Knowing the ground you’re standing on matters, because
- You can trust yourself when you know what you stand for, and
- Your people trust you when they know what you stand for, even if they disagree with your decisions
Sometimes something doesn’t go my way, but I cannot explain, what about that person’s behaviour or what about that situation is so very irritating to me. Unfortunately my ignorance doesn’t help me resolve the issue, because now I have nothing to communicate other than “I don’t like the way you’re doing this.”
If I know what rubs me the wrong way and more importantly why that is important, I can communicate it and hopefully resolve the issue with kindness while standing my ground.
That’s why it is so important to know what you stand for
What are the personal values that make you who you are, that shape your decisions, that you cannot be without? Fairness, risk taking, family, honesty, novelty, nature?
Often people come up with a list of 10 or more values, but how helpful is that as a guidance in daily life? You’re not going to remember them! And:
You’re not going to pull out a list of 10 values when faced with a leadership decision
So let’s make this more specific.
- What is the number one value that defines you?
- Are you guided by it in your daily life?
- Are you honouring it in your interactions, your judgment, your choices?
- Do you consistently align your decisions with your top value?
- If you were my leader, would I be able to name your key value by watching you lead?
If not, your values should matter to you more. Here’s just two reasons:
When you are not aligned with your values, you won’t find satisfaction in what you do and how you live your life, no matter how successful you look from the outside.
Your values matter a lot to those you lead. If they cannot make you out, they don’t trust you. And if they see you acting out of alignment with the values you profess, you actively demotivate and disengage them. No fun event will undo that damage.
People just cannot stand leaders who don’t stand for anything.
Over to you: What do you stand for?
