Knowing which values are most important to you and discussing them with your team are hallmarks of exceptional leaders. It’s a starting point that builds trust. And as I have learned, whether you want someone to follow you as a leader or simply be your friend, you must start with trust.
Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some exceptional teachers on leadership; two of them being Ken Blanchard and Ed Ruggero. They stressed the importance of knowing what values are most important to you and discussing these with your team. The hardest part of doing this work is narrowing it down to what’s most important to you and why. The list of values I decided years ago were most important to me are teamwork, open communication, respect for the individual, having some fun along the way, and building trust.
My leadership philosophy has always been that a strong leader aligns their head, heart, hands, and habits. That means you determine the right strategies (head), you and your team execute those strategies (hands), you articulate what values are most important to you (heart), and then you do your best to show those values in action each and every day (habits). There will be days that you fall short; I know I do. But at the end of the day…when your head, heart, hands, and habits are aligned, you gain the trust of those with whom you work and play. And I learned many years ago, whether you want someone to follow you as a leader in business or to just be your friend, they must trust you. It’s that simple.
What are the values that matter most to you?
At the end of the day… is an expression meaning an assessment of essential facts and truths. It’s a summation of the pros and cons of any situation and a straightforward statement of what really matters. It’s also the title of this blog series by Brenda Hodge, Nuance Healthcare’s Chief Marketing Officer, with insights about leadership, empathetic customer relationships, and marketing techniques.
