SacredLeadership Blog

Values are a key component of Sacred Leadership.  When I speak of values, I am referring to fundamental principles such as honesty, integrity, compassion and respect.  These values differ from beliefs which can be more fleeting and influenced by new ideas and ways of thinking.  Beliefs tend to change over time, values are much more deeply held and tend to persist.

The Sacred Leader takes the time to develop a sense of shared values as he/she nurtures the team’s commitment to a mission to serve the common good.  Values become an important leadership attribute and tool that provide guidance in achieving the mission.

Shared values are like:

• Glue:  Values hold people together, especially when difficult times come. 
• A Foundation:  Values provide a foundation that provides stability during growth and VUCA ( VUCA is an Army term describing Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous  environments).
• A Ruler:  Values help set the standard for a team’s performance.
• A Compass:  Values provide a moral compass that shape the decsions of the leaders and followers.
• A Magnet:  Values attract people with like values.
• An Identity:  Values define a team and give it a unique identity.
• Boundaries:  Most importantly, values serve as boundaries for behavior when VUCA strikes and action cannot be defined by the rule book. When values don’t define these boundaries we get scandals such as Enron and Abu Graib.

What are your values as a leader? 

What do your values look like in action? 

What values do you look for in your leaders?

Please share a story that illustrates one of the characteristics described above?