In the wake of many recent high-profile corporate and public
sector scandals in the UK and in the USA, many organisations are focused on
rebuilding damaged reputations and restoring trust. Leaders' values are
increasingly important as businesses seek to become more responsible,
accountable and transparent.
Values-based
leaders can help others (employees, customers and other stakeholders) find
meaning and purpose in what they do.
There are very real, commercial benefits to developing and
putting into practice values-based leadership in your organisation. As well as
increased motivation and engagement, if there had been more true values-based
leaders around before the financial crisis, many of those high-profile
corporate scandals would never have happened in the first place.
Know yourself
Develop your self-awareness. You may have role models you
can learn from, but don't try to copy them. Think about what you stand for and
what matters to you.
Identify your
business values
Your business values should resonate with your employees,
customers, and other stakeholders. When defining or refreshing your values, ask
different groups of people for input. Test your values out. Are they
meaningful? They should be easy to communicate, easy to understand, and easy to
buy into.
Be authentic
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Authentic leaders
are true to themselves and operate with integrity both in and out of work.
Be open minded
Consider other points of view. Explore each challenge from a
range of perspectives, such as thinking what customers or colleagues think.
This helps you and your team gain a broader understanding and make balanced
decisions.
Be confident
Self-confidence is not about being arrogant; it's about
recognising your strengths and the areas you can improve. You need confidence
to be true to your values.
Have some humility
Remember who you are and be true to your roots. Humility
helps you treat others with respect and keeps things in perspective. It's one
of the key factors missing from autocratic leadership and a critical element of
values-based leadership.
Be a role model
As a leader, you should aim to live your organisation's
values. You've got to walk the talk.
Be brave
Values-based leaders have the courage to speak up and to
stand up for what they believe is right. At times this can be difficult. Often it's a lot easier to keep your head
down and choose the easiest path. If you stick up for what's right it
encourages others to do the same.
Reward values-based
behaviour
Is your reward strategy in line with your values? Recently,
some big banks have announced plans to reward employees based on their ability
to develop mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with customers and
other stakeholders, rather than rewarding a short-term focus on profit. Does
your business reward values-based behaviour?
Stick to your values
People will really notice if you don't. If you say you
believe in a green agenda and conserving energy but fly everywhere in a private
jet, the people around you will become cynical and stop trusting you.
