How understanding personal values makes you a better leader

Becoming consciously aware of what makes you tick…what drives you…what’s important to you…is one of the ways you can increase your satisfaction and joy in life. Because when you are aware of this, you can see what you’re doing that doesn’t fit (and may be a source of dissatisfaction or frustration) and make decisions about things that do. You can also get a deeper understanding of what’s going on beneath the surface when you find yourself in conflict with another, which may give you some ideas on how to resolve it.

But the odd thing is, when I start asking these types of questions to my coaching clients, a lot of them haven’t thought about what is deeply important to them in such a matter-of-fact way. It’s why I start all my engagements by giving them a values assessment, so they can start to find words that articulate what it is that makes them tick. 

Our values, whether we’re conscious of them or not, drive our behavior. It’s why you might be drawn to some causes, certain people, or a particular type of lifestyle. It’s also why some things might disturb or bother you on a deep level (this is when you might be running into a values conflict)

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I had a client who led a team, and one of his top values was hard work. The way he would define this is that when you are faced with a task, you complete it to the best of your ability, always. Beneath this was a belief that good work creates its own value, and is why one should operate in such a way. You would say he was a self-motivated individual because of this. 

However, a few of those he led did not necessarily have this same value, so there was some frustration and a sincere lack of understanding as to why certain individuals were so hard to motivate to operate at a certain level. When he could see that not everyone automatically operated under his values (we all do this at times, by the way!... assume people operate in similar beliefs to ours…) he understood why this was a personal source of tension for him. 

Then, he got curious as to what his direct report’s values were. This process of understanding his team member's personal values really transformed the way he led those individuals. As an example, he discovered his “most challenging” direct report valued recognition (recognition not just for their accomplishments, but recognition in the sense of being known as another human).

So, my client made sure to take some extra time to hear this person out when they had thoughts and opinions, to acknowledge their history at the organization and the experience they brought with them because of that, to take some time to connect on this person’s life outside of work, and even what types of hopes and dreams he had for himself in life. Then my client saw opportunities to assign certain work to this person that connected to what he knew he’d like, ways he could leverage his direct report’s rich historical knowledge of the organization, and ultimately, helped him feel seen and valued.

Whether you’re a formal leader, a team member, or even a solopreneur, knowing what makes you tick is extremely helpful in working through moments of feeling stuck and saying yes to the things that truly bring you joy.

If this isn’t something you’ve identified clearly, or perhaps haven’t thought about it in a long time, here’s a link to the values assessment I provide my coaching clients to give you clarity on how you can consciously own the power you have to create the life you want to live, instead of life letting it run you. 

If you want to go deeper into your results and how you can leverage them in your life, let’s hop on a discovery call to see if a coaching engagement might be right for you! Click here to connect.