes those people are the most distracted and least happy.
If happiness is a skill, then it’s something that’s worth learning. It isn’t magic, it’s a direct result of how you think, act, and view your world.
The Time That Remains
If you are reading this right now, then you still have power over how you live the rest of your life. Every new breath is a symbol of this power.
Which of the big five regrets do you relate to the most? Living too much by other people’s expectations, focusing too much on work, not communicating your true feelings, losing touch with old friends and family, or simply not finding time for more happiness?
These are important questions worth reflecting on. Take a moment to imagine yourself on your deathbed, which regrets would hurt the most? What can you still do about it?
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Do you remember the times you were at a crossroads, debating with yourself about a choice that challenged your personal values and your business objectives? You’re not alone. Most entrepreneurs experience this kind of strife, but not every entrepreneur will verbalize all of the conflicts.
It is a sophisticated battleground with the lines between correct and wrong so fuzzy, and the choices you make can shape your history. In this article, I’ll share a few valuable tips you can use to navigate these situations.
Determining your core values is a prerequisite in facing ethical obstacles. As a leader, values like integrity, transparency and sustainability can be your guiding principles, which you set not only for yourself but also for your company. When these values are clear and communicated correctly, they become a beacon, helping decision-making processes to be simpler and well-managed. The unambiguousness of those values serves as a yardstick to which all company actions are compared, and thus, everybody in the organization knows what is expected of them.
2. Understand the baggage right away
One of the most important skills for any leader is to be able to tell when his/her personal beliefs are at odds with business decisions. A lot of times, the first indication of an ethical challenge is a feeling of discomfort. This unease is not just a matter of emotion; it is a sign of your conscience, which is telling you that your values are being compromised. Acknowledging it early on is a must for you because it gives you the time to analyze the situation carefully, and you won’t make any rash decisions. It gives you an opportunity to form a strategy that is in line with your moral values.
3. Seek multiple perspectives
Ethical problems frequently do not yield simple responses, and what looks right one way around may not appear to be so from another point of view. Therefore, seeking several points of view is necessary. Connect with mentors, friends or any group with different perceptions to have more diverse opinions. Such a process can disclose new insights and may even bring in solutions that you would have never thought of. Another key advantage is that it makes sure the decision-making process is not only based on one set of experiences and backgrounds, which helps prevent the risk of bias.
4. Evaluate long-term impact
It may be tempting for a moment, but these shortcuts have long-term effects. When faced with a decision, it’s important to ask yourself about the long-term impacts: What is the consequence of this choice on my business in the next five, ten and twenty years? Would it hurt my reputation or my relationship with other people? Such aspects are crucial because they facilitate the drive toward sustainable growth and the observance of ethical standards, which are usually the pillars of longevity.
5. Create ethical safeguards
To avoid ethical conflicts and have your decisions a posteriori, that is, consistent with your business ethics, put in place robust ethical safeguards in your business operations. This could be a part of the process of creating an ethics committee or establishing a decision framework that focuses on your core values. This way, ethical principles are practically accessible to everyone through the organization’s hierarchy, and every decision is subjected to ethical scrutiny.
Transparency forms the basis for the establishment and strengthening of trust among team members. When an ethical crisis emerges, admitting the difficulties and how they might affect both personal and business values establishes a precedent of transparency and openness. Such honesty and openness will become a criterion for your enterprise culture. This is not just about trust building but also helping to develop a more engaged and ethically aware employee.
7. Integrate ethics into your brand
Nowadays, consumers are more and more inclined to buy from companies that have a code of ethics. Incorporating ethics into your brand’s storyline will make your business stand out and increase consumer confidence. This synergy builds a deeper connection with the audience because they believe that they are interacting with a brand that reflects their virtues.
8. Get ready to make tough decisions
Balancing personal ethics with business decisions sometimes demands making tough decisions. This might imply declining attractive chances or dissolving cooperation with efficient associates. These decisions are always hard, but they usually have to be done to preserve one’s integrity. The respect and loyalty gained from customers and employees in making these decisions can often far exceed the costs involved.
9. Consider and memorize every decision
Every decision is a learning experience. Analyzing the effectiveness of your choices — what worked, what didn’t and how you can improve — contributes to enhanced decision-making skills. Such a learning process is of utmost importance for more successful and confident dealings with future ethical issues.
10. Lead by example
Leadership is more about walking the talk than giving orders. Through constant decision-making that supports your ethical principles, you become an effective role model for your team. This leadership style not only cultivates an ethical positive climate but also inspires your team to uphold these standards in their own decision-making.
It is not easy to navigate the dangerous waters where personal values and business decisions come together. Nonetheless, when you remain true to your core values, look for different opinions and consider making tough decisions, you can be assured that your business not only prospers but also contributes positively to the world around you.
Do not forget that the purpose of your business is not only to be successful but also to create a business that will speak for your values. This approach does not merely resolve clashes; it turns them into opportunities for growth. Rely on your ethics, and you will build a better business world with more ethical and prosperous firms.
Discover the power of paradigm shifts in driving individual and societal transformation, from overcoming cognitive dissonance to fueling scientific revolutions.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something?
Many people are stuck in their beliefs and worldview, especially once we reach a certain age. Our map of reality is shaped most by early life experiences, including lessons we’ve learned from parents, teachers, and friends.
A worldview can be hard to break out of on a purely psychological level.
Once we are set in a view, we seek new information that continues to confirm these beliefs by only looking at sources that already agree with us. When new information contradicts these beliefs, we can easily ignore it or distort it to keep our map of reality intact.
Accepting that we are wrong about something can be hurtful to our ego and pride, and in many ways our brains are designed to protect ourselves from this discomfort by simply ignoring contradictory information unless it has a real world effect on our lives. As Philip K. Dick once said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
The average person isn’t primarily driven by a search for truth, they just need a map of reality that is good enough to navigate their lives effectively and not get themselves into too much trouble, which includes social pressures to conform to certain beliefs or stay silent about others.
People can go through radical changes in beliefs though. Young adults and teenagers may go through “phases” as they come-of-age, where they question what they’ve been taught, rebel against orthodoxy, and search for their own meaning or purpose in life. These transformative years can lead to paradigm shifts that last a lifetime, such as adherence to new political, religious, or philosophical ideologies. Many may still return to their old beliefs later in life, but with a fresh new perspective.
Learning about a new worldview, ideology, or philosophy doesn’t mean you need to adopt it – and it doesn’t necessarily lead to a paradigm shift. Often times learning about radically different belief systems can give us a firmer understanding of our current beliefs. There’s wisdom in learning about worldviews you find wrong, mistaken, or incorrect; at the very least, it will give you a better understanding of where other people are coming from.
Paradigm shifts aren’t just new or updated knowledge, they represent a complete change in your perspective that makes you see and interpret old knowledge in a different way.
This shift in perspective can be jolting and uncomfortable at first. We depend on worldviews to make sense of reality, so deep changes in perspective can often make reality feel more confusing or unstable at first.
We often need to re-evaluate old knowledge and experiences through a new lens, and re-integrate them into a new and better map of reality. This is a mental shift that can sometimes take months or years before it is fully developed.
My Paradigm Shifts
My mind has changed a lot over the past decade, which hopefully is a sign that I’m learning and growing. When I first started this website over 15 years ago, my worldview was very different than what it is today.
A few ways my mindset has changed:
Less Individualistic – During my college years, I explored a lot of libertarian philosophy that emphasized the individual over the collective. This is a common starting point in many “self help” circles too, which have an ethos of “take responsibility” and “pull yourself up by your boot straps.” While I still believe strongly in individual responsibility and initiative, I’ve grown to recognize the “no man is an island” mantra and focus more on the importance of social support, community-mindedness, and asking for help. This understanding has led to changes in my political and economic views too.
Less Materialistic and Money-Focused – It’s a bit embarrassing looking back on it, but I used to want to be rich and famous. I think a lot of it is just part of America’s narcissistic culture, where everyone strives to become some type of celebrity. As I get older, I’ve discovered new core values that have helped me focus on the more important things in life. I’ve also learned that a lot of my drive for money was really a drive for independence, and those aren’t the same thing. A person can make a lot of money and be trapped in their career to sustain their luxurious lifestyle, but a person of more modest fortune, who can be happy with less, often has more independence because they can then focus on other things in life. That was a counter-intuitive idea for me that took awhile to process.
Focus on Social and Cultural Forces – When I was younger, and likely a product of my libertarian days, I used to focus more on the importance of economics rather than culture. Generally, I saw things like music, art, and film as just a peripheral aspect of society, but now I’m beginning to understand their central importance. Every culture reflects and propagates a certain set of values, and a culture that promotes harmful and destructive values will lead to a harmful and destructive society. When I look at today’s world, I see a lot of cultural forces going in the wrong direction. I’m not pro-censorship in anyway, but I find many aspects of our culture need to be analyzed, criticized, and abandoned if they are hurting the happiness and health of a people.
This is how my mindset has shifted over the years – and my mind will likely keep changing as long as I stay open to new information, new knowledge, and new experiences. At this point, most of my learning has happened outside of school and that’s a path I will continue on for the rest of my life.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
One of the most popular discussions on the topic of paradigm shifts is Thomas Kuhn’s 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
Kuhn describes that scientific progress isn’t just an accumulation of facts, which he calls “normal science,” but also periods of “revolutionary science,” where anomalies are discovered that force scientists to look at a field in a completely new way.
Common examples of paradigm shifts in science include:
The Copernican Revolution in the 16th century, where there was a change from geocentrism (“earth is the center of the universe”) to heliocentrism (“sun is the center of the solar system”)
Newtonian Physics in the 17th century, where classical mechanics discovered by Isaac Newton replaced previous models of Aristotelian physics.
Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection in the 19th century, which changed how humans viewed themselves in relation to animals and nature.
Often there is initial resistance to accept new paradigms, which can go through heated periods of controversy and criticism among contemporary scientists and laymen.
However, once these new paradigms were adopted, they allowed for research and discoveries into new phenomenon which ultimately expanded the boundaries of science and learning.
New paradigms completely change how a scientific field is looked at. Thomas Kuhn used the example of the duck-rabbit optical illusion to demonstrate how new paradigms can change how we see old information:
A duck or rabbit? It depends on your perspective.
New paradigms can take awhile to be fully adopted. Old facts need to be looked at through a new lens. New books, research, studies, lectures, and textbooks need to be re-written from this new perspective, leading to a type of cognitive restructuring of society. The philosopher Immanuel Kant referred to the advancements of Greek mathematics and Newtonian physics as “revolutions in thinking,” and they take time to process.
Generally, new scientific paradigms are better than old ones because they have more explanatory power over understanding natural phenomenon and predicting future outcomes.
The best measure of scientific truth is its predictive power: if a new paradigm fails to better explain or predict a natural occurrence over a previous paradigm, then there’s no real point in replacing the old model (from a scientific perspective).
Paradigm Shifts: An Antidote to Cognitive Dissonance
Paradigm shifts are spurred on when new facts don’t fit into old worldviews. This leads to feelings of cognitive dissonance which is when someone is forced to hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
Often the only way to reconcile this disconnect between facts vs. experience is to find a completely new paradigm that accounts for all old and new knowledge. This may require recognizing wrong or mistaken beliefs from your past, or cultivating a worldview with more complexity and nuance.
Cognitive dissonance is a painful experience that most people choose to ignore or avoid. Many people double-down on wrong beliefs when they are passionately invested in them, which leads to excessive confirmation bias and conspiracy theories when beliefs continue to be held unchecked.
At the same time, cognitive dissonance can be a catalyst for change – it’s a signal that we need to adjust our understanding of reality. This can become a real avenue for transformative thinking as long as you are honest with yourself, seek out diverse sources of information, and open-minded enough to see things in a new light.
Conclusion
Paradigm shifts are a part of learning and growing on both an individual and societal level. They are necessary for both radical self-improvement and radical scientific progress.
While it’s important not to “change your mind just for the sake of changing your mind,” honest searches for knowledge and truth inevitably come up against walls that require a paradigm shift to get over and move onto the next stage.
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Becoming an entrepreneur and creating a company that creates positive change is a dream that has driven ambitious people since the beginning of the modern economy.
But where do you start? How will you create a meaningful product or service that stands out amid the noise of today’s highly competitive and saturated marketplace? The traditional path of finding a niche and competing on quality or price is no longer enough.
Today, if you want truly enduring and evangelical customer loyalty, you must deliver an authentic product or service that resonates with customers on an emotional level. It is important to connect them to other people, making them sincerely feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. In short, you need to start a movement.
For hundreds of years, social movements have been catalysts for transformative, impactful and historic change.
Throughout history, they have served as catalysts for profound and transformative change. Dr. Martin Luther King marched on Washington with tens of thousands of supporters as part of the Civil Rights movement. Nelson Mandela’s raised fist upon being released from prison after 27 years became a powerful symbol in the movement that crushed apartheid in South Africa. The women’s suffrage movement fought for a century to get voting rights for women in America. Each one of those historic, world-changing movements was anchored in one unifying and all-encompassing force: purpose.
You may be thinking that those historic movements were important, but what does that have to do with business success? What does purpose have to do with business? Study after study shows that you can’t even think about starting a business in today’s economy unless it is driven by a clearly defined, tangible and unique purpose. In doing so, you and your team members will be much happier in the process, as supported by Harvard Business Review and other reporting.
Purpose is the equivalent of “why”? The “why” encompasses a company’s contributions and impact on the world. It is the company’s reason for existing and the reason they are in business in the first place. Purpose is an enabler, a conduit and a vehicle, fueling the innovation of the world’s economy. Blackrock’s CEO, Larry Fink, says, “Without a sense of purpose, no company, either public or private, can achieve its full potential.”
Some of the most successful companies have embraced this ethos and are fully rooted in purpose. When we look at Tesla, we may think its purpose is to sell cars, which is part of it. But its stated true purpose “is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” That purpose is what drove the EV car revolution — a global movement that powered EV car sales from 0.4% of the light-duty vehicle marketplace in 2004 to 15.8% in 2023. And while it sparked the EV movement, Tesla continues to be its leader. In 2023, it held 19.9% of the global EV market and is the most valuable car company in the world.
The highly profitable clothing company Patagonia is another example of a company that started a movement based on its purpose. In 2022, the company, long known for its environmental activism, doubled down on its purpose, which is updated to “In business to save the planet.”
But it was more than just a statement. With its purpose well defined, Patagonia founder YvonChouinard announced the transfer of company ownership ($3 billion in global assets and $100 million in annual profits) to a trust fund, with its dividends going to environmental advocacy organizations. With this bold support of her own movement, Chouinard declared, “Earth is our only shareholder.”
Consumers are increasingly supporting businesses that stand on principle. According to Accenture, 62% of consumers want companies to take a stand on important societal issues such as sustainability, transparency and fair employment practices. The demand for authentic and purpose-driven companies is strongest among the younger generations. According to Deloitte, “millennials are driving this societal trend, with 40% of those polled believing the goal of businesses should be to ‘improve society.’” Those who ignore the intersection of business and purpose do so at their own peril, as millennials (those aged 28-43) account for $15 trillion in global purchasing power.
As a powerhouse financial company, Deloitte is probably not the first company that comes to mind in thinking of a firm driven by purpose. Yet, it is a strong proponent of the belief that exceptional organizations are led by a purpose. To amplify and advance Deloitte’s purpose, it named its first-ever chief purpose officer and established a Purpose Office. Its goals are to consistently embed purpose in the organization’s strategy and deepen the impact and positive change they are making for clients, people, and communities.
Trust in a company has long-term benefits by creating brand loyalty and turning customers into advocates for your product. According to Edelman, “trust drives growth. When consumers trust a brand, they are more likely to purchase its products (59%) and stay loyal to and advocate for the brand (67%).”
A company’s purpose must start at the top. Whether it’s a small business run by a sole proprietor or a major corporation led by a CEO, the leader sets the tone and must lead by example. Employees need to see the commitment to purpose reflected in the actions of leadership; otherwise, the stated purpose becomes nothing more than a catchy slogan that fails to resonate with consumers.
Infusing purpose into your new venture is not merely a trend but a necessity to compete and thrive in the modern economy. To stand out, foster trust and create lasting connections with consumers — in other words, to build a movement — today’s companies and organizations need to find their purpose and adopt it fully until it permeates every part of their operation.
By defining and articulating your purpose, you are laying the groundwork to start a business and, perhaps, even a movement. If you do it right, both can build value and help change the world.
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And, fun fact: 226.7 of these
decisions are based on food alone.
But what guides the process behind
making the choices that you do? What influences your decisions?
If you stop to think about why you have chosen your career path or the city in which you live, you will realize that your core values start to come into play.
Your personal core values are what encompass your foundational beliefs, which then dictate your behavior and guide you to make the decisions that you do.
Your values are broad concepts that can be reapplied many times over in your life in various situations to guide your actions.
Your core values are
not something that you choose for yourself. Rather, they’re feelings and
beliefs that operate in the background of your mind and influence your
behavior. You discover what your values are through life experiences and during
the process of building self-awareness.
In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to discover your own personal core values. Then, I will offer 100 examples of personal core values, each with a short explanation, so you can determine which values resonate with you.
Why Are Core Values Important?
Having personal core values is important for personal development because they help you make intelligent decisions that are going to work in your favor by playing into your strengths, wants, and needs.
When looking at your
path toward personal
development, you have to keep your personal core
values in mind to help you achieve your goals. Without reflecting upon your
values, you will simply react to circumstances by making careless decisions
that will hold you back in the long run.
For example, let’s say you get offered a job two hours away from home and you immediately take it because it will result in a salary increase. You don’t consider any other factors or implications, you just assume that a salary increase means a better life.
However, three months into the job, you realize the cost of living in the new city is much higher, your commute is twice as long, and you really miss seeing your family throughout the week.
Without stopping to really consider your personal core values before accepting the job offer, you unintentionally took a big step backward in terms of personal development.
When you’re aware of your core values, the road to personal development will be much easier because you will innately know what factors in your life you want to focus on in order to be fulfilled.
Your goals will be clear because you will recognize your passions and what makes you happy, and you will align your actions with your skills in order to ultimately be successful.
However, as we mentioned,
your personal core values are something that you discover, not something that
you choose. So how are you supposed to know what these are and therefore live
accordingly?
This may happen by chance.
When I was in my late teens, I lived a rather unhealthy lifestyle. I ate a lot
of fast food, never considered going to the gym, would park myself in front of the television for hours, and stay out late with my friends, leaving me
with little time to sleep.
It wasn’t long before this
lifestyle caught up with me. I became very ill, and my routine–and
priorities–had to take a quick turn.
My focus turned from french
fries to green smoothies and my love for reality television transitioned into a
love for running. While I still loved to spend time with my friends, I turned
more of that energy toward my family and became mindful and present at family
dinners, listening to what was going on in everyone’s lives rather than
sneaking text messages under the table and rushing out at soon as the plates
were cleared.
I realized that my personal
core values revolved around my physical and mental health. Discovering this
sense of clarity dramatically changed my life. Not only did my diet and
exercise regimen change, I was also better equipped to make everyday choices that
were in my own best interest.
For example, at 18, when faced with a large pizza and some cupcakes, I would tell myself, “I’ll probably regret this later” but that wouldn’t stop me from digging in.
Now, I don’t have to fight an internal battle with impulse control because I know these things aren’t good for me, and enjoying the taste of these types of food for 2 minutes is not a price I am willing to pay for the cost in the end. Instead, I continue to live a healthy lifestyle because it supports my personal core values.
When it comes to my own
personal development, living in line with my core values has catapulted me into
a life that I consider to be
fulfilling and successful, which ultimately is the only person who matters in
this equation.
Let’s start by taking a look at how you can discover your own core values. You may think that your values should be obvious to you, but the truth is, most people don’t just automatically know their core values without doing some self-discovery.
Rather, people assume that whatever their society or culture values pretty much sums up what is important to them as well. If the norm is to graduate from college, get married, have a baby, and live happily ever after is what people just do, that must be what you want to do then too…right?
It‘s easy to come up with a list of things that you should value. But actually discovering what you truly value takes some effort.
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Want to build a new habit that will stick for the rest of your lifetime? In this video, you will discover a simple 9-step process about building habits that you can immediately implement.
How to Discover Your Core Values
Step 1: Do some self-reflection.
Reading lists of values can be helpful if you’re looking for ideas regarding the things in life that other people consider to be their core values.
While you won’t be able to choose your favorite 5 out of 10 (for example) and call them your own, you will notice some values that stand out from the others and resonate with you.
As you’re doing some self-reflection,
think about some moments in your life that have been especially meaningful to
you or experiences that you consider to be a highlight of your life. What was
going on during those times, who were you with, and what were you doing?
Alternatively, think about the exact opposite–the times in your life where you were angry or frustrated. What was causing the frustration? Was a value being suppressed?
For example, have you been miserable in a job where you were micromanaged and monitored constantly? This may help you realize that you value autonomy and a sense of freedom.
Finally, what gives you a sense of
fulfillment in your life? Being creative? Going on adventures? Learning new
things? These would be things that are of particular value to you.
Identify themes from the large list of values that you just created and create some groups.
For example, if you have loyalty, commitment, and honesty all listed, group them together to create a core value of “human relationships”. Or, if you have optimism, motivation, and inspiration all on your list, you can call that something such as “progress”.
Step 3: Identify your principal
core values.
There are a few things that you can then
consider in order to reduce your list even further. Which values that you’ve
listed are a fundamental part of your life? Which ones define your everyday
actions and long term goals?
Because everyone is unique, your personal core
values truly only matter to you. You know your strengths and weaknesses and how
your priorities play into supporting the areas of your life in which you excel.
Choose only 5 core values off of your list. If
you have too few, your unique core values won’t define your individuality.
However, if you have too many, you won’t put the amount of focus on any of them
that is needed in order to leverage your personal development.
Step
4: Rank them.
Pick the value that is of most importance to you and go down from there. Once you have come up with your ranking, wait a few days and look at your list again.
See if you still feel like you have ranked your core values in the right order, or take some time to move some around. This may take several tries before you feel absolutely confident.
Treat this as a living document. You can
always revisit your values and analyze how they make you feel. While some of
your values may be very consistent with the person you are today, that may
change over a period of time. You should always be sure that your values feel
personal and unique to your identity.
To ensure that you’re living in line with your personal core values, refer to the list that you have created every month and rate yourself on how well you’re honoring each value on an everyday basis.
If your level of satisfaction with one of your values declines over time, consider some changes that you could make to improve on this. Create some action steps that will deliberately bring you closer to living in line with your values.
For example, if one of your values is progress
or learning and you don’t feel like you have gained any new knowledge or
experiences lately, make the decision to read 2 books per month until you feel
like your personal rating begins to improve.
Now that you know how to create your core personal values, let’s look at some core value examples that may give you some insight into what you truly value in your own life.
100 Examples of Core Values
1. Family
Whomever you consider to be your “family” may be a primary value to you because they provide you with support and companionship.
If you value creativity, you enjoy using your
imagination to solve problems or generate new ideas. Valuing creativity
supports your ability to make a change in society that other people find
significant.
3. Communication
Valuing communication involves not only having
information relayed properly to you, but also ensuring that your own thoughts
are effectively heard by other people.
4. Achievement
Accomplishing something in your life or work
that is noteworthy could be something that adds a unique sense of value to your
life. Your achievement values impact your motivation because your incentive to
work outweighs the cost of doing so.
Rank up the value that it of most importance to you. This will give you some insight into what you truly value in your own life.
5. Competition
Holding a value of competition means that you are able to gain energy through a sense of rivalry to be the most respected in a domain. But it’s important to learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy competition.
6. Self-Confidence
Having this value involves being successful in
such a way that you recognize your skills are making a positive contribution to
your community or those around you.
7. Structure
Valuing structure involves having a sense of
control over your surroundings and exercising discipline to maintain an
acceptable level of restriction.
8. Decision-Making
Taking personal responsibility for initiating a course of action may be of high value to you. This means that you find it fulfilling to act according to your own conscience without having to be prompted by an external force.
9. Education
Aside from achieving a certification of
educational accomplishment, valuing education involves the process of being a lifelong learner and
continuing to gain understanding through perceptive insight.
10. Congruence
This involves being true to your authentic
self and communicating to others externally in a way that matches your internal
thoughts and feelings.
11. Tradition
Valuing tradition would involve ritualizing
some sort of history in your life to add a sense of enrichment, and passing
that on to subsequent generations.
12. Trusting Relationships
Valuing trusting relationships means that one
of your top priorities is to be able to express your thoughts and feelings in a
mutually trusting environment where you and the other person have confidence in
the integrity of one another.
13. Service
When one of your personal core values is
service, you find a sense of fulfillment in sharing your talents or abilities
with others in a way that is beneficial to their lives, and you’re willing to
contribute to your society without expecting anything in return.
14. Responsibility
Some people strongly value having a sense of
sole personal accountability for the success of a specific area of their
community or group. This often promotes self-confidence and can lead to a deep
sense of accomplishment.
15. Perseverance
People who become very successful have
undoubtedly failed more often throughout their lives than many others have even
tried. It is easy to quit, but perseverance pays off.
Being a decision-maker may be of high value to you.
16. Consistency
Consistency often gives people reassurance in the decisions that they make because they can rely on a certain process that they’re used to. (Read our post about the rules of consistency.)
17. Humor
This should not be overlooked when it comes to
values, as humor can make a big difference in lightening the load of a
difficult situation. When used appropriately, humor can be an effective tool.
18. Freedom
This is a value that most people hold close to
their hearts–and it doesn’t only involve valuing your own freedom–it also
encompasses advocating from freedom if you ever see an opportunity to do so.
19. Confidence
Being confident often helps people trust you
and your decisions. When you value confidence, it suggests you also value
competence.
20. Diversity
Diversity isn’t only about accepting people from different cultures; it is about seeking out opportunities to interact with people who have various backgrounds in order to learn new perspectives.
21. Resilience
How easy is it for you to cope with adversity?
If you value resilience, you strive to be flexible, go with the flow, and
bounce back after things don’t go your way.
22. Simplicity
People tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. Those who prefer to keep things straightforward are those who value simplicity.
Valuing faith can look different to everybody,
but it often refers to believing that everything will work out the way that it
is supposed to. When you value faith, you will allow your beliefs to guide your
decisions.
24. Balance
If one of your personal core values is
balance, you prevent any one thing from taking over your life. Between your
career, family, friends, and hobbies, you make sure to keep your own personal
enjoyment in mind and you level out your stress with relaxation.
25. Happiness
While this may seem obvious, many people don’t
take the time to truly find what makes them happy to then be able to plan their
lives around those things.
26. Risk-Taking
If you value taking risks, you know that if
you follow your gut, there is a chance that it will lead to a huge payoff.
You’re not afraid to face the option of failing if there is also an option for
success.
27. Imagination
Valuing imagination can be a huge advantage to
anyone in our fast-paced society. Being able to come up with an idea that no
one else has thought of before can be a huge part of being successful.
28. Intelligence
Valuing intelligence isn’t just acknowledging
your natural born ability to understand concepts. It involves constantly
yearning to learn more.
29. Approachability
People who hold a personal core value of being
approachable want others to feel free to come to them with problems. People who
want to be approachable often easily gain the trust of other people.
30. Originality
Valuing originality means that you walk your
own path and stray away from what everyone else seems to be doing. This value
comes naturally and can usually be seen through art or creativity.
31. Growth
People who value growth are never willing to
settle and always look for an opportunity to learn in the face of adversity.
Being confident in yourself is very important. It helps people trust you and your decisions.
32. Compliance
Being compliant does not mean you’re weak.
There is a lot of value in having the ability to follow directions or take the
advice of a superior.
33. Inner Peace
This personal core value refers to the ability
to be comfortable with yourself, the people around you, and being accepting of
the life you’re living.
34. Fitness
Valuing fitness will help you give energy
toward the other values in your life. If your body is healthy, your mind can be
healthy as well.
35. Collaboration
Working together by sharing your ideas with
others can result in accomplishing something great. Collaborating with others
will often lead to something that is greater than the sum of its parts.
36. Self-Awareness
This is a very important core value to have, as it lets you realize when you’ve messed up and pinpoint how you can fix your mistakes in the future.
Having self-awareness also means you know why you react to certain situations in the way that you do and recognize triggers that may lead to certain emotions.
While it is true that people say life is not
fair, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive to make it that way. When you
value fairness, you can also establish trust and dependability with other
people.
39. Sincerity
This can go hand-in-hand with honesty, but it
also involves being authentic in everything you say and avoiding putting on any
type of front to impress other people.
40. Justice
Valuing justice means that you feel a personal sense of responsibility to achieve equality in the world and you feel compassion for those who are not treated fairly.
Wanting to conserve what you currently have
and not constantly seeking more resources to consume is an important value to
have. When you value conservation, there is a good chance that you are
satisfied with the things you have and content in your life.
Valuing community means striving to create a
sense of belongingness in your surroundings and being willing to give back to
places that have contributed to who you are today.
43. Consideration
Being considerate of others, even if they
aren’t around, is a strong value to have. This means leaving places better than
you found them and keeping other people’s needs in mind.
44. Modesty
If you value modesty, you let your actions
speak for themselves and avoid boasting about your abilities.
Your confidence is the sense of value that you
place on yourself and the faith you have in your own capabilities. It gives you
the strength to pursue what you want in life.
Even if you don’t think you will agree with an
idea or concept, being able to consider it and be willing to entertain a
variety of ideas is a good value to have.
49. Candor
Being able to tell things like they are is a
helpful core value because many people shy away from the truth in fear of
hurting others or becoming chastised.
50. Longevity
Those who value longevity seek to live in a
healthy way in order to spend more time on earth with the ones they love.
51. Rest
Knowing when to stop is a huge factor in
success. You need to rest your body and your mind to be on top of your game when
it really counts.
52. Punctuality
The thing about valuing punctuality is that it
shows a great respect for other people’s time as well. This allows people to
depend on you and hopefully have a mutual respect for your time as well.
53. Education
Those who value education know that it is
never too late to learn–even in a formal learning environment.
54. Professionalism
This isn’t just about knowing how to act professionally in the workplace. It is also about knowing how to be polite, use good manners, and be dependable in your everyday life.
55. Frugality
Having a natural tendency to spend money
conservatively suggests that you value frugality. This also means you’re
looking toward the future and not focusing on immediate satisfaction.
56. Stillness
Embracing silence or calmness can not only be
a great value to have, but also a great skill. Those who know when to speak and
when to listen are often highly respected.
57. Objectivity
It is helpful to value objectivity in the
workplace because it means you’re willing to look at the facts when you’re
confronted with a conflict. You’re able to put your emotions and personal
involvement aside.
58. Bravery
When one of your personal core values is
bravery, it means that you always do the right thing, even if you’re the only
person making the tough decision.
59. Patience
Valuing patience means recognizing the fact
that sometimes the only thing that can make something work out in your favor is
time.
60. Composure
The ability to remain calm in the face of
adversity and control your emotions helps people trust you and feel like you’re
a reliable and poised person.
61. Wealth
Whether you value wealth to be able to provide
for your family or to be able to live a peaceful life, this is a personal core
value that isn’t as selfish as it may sound.
62. Adventure
Those who value adventure lead rich and
exciting lives by seeking out new experiences to expand their skills and
existence.
63. Playfulness
If you can really appreciate a good break from
hard work to have a laugh, you probably value playfulness. Letting your mind
relax is healthy in order to be really effective once you get back to work.
64. Assertion
Those who value being assertive know what they
want, act quickly to obtain it, and do what they have to do to be
successful.
65. Novelty
Some value the pursuit of new challenges,
circumstances, and experiences in life. If you live
in the same town where you were born and tend to stick to a routine,
novelty is likely not one of your personal core values.
66. Generosity
If you value generosity, you understand that
it doesn’t just involve giving other people money or tangible items. You can
also be generous with your time, compassion, and energy.
67. Determination
Refusing to give up when things get tough
changes challenging situations into opportunities for triumph.
68. Orderliness
Many people have a hard time making any
personal progress if they’re living in a chaotic environment. Cleanliness and
orderliness are often values people hold to maintain a calm state of mind.
69. Honesty
It is very difficult to repair a bad reputation, especially if it is one that suggests you cannot be trusted. Telling the truth and sticking to your word are both critical in the long run, which makes diligently protecting your reputation an important value. (Check this collection of honesty quotes.)
70. Acceptance
Our world has billions of people in it–all of whom are somehow unique. Being able to accept people who are completely different from you can help increase the pleasure and enlightenment in your life.
Update to Core Values List
71. Environmental Sustainability
Both individuals and companies are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability to protect the earth for future generations in addition to our own.
According to the EPA, air pollution can increase one’s risk of suffering from health issues such as heart attacks, lung disease, and premature mortality.
Further, the CDC has reported that the pollution in water can increase one’s risks of developing gastrointestinal illnesses, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders.
Considering that the environment can be harming us if it’s not properly cared for has made environmental sustainability a common value among people.
72. Patriotism
Many people living in America value freedom and patriotism to our country. Now, not everyone who values patriotism is constantly waving American flags. It’s more about learning from our past mistakes and being vigilant about considering if the country is headed in the right direction.
Patriotism is a spirit of camaraderie for others who live in this country, regardless of their background. Valuing patriotism is about knowing when the country is fumbling and doing your part to make it a better place.
73. Efficiency
Valuing efficiency means knowing how to work smarter, not harder. When people are able to work together in balance, work can flow smoothly and things can get done.
Valuing this type of operational excellence–whether that is for a group or an individual–means always being prepared for change and improvement in your work.
74. Courage
As one of the principal characteristics of leadership, courage guarantees a lot of other great qualities in a leader. Courage demonstrates confidence and a willingness to use your voice to influence others.
Courage is an important value to have because it defines your decision to act according to your values and work toward your goals instead of letting yourself be distracted or allured by irrelevant and potentially harmful temptations.
75. Respect
Giving and receiving respect is important because it fosters a sense of connection between people and it makes us feel comfortable expressing ourselves to others.
Valuing respect means you’re able to accept other people, despite their difference in background or beliefs from your own. Having respect helps build feelings of trust, security, and safety.
76. Commitment
People commit to things that they believe in–whether that’s a relationship, a new opportunity, or anything else that seems truly promising.
Those who value commitment are good at managing both personal and professional relationships, especially when it comes to handling conflicts, building a sense of trust, collaborating with others, and working well on a team. When commitment is on your list of values, you likely also have:
A strong work ethic
Feelings of accountability
Passion
Discipline
77. Independence
Valuing your independence doesn’t mean that you never rely on other people for anything. It simply means that you have the ability to give something meaningful back whenever you take from someone else.
Independence gives you control over your own life and it makes you a creator rather than a user.
Inclusion is a value that focuses on accepting diversity–it supports real opportunities for all people to form meaningful relationships.
Just over the last two decades, people’s rights have evolved through policies and laws that require services to offer accommodations allowing everyone to participate. However, inclusion will never be fully realized until people live in line with these policies.
Inclusiveness is about having positive
interactions with other people and valuing everyone for who they are. That said, it has to be intrinsically motivated and
derive from holding the belief that everyone has value and a right to belong.
79. Accuracy
Whether you’re working with data at work or in your personal life, valuing accuracy allows you to gain the necessary insight to make the best decisions.
While some people and companies focus a great deal of attention on getting as much information as possible, the information gathered is not always correct, and often people gain knowledge that they don’t even know what to do with.
But if you value accuracy, you will be less likely to make errors or waste time with useless information.
80. Altruism
Those who value altruism have an unselfish concern for other people. They perform random acts of kindness on a regular basis and do things to help others for the sole reason of benefitting someone else in some way.
Valuing altruism means you don’t feel obligated to do anything for others due to having a sense of loyalty or even for religious reasons. If you make it a priority to do selfless acts, you value altruism.
81. Calmness
Valuing calmness helps you stay relatively relaxed and think logically during high-pressure situations.
This is an important value to hold if you often face adversity, because with a calm mind, you can have mental clarity and find solutions to problems you’re facing by making reasonable decisions or compromises with other people rather than fighting.
Your talents are your abilities, skills, and competencies that govern what you can do. With a growth mindset, you work on developing your talents over time because you know that you can. When you value talent in yourself and in others, you can optimize your time by working in line with your realized value.
If you happen to have true talent in a specific area–either personally or professionally–you also possess a great amount of intrinsic value that can have a strong positive impact on your life.
Education is important and it is never too late to learn.
83. Tradition
Think of your family traditions for holidays, birthdays, or even just summer nights. If you value tradition, you’re likely to teach these things to future generations of your family to keep the traditions going.
Many people value tradition because it helps define the uniqueness of a family or any type of tight-knit community.
84. Persistence
As a runner, persistence is a personal value
of mine. Persistence is the determination to keep going, regardless of how you
feel. Even if you feel like quitting, you keep working because you know success doesn’t come without a cost.
Valuing persistence is a motivating factor in continuing to take action on the days that you want to quit, which allows you to keep accumulating results. With persistence, you press on until you achieve whatever goal you’re working toward.
85. Unity
The value of unity is that everyone on a team
or in a group setting is respected. Unity breeds cooperation, increases
people’s enthusiasm, and furnishes an empowering atmosphere. When you value
unity, you believe in fostering a sense of belonging and improving everyone’s
wellbeing.
86. Tolerance
Valuing tolerance goes beyond having an ability to “put up” with something. When you value tolerance, it means you have a positive view toward relationships among people who differ from each other. Tolerance can be linked to respect, equality, and independence.
Valuing tolerance makes it possible for conflicting beliefs and ideas to coexist, as long as they lie within common moral values. Tolerance is a critical component in social unity and can be a remedy to prejudice.
87. Authenticity
Not valuing authenticity, especially when it comes to your own actions, can result in anxiety, frustration, depression, and a loss of meaning in your life.
Many people present themselves in a way they believe is the most socially acceptable or in a way that they think other people want them to present themselves.
Valuing challenge and continually finding different avenues to challenge yourself is one of the best ways to ensure consistent personal growth.
Facing challenges allows you opportunities to thrive and push yourself beyond what you once believed to be your limits to accomplish things and make progress. The more willing you are to face challenges, the richer your life will be.
89. Recognition
Valuing recognition of your work means that you know its importance and you want other people to see that as well. You want confirmation of its importance to the world.
This doesn’t mean that you always feel like you need to be praised, it’s simply a value that means you feel a sense of satisfaction when you’re reassured that you’re adding value to some sort of domain. Being recognized for your work helps you stay motivated to maintain–or even improve–your performance.
90. Security
Security of oneself as a value is clear these days with the increase in methods of personal identity safekeeping.
And, with one burglary happening every 13 seconds, people also value the security of their homes. People want to minimize their risk of being a victim of any type of security threat, which makes this a common value.
91. Self-Respect
Those who value self-respect know when to say “no” to anything in their lives that is emotionally, mentally, or financially unhealthy. Valuing self-respect means knowing your worth, your value, and being willing to advocate for yourself whenever necessary.
Given these beliefs, you’re able to set boundaries with other people and draw a firm line in regard to how you will and won’t be treated.
92. Moderation
Our brains are quick to become accustomed to any type of stimulation. In fact, our bodies are too. This is why doing the exact same workout every day wouldn’t continue to produce results six months after starting the routine.
This is also why people go through that honeymoon phase when they meet a new partner. Your brain always wants more.
However, this often leads to things that are
unhealthy–more junk food, more alcohol, more Netflix…
However, if you value moderation, you will
find that you’re able to experience more fulfillment and gratification from
everyday things. You won’t need to be
searching for extremes to find some type of brain rush.
93. Continuous Learning
People who value continuous learning are the
same people who value self-improvement and continued success. With access to
information at our fingertips, those who value continuous learning are in luck,
as the ability to teach oneself about any topic
is simple.
Your mind and body both know how to pause before taking action, allowing you the time to generate awareness and consider the results of your next move before choosing to take it.
Valuing this ability to pause helps you make decisions in a deeper state of awareness to determine the best course of action.
95. Preparedness
There are certainly some things in life that you can never prepare for, but by valuing this quality, people are able to either avoid or mitigate unwelcomed circumstances. Identifying risks in any area of your life and coming up with potential plans for action is rarely something that is regretted.
Our society loves “things”. We love extra features, “all-in-one” products, and things of the sort–and we also love saving money. Putting those two things together undoubtedly makes versatility a common value among people.
Recycling and repurposing are popular ways in which people act on their value of versatility, as reusing older products to make something “new” or completely starting from scratch with used materials are both environmentally sustainable practices, which are also valued among people.
97. Partnership
When you value partnership, you also value collaboration, respect, teamwork, and loyalty. Whether it’s in a business or a personal setting, valuing partnership sets the stage for various ideas and opinions to come together to create something better than the sum of its parts.
98. Responsiveness
Responsiveness is an important value that seems to have gone missing from many people, both personally and professionally. And, with the endless ways to get in touch these days, it’s surprising that some people simply fail to do so.
Those who value responsiveness make it a point to answer others’ inquiries in a timely manner because that is how they prefer people to respond to them. Valuing responsiveness is also about valuing respect for other people and their time.
99. Grace
Valuing grace means living a life of unconditional love and gratitude. Having grace is at the core of connecting with other people, as it allows you to understand, empathize, and forgive. Many who value grace find it to offer a sense of healing.
100. Innovation
Innovation is an important value to some because it encompasses forward thinking and the advancement of society by solving collective problems using methods that are both sustainable and efficient, typically with new technology.
Whether you’re engaging in incremental innovation by improving something that already exists, or radical innovation by finding an entirely new way of doing something, valuing innovation means never being complacent by accepting the status quo.
Final Thoughts on Your Core Values
Your core values should be personal to you, as they make up a unique formula to create success in your life.
Consider this list of values and take notice which ones resonate with you. Then be mindful of how you’re living your life in line with the values that you choose and take action if you need to make some adjustments in your life that will help you be more true to your personal values.
And once you figure out your core values, invite more positive things into your life by turning it into a meaningful life motto.
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
Discover the essence of what really matters to you with our “Core Values” worksheet, guiding you to unearth, articulate, and harmonize your life with the fundamental principles that resonate at your core.
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As a long-time strategy consultant, I learned early on in my career that if I wanted my clients’ businesses to succeed — financially and otherwise — then I had to first help them clarify and strengthen their business culture. This idea is backed by Peter Drucker, one of the most prominent management consultants of all time, when he said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Culture, however, is a pretty amorphous idea. It’s sort of like love. You know what it feels like but it can be a hard thing to describe and/or know how to build. That’s where your business’ values and practices come in.
Values and practices clarify how your team thinks and actsand serve as the bedrock of your company culture. Capturing, communicating and living a succinct and well-defined set of values and practices is pure gold that directly leads to:
Increased efficiency
Better decision-making
Improved communication
Managed expectations
Stronger productivity
More effective hiring practices
Greater profitability
Here are some time-tested ideas about both creating values and practices and how to best implement them.
Values and practices are similar in that they both are meant to describe the ways that you and your team think and act. However, values are more general and lofty while practices describe practical and specific actions.
Below is a brief list of some values and practices that will help you differentiate between the two.
Values
Accountability
Collaboration
Inclusion
Make it happen
Keep it simple
Not bound by convention
Persistence
Teamwork
Practices
Clear out email once per week
Express gratitude and appreciation
Invest in your professional growth
Leave meetings with clear next steps
Practice financial transparency
Seek first to understand
Serve while selling
Set outcomes-based agendas
As you can see, some of the values are only one word and others are short phrases; either way works. Also, note that each of the practices begins with a verb to make them active.
Some key tips for establishing values and practices
There are a variety of ways to establish and implement your ideas, but the most important thing is to focus on values first. Once you’ve created a set of values then you can move on to identifying your practices. It can be a bit much to tackle both at the same time, but your values can help inform your practices.
Resist the temptation to list all of the values of your business. What you’re seeking are four core values that are especially unique to your business. You’re looking for non-negotiable qualities of your company and culture that differentiates you from others in your space.
You want to keep your list of practices to a manageable size. I recommend having 10 practices. Because practices are much more specific and tactical, having a larger list than your values is fine.
When eliciting potential values and practices, ask your team for advice. Ask them about a staff member who represents what is best about your business. What are their core qualities? What do they do well? Alternatively, ask them to think of some former staff members that weren’t a good match for your company. What were their qualities and/or work habits that made them a mismatch for your culture?
After creating your values and practices, don’t let them collect dust! Determine how you can apply them to daily operations so they stay top-of-mind and have a better chance at guiding the creation of your business culture. Here are some examples:
Share your values internally and externally. Being upfront about your values builds trustworthiness and long-term relationships with your team and customers. Post your values and practices into any company-wide publication such as your strategic plan, employee manual, business cards, posters for your office, meeting agendas, your website and even marketing materials.
Clearly communicate your values and practices during onboarding and training processes.
Make sure your management team is also embodying these values and leading by example.
Use your values as a filter in your hiring processes. Asking interview questions that relate to your values enables you to make more informed decisions when hiring. For example, if you have a value about teamwork, ask a candidate what role they usually play on a team or ask them to provide examples of a team failure or success they have experienced.
Celebrate your values. At my company, we set up a simple way for all employees to submit a video or text message of praise for anyone they see living out the values of our business. When we first started doing this, we required all team members to do this once a month with the hope that it would become ingrained in our culture. We then highlight these “shoutouts” during team meetings.
Get regular feedback from your team. We do this by sending a quarterly culture survey to our team. The survey asks them questions to determine if the values and practices are clear to them. It also asks them to rate which values and practices are most beneficial to the team and to their work. After collecting survey results, we meet as a team to discuss our values and practices.
As you implement your values and practices, you’re going to learn about what works and what doesn’t. As such, be prepared to revise them. At my company, we have a solid set of values and practices that we spent a fair amount of time creating. But as our business evolves and we bring on new team members, we revisit the values and practices and revise them as needed.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A company’s core values shouldn’t just sound nice. They should become guiding principles for everyone in your organizations to follow.
Ideally, employees should be able to consult our values during times of autonomous decision-making. That way, they can make choices that align with our intended brand direction. However, many companies have values that aren’t clear or up to date. As Gallup research shows, this can lead to serious problems.
In one of Gallup’s recent surveys, fewer than one-quarter of respondents said they’re led by their company’s values. A mere 27% admit to believing in the values that their employers highlight. As a result, the values become little more than words — and that undermines their potential to be inspirational and clarifying.
Ideally, you want your corporate values to do much more than sound good on paper. You want them to resonate with all your team members and appeal to your customers or client base. To get those benefits, though, you may need to reconsider or refresh your existing company values. Below are the best strategies to make sure new values are reflective of what employees and buyers need.
1. Bring your workers into the discussion early
Getting buy-in for values is hard if you haven’t asked your team for feedback first. A better way to ensure that your values are on the right track is to survey your workforce. We recommend bringing in a third party. Consider partnering with a consultant with experience creating strong, effective corporate cultures. After all, you want your values to drive your culture — and vice versa.
To put it into practice, hold town halls, send out surveys, and find out the ways your people want to be contacted and ultimately treated. I’ve found that this is one of the best ways to get the conversation started across the corporate landscape.
2. Match your words with your actions
Too often, companies share values but don’t live those values. Your corporate actions should support your company’s values. For example, one of our values is to treat all people equitably. If we had gender pay gaps that weren’t being addressed, we would show my team that I’m not truly behind the values I push. It wouldn’t take long before someone noted the disconnect, which could lead to employee turnover or negative press.
There are plenty of ways to match your actions to your values. Case in point, you could donate to specific causes. Or you could pay your employees to do volunteer work throughout the year. Feel free to get creative in a way that makes sense based on what your values are.
3. Talk about your values
Keeping your values top of mind can be tough, especially during busy periods. One method to keep values alive that we’ve leaned into is talking about them openly. For instance, adding them to your company’s social media or blog posts. The more often you speak about your values, the more real they’ll become to internal and external stakeholders.
A side advantage of discussing your values is that they’ll become synonymous with your brand. Patagonia is a good example of this. The company’s core values include environmentalism, unconventionality, and a commitment to justice. As such, Patagonia’s leaders have made bold stands about protecting the planet and fighting systemic racism. The result? The company and its values are forever married.
4. Start small and sincere
If you’re starting on the path to constructing values, begin on a smaller scale. You don’t need to have a dozen value points. I’ve noticed that selecting just one is enough to kickstart your company. It’s okay to add more value statements or expand them as you move forward.
Remember: The goal isn’t to overwhelm everyone with what you value as an organization. It’s to show your business’s true colors. Feel free to choose individual words to make up your values or generate a sentence that embodies your values. Slack does the latter with its header: “Make work life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.” It’s easy to see how that value statement could become a roadmap for teams to follow.
You can’t always be around to tell your employees and peers what to do. But your core values can. Start refreshing and refining your value proposition today. When you do, you’ll better position your company to remain strong and competitive.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Gone are the days of avoiding politics and religion at the dinner table. Today, we often wear our opinions and beliefs on our sleeves, and divisive views dominate the news. Employees are increasingly vocalizing their support or dissent for various causes and issues and expecting their places of work to take a stand. With a major election occurring next year, and tensions sure to arise throughout the process, now is the time for you to invest in your company’s cultural foundation so that no matter the circumstances, a team’s cohesion and productivity aren’t collateral damage of the election cycle.
This climate can be treacherous for business leaders trying to unite teams toward productive goals. Employers who stay quiet or whose views land on an unpopular side of the debate risk sparking discord — in fact, 40% of workers would consider quitting their job if their leader took a stance they disagreed with, according to a recent CNBC|Momentive Workforce Survey. Oftentimes, though, quiet can be misconstrued as well, or worse, become a void filled by others’ opinions that may not be in the best interest of the business.
We all want to experience psychological safety in the workplace and have the opportunity for our opinions to be heard. If your employees trust that the organization and team have their back, they’ll be more willing to collaborate and pull together. This begins by walking your talk — address your employees’ concerns, lead “fireside” chats where your door is open to anyone from any level or send thoughtful and well-constructed emails that acknowledge the turmoil affecting your teams.
If you can find ways to balance the differences and unions within your teams, you can discover that a business can be a beautiful example of diversity, an antidote to the echo chambers we find online and a real opportunity to understand others. Here are three ways that you can start being more proactive about the tough conversations in your company and build a strong foundation to weather combative times:
1. Set clear cultural values from the start
The combative atmosphere around business values may encourage you to take a neutral stance on everything, but staying quiet won’t stop gaps from forming. Instead, you want to be proactive like Salesforce about creating shared values that build a culture of trust and respect for individual beliefs. Since 2015, Salesforce has been public about its moves to make pay within its workforce more equitable and has spoken out against discriminatory legislation.
For strong cultural values to exist within your organization and have alignment between all employees, you have to start from the beginning for a consistent experience. When new hires arrive, welcome them with a transparent conversation about what behaviors are expected that reflect the company values and how commitment to these behaviors plays a critical role in the company’s success. Also, invite them to call you out if they don’t see those values in action so they know that no one is exempt from these values.
While having discussions about culture can be challenging, it will be much easier and healthier to have conversations now instead of when something goes wrong. Set expectations from the beginning of your working relationships (or as soon as you can). When trouble arises, you’ll already have a shared language to tackle it.
Create a shared culture, but don’t ignore differences either. Your differences make you unique as a group of people and as a business. What’s more, your differing views can fuel creativity and growth and helps you to connect with a wider audience.
When acknowledging differences as a leader, it’s important to remember that not every moment is ideal for these conversations. Again, a good rule of thumb is to be proactive about these discussions rather than waiting for a misunderstanding to arise.
Set aside time to get to know each other better. Ask your teams what differences they bring to the table and give them a chance to educate you on the best language to use when talking about those differences.
3. Rally toward a common cause
Twice a month, I send out Friday emails to my team to discuss recent events and double down on our shared purpose. With the media leaning more heavily on divisive language, I choose to talk about shared aims and challenges, so the team can remember that we have more in common than we may initially think. In a recent email, I ended by writing: “I look forward to sharing stories as we seek out those commonalities in places we may have overlooked in the past. Just like our acts of kindness create a ripple effect, our search for and celebration of commonality can do the same.”
Despite differences, shared beliefs can be central themes in your team’s narrative. If things get hairy in the political world, you can rest on these shared beliefs, using them to lean on as you talk about dissimilarities. What could your shared purpose be?
Since I began sharing more of my full self with my team, they have begun to reciprocate, creating a highly empowered and trusting culture. The best path toward building an empathetic culture lies in your hands and is cultivated first and foremost through your modeling and behavior. Ask yourself what is your behavior? How does your team feel after interactions with you?
If you are truly and authentically empathetic, your team will learn to do the same. It becomes a cultural norm. And the business will attract the type of people who can help that culture flourish exponentially.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There’s a cynical and quite popular view about business, to the effect that it’s “all about the money.” You hear from inside the business world (sometimes in popular expressions like “greed is good” or “business is business”) and outside of it (from people who believe there’s something inevitably selfish or aggressive about business).
While this view does describe a slice of reality, it’s ultimately reductive and incomplete. The bigger picture is more complex and nuanced.
To be successful over the long run, a business must continuously deliver benefits to a series of stakeholders. Investors and employees, partners and clients, vendors and even governments: all must benefit from the continued existence of a business to keep contributing to its growth and flourishing. Keep penalizing any one of these constituents, and the natural karmic wheel starts turning, creating losses and offsetting gains in ways both visible and not.
So, how do successful businesses keep this web of interlocking interests tightly knit? Financial incentives undoubtedly play a part. So do opportunities for engagement and personal growth. But there’s also something deeper. Something that plays to people’s sense of identity and fosters trusted, long-term relationships. Enter values.
In their simplest form, values are basic principles that favor some goals, attitudes and actions over others. A value practiced by a person or group becomes a virtue of that entity. A team of 40 psychology researchers has identified six core virtues that exist in virtually all cultures: wisdom, courage, empathy, justice, temperance and transcendence. In the world of organizations, classic examples of values are Bridgewater’s radical transparency, the Navy SEAL Ethos and Band-Aid’s standards of safety.
To serve their purpose, values impose preferences and priorities. They mean that when faced with trade-offs, you systematically prefer some options and choices over others. A bunch of nice words that claim to value everything good equally is not the same thing as a set of authentically held core values. Values imply commitment, sometimes even sacrifice.
Jim Collins, the best-selling author of Good to Great, has spent decades studying the DNA of successful businesses. His team has combed through mountains of data to complete their evidence-based comparisons. On the other end of this analysis, Collins writes that there is but one non-negotiable element for any business that strives for greatness. It isn’t a trendy strategy, insight or hack. It’s something that sounds a bit old-fashioned but that the data shows is much more important: A company must have a set of core values that do not change.
Here are four reasons why values matter so much in business:
1. They help define culture
Culture is about much more than office swag, perks or dress-down Fridays. It’s made up of all the elements that make the reality of a business coherent to its stakeholders — from the factors that truly drive its decisions, to its policies and work modalities, all the way down to team dynamics and the tone that people use to interact with one another. In elevating some goals over others, values provide the settings that define a work culture. Silicon Valley is known for a more relaxed work environment and collaborative work methods, both of which are conducive to creativity. Wall Street law firms are more buttoned up, valuing prudence and discipline to established standards more highly. Each culture works in its own way and is upheld by a different set of values.
2. They cement relationships
Relationships are built around shared expectations of future behavior. When these expectations are met, mutual trust builds over time, justifying higher levels of joint commitment. A set of shared values creates benchmarks for behavior and dispute resolution. Research shows that an adopted value becomes a reliable indicator of future behavior. For example, one study found that the correlation between honesty scores across situations is greater than the correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. Since authentically held values are so helpful in predicting behavior, it’s no wonder they’re a critical component of quality, long-term relationships.
Leaders often don’t have the bandwidth to micro-manage every decision. With a clear set of core values in place, stakeholders can better determine which options and choices are preferable on their own. Values provide heuristics — decision-making shortcuts — during times of uncertainty or compressed deadlines. Decisions can then become more decentralized and efficient while staying true to a company’s long-term goals and identity.
4. They sustain a company’s mission
A mission or purpose can set the overall direction of a business, but values are the vehicles for how it wants to get there. Research suggests that companies with a sense of purpose tend to grow faster than those without one, but purpose alone isn’t enough. A set of core values that are congruent with the broader purpose of a company gives shape to the journey.
For all the usual emphasis on words, however, values ultimately come down to actions. Otherwise, nice words on paper inevitably turn to confusion, cynicism and chaos. For this reason, one value perhaps lies at the center of all others: the value of integrity. Integrity means the authentic alignment between words and actions. There’s a fine line between genuine confusion with moral uncertainty and paying values mere lip service, carrying them out only when expedient. Human beings are usually smart enough to tell the difference, especially over longer stretches of time.
In short, values can provide businesses with a key combination of structure and flexibility to achieve their many goals. If your business hasn’t established or fleshed out its own core values yet, you now have a deeper understanding of why they matter so much. So, ensure that yours are authentic, unchanging and maintained throughout your organization.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When you hear the word “values,” you probably think of some personal examples, such as discipline or perseverance. Go one step further and consider leaders you admire. What values were behind the notable decisions they made or memorable actions they took? Were those values in alignment with their choices?
As a leader, I firmly believe that aligning your management style with your values is critical. Otherwise, you will come across as disingenuous. If a leader says they value trust but is constantly micromanaging the team, are they really trusting? You’ve likely considered this type of alignment when looking at your career moves or choosing a candidate at the polls. What about within yourself? Let’s explore how you can understand your values and align your leadership style accordingly.
To align your leadership style with your values, you must understand them first. Most of us have several core values that we live by. Of course, some may change over time, but you likely have a set of values that never change. These values guide you in decision-making, solving problems and building relationships. Core values also shape how you approach your work.
Examples of core values include honesty, integrity, commitment, respect, trust and communication. While individuals live by their core values, as many as 80% of companies and organizations have them. It’s up to leadership to carry out an organization’s core values, which affect employee behavior and company culture. Employees will see the misalignment if the company values state one thing and leaders behave differently.
Next, you’ll need to understand your leadership style.
What’s your leadership style?
The better you understand how you engage with others, the easier it will be to align with personal and company values. There are eight different kinds of leadership styles:
An autocratic leader takes control. Key characteristics of an autocratic leader include being results-centered, efficient and micromanaging. This type of leader wants to ensure employees abide by company policies and rely on leadership for instruction. An autocratic leader can be helpful in emergencies when less-experienced employees need clear instructions to reach a solution.
Charismatic leaders have a charming and magnetic management style. They are highly persuasive, committed to their cause, and interested in building relationships. A charismatic leader takes pride in rallying the team to achieve a goal. This management style often results in helping employees feel engaged, supported and motivated at work.
Democratic leaders are collaborative and experimental. A democratic management style promotes creativity, engagement and teamwork. A democratic leader enjoys getting input from the team before making decisions. This management style can lead to bonds between leaders and team members.
Laissez-faire or a “hands-off” leader promotes trust and growth among the team. These leaders encourage innovation, have confidence in their employees, and want independent staff. This leadership style works best with highly experienced professionals. When self-disciplined employees have more autonomy, they often demonstrate initiative.
Leaders who utilize a coaching style of management may remind you of a sports team coach. Coach-like leaders can identify what motivates each employee and are dedicated to their team members’ development. Leaders with a coaching management style often encourage their employees to develop their talents further and create new opportunities.
A pacesetting leader creates high standards for the team and is always looking for ways to be productive. This type of leader has high expectations and overwhelms employees with demands. This management style can help build trust among employees who recognize their manager adheres to the same standards they set for their team.
Leaders with a bureaucratic management style utilize a well-defined hierarchy for tasks. A bureaucratic leader is focused on following rules, is less concerned with collaboration and assigns each employee responsibilities and tasks. This leadership style is helpful in heavily regulated industries but less effective in creative environments.
Transactional leaders improve employee performance via rewards, such as incentives and monetary bonuses. A leader with a transactional management style acts as a mentor for employees, provides detailed instruction to ensure expectations are met, and responds to adverse outcomes with disciplinary actions. This management style is highly effective in helping teams hit sales and revenue goals but less helpful in leading teams or departments focused on driving innovation.
Now that you’ve identified your core values and leadership style, it’s time to get them in sync.
Align your values with your leadership style
1. State your intentions
Kick things off by formally defining your values and purpose in a written statement. Your purpose is what you want to accomplish, for whom, and to what result. Your values will precisely guide how you tackle the goals outlined in your purpose.
Then, share your purpose and values with your team. Your purpose can be an evolving document that changes with experience, but you’ll hold each other accountable as a team.
2. Behave consistently
Now it’s time to act on the standards you’ve set. Look at actions, decisions, and plans through the lens of your purpose and core values. If there’s any misalignment, talk to other leaders you trust within the company. Each day, strive to go home knowing you did your best to stay aligned with your values. If you retroactively catch yourself misaligned, ensure you take proactive action the next day to remedy the decision or action.
Stay true to your word by encouraging honest feedback. Make it clear that you’re trying to act in alignment with your values regularly.
Structure your feedback discussions and ask how you can do better. When the conversation ends, genuinely thank them for taking the time to help you understand their viewpoint.
In addition to seeking feedback, regularly check in to refine your purpose and values and share it with your team.
Understanding your values and aligning them with your leadership style takes time and practice, especially in an evolving company setting. Be open to change and feedback to adjust your actions accordingly.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The last couple of years has been incredibly challenging for businesses worldwide. None were left unaffected by the ongoing crises of global warming, Covid-19, or inflation. When the pandemic hit, it left companies with no other option but to adopt a new hybrid model of work culture. Each of us had to step out of our comfort zone and learn how to master work-from-home quickly.
Just when we thought the pandemic was over, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine posed a new threat to the world economy and politics. The whole generation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs was now forced to find ways of supporting their businesses and teams regardless of the war. As the CEO of BetterMe, a company headquartered in Ukraine, I can share the experience of how I charge my team with energy and motivation, considering the major crises that keep unfolding around us in Ukraine.
On the first day of the invasion, I was sure of nothing but one thing: If my team withstood this crisis, the company would keep thriving too. After almost a year of full-scale war, the Ukrainian tech industry is not just surviving — it continues growing day by day. According to data from the National Bank of Ukraine, IT industry export revenues actually increased by 23% year-on-year during the first six months of 2022 to reach $3.74 billion. Our teams stay strong and motivated despite the power outages, the mental health burden and the neverending bad news that the war brings daily. How is that possible?
Ralph Emerson once said, “Every great institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man.” Even if Emerson hinted at the leader, I believe the company is an extension of everyone who works there. If your team shares common goals and values with your business, it will withstand any storm coming its way.
Values matter: How to motivate better performance in the workplace
Company-wide and individual employee values should sync to achieve the best results on both sides. Such alignment makes them equals, working together towards one common goal. More than that, the company needs to know how to channel these values. If the candidates are aware of these values during the interview, they’ll know whether this company is a good match for them too.
As a result, a value-united team will share a sense of mission they strive to achieve together. For example, at BetterMe, we aspire to make a healthy lifestyle available to millions of people worldwide. Our mission is creating happiness from within, which spreads not only to our users but also to our team. People are our greatest value, so we prioritized caring for them when the war knocked on our doors.
Helping others became our team’s biggest motivation and value in 2022. We thought of ways we could support people, our fellow Ukrainians, at the time of this nationwide crisis. On the second day of the war, we opened free access to BetterMe: Health Coaching and BetterMe: Mental Health for all Ukrainians. Even though it was a challenging task, the team saw its tremendous value for the people and worked hard to make it happen. We had numerous volunteer initiatives throughout the year, including holding donation events or launching a charity sportswear collection to raise funds. We stay on track because everyone on the team is strongly motivated to contribute to others’ wellbeing and keep helping those affected by the war.
Building a strong team starts with hiring the right people
But great teams aren’t created when the crisis hits — this process starts much earlier. According to recent research, a bad hire isn’t only bad for the team but can also cost a company $15,000 on average. That’s why we practice bar-raising: It’s a great tool to cut unnecessary costs and ensure we hire the right people. This practice applies to the last interview stage, aiming to “scan” a person and see if they align with the company’s values.
In the interview process, our C-level employees can ask the candidate anything from how they would act in various imaginary scenarios to how they envision their professional growth in the future. These questions can clarify their motivation, values and professional potential.
Hearing their answers, your employee can assess whether this person is a good fit for your company. Bar-raising can bring you closer to that employee-company match and guarantee successful long-term relationships. Hiring “your” people creates stronger teams and companies that can deal with any crisis.
What to do when a crisis puts your values on hold
A crisis is only dangerous to the extent it affects your team’s wellbeing. Evolutionarily, a situation of danger puts all humans into a fight-or-flight mode, evoking our basic survival instincts and making everything else insignificant. Because how can one remain productive and motivated on a falling plane?
When a plane is about to take off, all passengers hear instructions: “Put on your oxygen mask first before helping others.” This rule applies to business perfectly: Prioritize your wellbeing to help your clients later. Taking care of your team first is crucial to getting your company back on track as quickly as possible. When the full-scale invasion started, I instantly prioritized the safety and security of our team and their families. After helping with the evacuation, we encouraged our team to stay on track with our mental health app, regular sports, online English lessons, drawing, and planting masterclasses, floral design classes etc. Despite continuing to work hybrid, regular activities provided stability for our team in times of uncertainty.
In some cases, hybrid work culture can even contribute to a sense of belonging in the workplace. For example, an online initiative can unite people who work remotely and make them feel like they’re all doing a part in a significant project together. In our case, we organized a Vyshyvanka Day flashmob when everyone recorded a short video wearing their piece of national garment and singing our national song, which lifted the whole team’s spirits. Under the company’s care and guidance, the team performance will gradually improve as everyone learns to adapt and manage stress better. The good news is — you’re all in this together.
In times of crises and instability, businesses start seeing what matters the most. People are the company’s most important value: Whoever wins the talent race can scale better and faster than their competitors. By implementing these practices, you can get ahead in this race; strengthen and motivate the team to deliver results amidst the crisis. I know that a sense of shared mission and values in my team keeps our company thriving, even when the power outages hit Kyiv again.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Once upon a time, protecting the wellbeing of employees might have been viewed as a luxury for a few lucky workers or a fluffy topic for soft leaders with nothing better to worry about — but things are changing. The U.S. military has recognized the importance of mental health since 2009 when it launched its “resilience training” program. While the corporate sector has been slower to catch on, more than 90% of leaders believe promoting wellness boosts performance.
As a past military leader myself, many of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about employee wellbeing come from my time in the army. Today, I’ll share them with you.
The big M has become more popularized over the last few years, yet not every organization thinks it’s useful or feels comfortable discussing it. Most people certainly wouldn’t associate with the military.
But mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment. And where could that skill be more critical than in a survival environment where failing to be alert could put you and the rest of the team in danger?
The army teaches soldiers how to stay in the moment and make better decisions under pressure by encouraging mindfulness practices like sitting with your thoughts for a few minutes each day. As well as boosting on-the-job performance, the military has found this training helps soldiers to deal with the after-effects of being in a traumatic situation.
Standard employees might not be dealing with life-and-death situations, but they can adopt similar principles.
Mindfulness in the workplace comes down to developing the ability to deal with the emotions, stresses and conflicts that crop up each day. You need to teach employees how to become more aware of the present moment and accept their feelings, thoughts and decision-making processes instead of being slaves to them. It’s the difference between feeling stressed and thinking “the world is burning, I’m overwhelmed and I want to go home” and “I’m feeling the sensation of stress right now, but that’s okay, it’s just a sensation. I’ll let myself breathe for a bit and let it go.”
Thanks to the widespread awareness of mindfulness these days, it’s easier than ever to help your team learn to deal with what’s going on in their head. For instance, the Calm app is full of guided meditations, many of which are directly related to the workplace and last less than ten minutes (making them easy to slot into schedules).
Why not offer a free subscription to everyone who works for you?
You’d struggle to find an organization with a more tight-knit culture than the army — those who have been in the military often describe it as a “brotherhood.” Everyone is united by their shared purpose to serve the country, authority is respected for the most part and everyone knows they have to work together to achieve their goals.
68% of veterans say they’re proud of their service. How many people would say the same of a former employer?
You can try to emulate this idea of a “brotherhood” by giving your employees a sense of purpose and connecting them to the company’s greater mission. Make your values a part of daily processes, and review them with your employees.
The way you lead also makes a big difference. Instead of creating a dog-eat-dog or hustle-hard environment, lead with empathy, transparency and trustworthiness. Are you truly being honest with your team and doing your best to look out for them?
To show that you have everyone’s best interests at heart, curate an agile working environment and give everyone opportunities to try new things, plus the flexibility to take things easy when they’re struggling. You may be able to use technology to help your team connect and get more out of their job — for instance, tools that facilitate remote working or offer education.
Don’t forget the financial side
It’s a well-known fact that the U.S. military looks after its soldiers. Not only do most soldiers receive a fairly substantial salary, but they also have a range of other perks. These include:
Free college at public colleges.
A savings deposit program with 10% interest (for those in a combat zone).
Affordable housing.
Affordable life insurance.
Allowances for food and housing (in some cases).
Many private-sector companies could learn from this. In the working world, employers often favor solutions related to improving corporate culture and providing perks of the job, while employees would simply prefer to earn more. The truth is something in between — there’s more to a positive working experience than good pay, but without financial security, you’re probably not going to get people to stick around or produce their best work.
Who is going to want to follow the guided meditations on Calm if they can’t even fill their car up with gas?
Considering the current environment with rising inflation, high-interest rates and the increasing cost of living, this isn’t something you should be neglecting. Do some market research to gauge how much other companies are giving employees with similar roles — and look at your budget to see if there’s any wiggle room to offer more.
Wellbeing is just the beginning
With the global corporate wellness market set to reach $90 billion by 2026, overlooking this could mean you get left behind. When you work on your team’s wellbeing, you won’t just be making your employees happier — you’ll increase the chances of them sticking around, being more productive and being committed enough to the organization to lead innovation.
Employee wellbeing isn’t as simple as implementing a single action, and a strategy that works for one company isn’t necessarily going to be right for every organization. But if you try various approaches and are prepared to tweak them until you figure out what works, you’ll be impressed with the results.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In times of high pressure, aspirational core values can seem entirely impractical. Who has time for being “bold,” “innovative” or “connected” when they’re slammed by a barrage of emails and threatened by volatility or disruption?
In these situations, values are relegated to vinyl stickers on an office wall or words tucked away on the About Us page of a website. How many people can recall their company’s values, never mind using them as a blueprint for decision-making and the basis for team alignment and trust?
Values are what is important. Whether you can articulate them clearly or not, you have values. Your company has values and they are set by the executive — not the marketing — team.
Leadership values shape employee behavior. If leaders value financial performance over all else, employee well-being, environmental impact or social connectivity may be neglected. Values contagion is a real phenomenon, and no training initiative will shift your culture if leadership values are misaligned or inconsistent. Employees roll their eyes at what they perceive as phony company values when leaders don’t walk the talk.
Values in distress
Distress arises when there is a misalignment of values. For example, imagine that you’re working late nights and sacrificing family time. If a core value is family, you’ll start feeling resentful toward work. Or perhaps you’re spending too much time caring for your family when a core value is productivity. You might then resent your family. There is no right or wrong; your values profile is entirely unique.
In life’s journey, purpose is your North Star and values are the flame lighting your way. The terrain may be challenging, but knowing what is important and acting in alignment reduces ambiguity and increases fulfillment. You’ll have a reason “why” and a torch to guide your “how.” If the flame of your values burns low, you — and your team — may feel lost. In an environment of uncertainty, we activate ancient survival mechanisms, including our negativity bias, to secure our safety.
Are values purely cognitive?
The missing link in values alignment is our physiological state. When distressed, under threat or unwell, our values shift from aspirational and collaborative to primal and protective.
There’s an ancient part of the brain called the amygdala. It scans input arriving via our senses and triggers strong emotions to help protect us from perceived threats. This can save our life if a lion wanders into the office. It saved the lives of our ancestors who navigated challenging environments where direct threats to survival were the norm. Fast forward to modern life, where inboxes overflow, amplified by pressure to perform and conflicting demands. We are our worst enemies because to manage complexity, we need to be calm, present and energized — yet we’re sleeping less and worrying more than ever.
The flame of our values is reduced to embers under chronic distress. Our window of tolerance shrinks. We become a less human version of ourselves. Driven by basic survival emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, craving or disgust, the potential for creativity and collaboration is impaired. Our values downgrade to surviving rather than thriving.
Values-based leadership requires deliberately shifting from fight, flight or freeze into a state of calm coherence: body, emotion and mind. How do you establish calm? Create space in your day. Schedule micro-breaks. Use breathing techniques, meditation, and time in nature to reboot your nervous system.
Train yourself out of habituated busyness by silencing your phone when it is not in use. Your phone is a tool, don’t mistake it for a friend. It is an extractive technology, and it is mining your attention.
Polyvagal theory suggests that our nervous system is capable of progressing from calm to playfulness, trust, and high performance. In high performance, you can purposefully ride the edge of fight-flight while in a deeply immersive flow state. Here lies the golden zone for values-based action — and a 500% productivity boost.
When you trust your environment, yourself and your team, you unlock psychological safety and a shift towards a values-driven culture.
Values as habits
Your values should be actionable. Instead of words describing desired traits, they should be an identity you believe in. For example, if you value kindness, your identity is: I am a kind person. Now, what does a kind person do? Simply, they treat others with respect, care and compassion.
So we proceed to build micro-habits around this identity. Start with what you can achieve in 60 seconds or less. Prepare your environment by leaving strategically positioned cues or reminders. As a kind person, I might choose gratitude as a micro-habit worth implementing. So I set a reminder at 4 p.m. every day to reach out to one person in appreciation, care or support. With repetition, this is embedded in my operating system as a habit. I consistently send positive ripples across my circle of influence. I’m becoming the person I aspire to be through targeted, decisive and practical action.
We are the sum of our habits. Even a company value like innovation requires a web of supporting practices, ranging from vitality to goal-setting. Leaders valuing innovation need to allocate space for it to emerge. Habits such as relaxation, which shifts us out of fight-flight mode, contemplation and play will support innovation.
Follow a phased approach, upscaling the habits that work. Build rhythm in your work and life.
Instead of espousing aspirational values, lead with values-based behavior. You’ll transform yourself, your team and your business one micro-habit at a time.
Remember that the most significant risk to values is distress — so stay calm. Be the change you wish to see in your organization. Nurture your values flame so that you burn bright instead of burning out. Light the way, and your team and culture will follow.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Whether you run a start-up that focuses on a single market or own a large business that operates worldwide, defining the company’s mission and values is the fundamental thing needed to communicate its reason for existence, connect to customers and organize the group of people who will work toward a common business goal.
This is what the “First Who, Then What” concept presented by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great refers to. It also encourages entrepreneurs at the helm of building successful organizations to “get right people on the bus” — in the key seats — and only then decide where to steer the bus. My company quickly became convinced of this idea’s veracity, and I am willing to share how we ensure no “random passengers” on board.
When we saw our company growing 10x in the first three months after launch, we understood that this increase was most likely to continue along the same lines. And now, after ten months of operation, the monthly revenue exceeds $3 million from zero, which is an even greater performance, meaning that our assumptions were right. So we needed a more advanced approach to business to keep pace with it.
After consulting with a few highly skilled entrepreneurs from various niches, we summarized our research and concluded that any great organization’s first and foremost criterion was quality recruitment.
Сompany values that let the workforce know the essential parts of doing any given business are what underlies the hiring processes. They serve as a reliable guideline for an employer who seeks long-term and productive cooperation.
While hard skills can be corrected or enhanced over time, a potential employee’s values are usually immutable. In case a candidate’s inner culture runs counter to your company’s principles, making a job offer:
poses a threat of wasting time and energy on training;
can cost you thousands of dollars — our HR department calculated that the losses are six monthly salaries of a bad hire plus indirect costs of the organization’s inefficiency;
will eventually require more efforts to revitalize the search for a better employee.
Setting your company’s core values helps avoid these outcomes, systematize the qualities that you need your staff to have and better understand what workforce should be fired. If employees easily get discouraged by what they do after a month of operation, do not learn from their failures or do not want to grow, they are not with us for long. The passengers of our bus never give up and always strive for more.
When working on your company’s culture, consider the values that matter to you. Do not motivate your employees to lead a moderate and thrifty lifestyle if you purchase a luxury purse every time you walk past an expensive boutique. Otherwise, your employees will soon sense the difference, and communicating with the team will be much more challenging.
If several entrepreneurs manage a business, all co-founders must agree on the company’s values to avoid future misunderstandings and conflicts. As three co-founders, we came to common opinions about our company. Among them, we believe that we need to be first in everything. Thus we are waiting for a job candidate who is not just a good employee, but a top performer. Also, we do not tolerate gossip and rumors, so we cannot go any further with those who demonstrate that they are prone to backstabbing.
Based on our experience, the best solution is to integrate your values into all employee development activities, which requires excellent internal communication. We started by presenting the company’s mission and values to our C-level executives to assess whether they could settle down in the team. As soon as some positive progress was made, we designed our own culture fit scoring system, which implies:
Holding an extra interview with a competent expert to determine whether the candidate’s values correlate with the company’s fundamental beliefs. In cases with C-level managers and team leads, often the co-founders themselves perform this role. Ideally, you should involve an impartial specialist who did not previously participate in the hiring process and will never even cross paths with a candidate at this job. Thus, you manage to avoid the bias as people unconsciously sympathize with those they already put time and energy into. This tactic is a good hedge against the risks – third-party opinions have already saved us from multiple bad hires.
Including acquaintance of new employees with the core values into the list of the onboarding activities so that every specialist knows what qualities you appreciate along with hard skills;
Launching individual training plans and performance reviews for employees who are generally good performers but lack a few essential qualities. For example, suppose people are afraid of making decisions. In that case, managers are gradually delegating relevant tasks to them. Then the discussion of the results takes place.
As an ending note, I would like to share one good method my company uses as part of culture fit when selecting suitable candidates during interviews: appeal to your senses. This means that the first part of the conversation you spend being diligent and attentive to details, but then you distance yourself from what you hear, focus on your inner thoughts and try to feel the candidate in front of you. Sometimes employers become too keen on the process and ignore their doubts when having doubts should be a key signal for refusal.
Creating the company’s culture is more important than coming up with strategies because strategies are executed by people who get genuinely inspired by your mission and values. Setting the right culture fit scoring system may significantly increase your recruitment’s effectiveness and ensure your business’s long-term success.
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