Values and behavior are a core part of fulfilling our purpose and manifesting our vision.   The clearer we are about living our values, the more engaged we are with our life including work.  And when our values are mirrored in the organizations or business that we are part of, there is even greater energy, engagement and flow.

As managers, leaders and business owners, we set the context and tone of our organization and business – the culture and interactions within and with our customers and suppliers.   A great deal of credibility, trust and engagement is lost when certain values are espoused as being fundamental  to the business but fail to get reflected in everyday behavior.  Leadership integrity is truly compromised.

Do as you say and lead by example are maxims with proven value.  If respect is a core value and your behavior is consistently disrespectful, you are doing vast damage to your name and brand.   Conversely, if even in times of pressure and conflict, you negotiate through the discussions in a respectful way, then as a leader, you are truly creating value regardless of the outcome.

Your business culture gets reinforced through pivotal moments of truth and this is a time when values come under heavy scrutiny.  You will have many of your own examples when things didn’t quite live up to the promise or conversely the experience of “wow” and “this is really great!”

Here are three SQ leadership insights you may wish to be mindful of in reinforcing your values:

1)      Know that as a leader and or business owner you are continuously being watched. Be conscious of what you are saying and doing and “who you are being.”   You are setting an example and benchmark of what is okay and what isn’t. Create a culture where your people – regardless of their position – have a sense of pride in living and delivering on those values.

2)      As a leadership team or individually – through your actions, create a value bank of great examples – big and small of how your core values have been lived. Breathe life into your values and share stories at every level of organization and business of how someone lived up to the values regularly.

3)      Be open to feedback of times when there may have been a breakdown in delivering upon those values and take corrective action sooner rather than later. Your values are the foundational touchstone of you personally or your business. Be congruent in your words and deeds. Take consistent action and watch your values grow virally, as they in turn, grow you.

Jasbindar Singh is a leadership coach and business psychologist. www.sqconsulting.co.nz