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Part 1
Getting Started with Values-Based Leadership
IN THIS PART âŠ
Explore the basic concepts and application of values-based leadership.
Decipher the workforce Quad: who they are, what they want, and how theyâre reshaping leadership today.
Understand why values-based leadership requires a different type of leader who can focus on we rather than just me. Narcissism is an outdated strategy.
Unravel what it really means to create a shared values economy and see how it can help boost your organizationâs effectiveness to make a difference.
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Chapter 1
Welcome to the World of Values-Based Leadership
IN THIS CHAPTER
Understanding the progression of company culture Recognizing the steps of values-based leadership Knowing when change is necessary in a company Creating a winning company with values and character I wonder why youâre here, reading this book. Are you experiencing a problem in your own leadership? Or have you perhaps recognized that you want to move your organization in a more constructive, socially aware, and purposeful direction? Maybe youâve begun the practice of values-based leadership (VBL), but something isnât firing on all cylinders yet. You may be looking to find the missing pieces. You may be a Millennial who knows youâre going to lead massive teams, and you just want to get a leg up on how this leadership may look outside of the models youâve seen already.
All these reasons are valid, but the common thread is the desire for change. People donât always come to change easily. At times, itâs consciously accepted, but sometimes change is forced on them. You may be thinking, I know something has to change, but Iâm not sure what to do now. Knowing thereâs a need for change is the first step in VBL.
The second step is understanding that change begins with you. Then everyone else will follow. In this chapter (and this book), you go through a journey that requires deep introspection, deciding what you stand for, and the courage to carry out a plan. Read on.
Walking through the Evolution of Company Culture
Company culture wasnât always a catchphrase. It was more like a fraternity. The hit show Mad Men dramatized the clublike mentality of the American workplace and showed a culture that was mostly male. Women had little power. Business was conducted with copious amounts of alcohol. There was little respect for clients and customers. Leaders, in general, had weak moral fiber. Itâs true the show was a dramatization, but it was an insightful one.
Some of the 1960s mentality carried through time; fast-forward to the 1990s, and still not many people considered business to be a vehicle to help others or give back to communities. Thatâs what charities were for. Twenty-five years ago, we were far less global, not yet connected to one another through the Internet, and less aware of the world around us.
However, groups like Conscious Capitalism, formed in 2010 and spearheaded by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, began bringing social and community needs to light and suggested a way of doing business differently. What was once considered earthy or crunchy consciousness in how we do business has gone mainstream. (See the nearby sidebar âThe rise of awarenessâ for more on Conscious Capitalism.)
The world has changed. Diversity has improved. Immigration is a constant. Women are more prevalent in the workforce than at any other time in our history. Our interconnected lives via social media are bringing us closer in some ways, but also propelling us to need more time to disconnect and have our own life experiences.
American culture has changed as generation after generation seeks better way of living, working, and experiencing new and more interesting opportunities. But now the tsunami is here: the Millennial generation. They are the largest cohort in the history of the planet. They will take all of us over the top to a new way of thinking about business and being corporate citizens.
The goalposts have moved. Profits are great, but they need to be achieved in conjunction with a purpose or mission, and a company culture that behaves responsibly to its employees, the communities it does business in, and the broader world. (To find out more about how Millennials will influence every aspect of life, head to
Chapter 2.)
Understanding the Escalator Effect of Values-Based Leadership
VBL continues the evolution of how we choose to engage in business. Itâs the next step in the integration of one of the initial Conscious Capitalism principles: Business is good, noble, and heroic because it provides ethical opportunities for everyone.
VBL expands on Conscious Capitalism using a specific, yet customizable, set of values as the platform for norms of doing business with others and internally. Each step in this leadership model (see Figure 1-1) leads to an organization that performs at maximum capacity.
Within each of the five sectors in
Figure 1-1, specific tasks, actions, and behaviors need to be instituted. This is the starting point of your journey â the awareness of what I will unfold in this book. Here is an overview of what each sector means:
- Values-Based Principles: There is a difference between whatâs implied and whatâs expected. Clarity on which principles are selected by each leader for themselves and their organizations is the foundation for the process.
- Character of Leadership: Youâll hear me say many times that character canât be faked. It can be evolved and directed in more constructive ways, but itâs not something you can fake, not for long. It is who you are. On our journey, Iâll show you how, where, and why you need to expand on who you are to become the leader others really need and want right now. Flip to Part 2 for more information.
- Building an Environment of Trust: This is the part of your company culture thatâs crucial â without it, youâll fail. Trust in the leadership, one another, and the path youâre all on together will determine how productive your teams will be. Simply put, if they donât trust you, they most certainly wonât follow you, at least not wholeheartedly. Part 3 (especially Chapter 9) has more information.
- Employees Engaged: Either theyâre part of the process and the organizationâs success, or they arenât. Your willingness to invest in them will speak volumes to them. That investment comes in a variety of applications, such as training, development, benefits, perks, and simply making them part of the process. Check out Part 4 (particularly Chapter 15) for guidance.
- Performing at Maximum Capacity: The first four elements bring us to this point. Letâs reverse the thought process. Engaged employees who are actively involved in the companyâs success are working from a place of trust. They are all in. This was achieved because the leader has led by example with clarity, consistency, and empathy. People love working with people who they truly believe have their best interests at heart, and not just the bottom line.
So, are you in? Your reaction to the top-level view will tell you a lot about your own capacity to evolve, change, grow, and adapt. Whatâs your willingness level at this point? Rank it from one to five. One means âIâm really not interested at all.â (I highly doubt these individuals are reading this book.) Three means, âYouâve got my attention but Iâm not sure,â and five means, âIâm all in.â
If youâre at a three, teetering in either direction, read on. Fours and fives, youâre definitely in the right place.
Avoiding a Flatline to Extinction: When You Know Change Is Needed
Thereâs a concept in nature called bifurcation. Bifurcatio...
