Values-Based Leadership For Dummies

Maria Gamb

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781119453444
• eBook ISBN: 9781119454311
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

Benefit from values-based leadership

Values-driven organizations are considered by some to be the most successful on the planet. They have high levels of engagement, generate higher earnings, and are more profitable by having an inclusive, multi-tiered strategy.It's a win-win! In Values-Based Leadership For Dummies, you'll get a fool-proof plan for putting the principles of values-based leadership in action—which will inspire and motivate others to pursue what matters most.

With many Baby Boomers edging toward retirement, the largest generation in history, the Millennials, will be taking over the reins and stepping into leadership roles. They've suffered through the difficult economic times and corporate scandals of the early 2000s and they want things to be different. Inside, you'll get the framework for adopting the principles of values-based leadership that will help Millennials—and any member of any organization—thrive: utilizing the tools of self-reflection, actionable grace, agility, and a commitment to lead responsibly.

• Establish leadership positioning and company culture steeped in values
• Foster employee engagement on all levels
• Inspire greater performance while creating real impact socially and economically
• Increase the ability to remain competitive and relevant during times of change
• Harness the passion and commitment of the millennial workforce

Whether you're in an entrepreneur, entry-level position or a CEO, employees at any level can benefit from leaning into values-based leadership—and this book shows you how!

Part 1

Getting Started with Values-Based Leadership

IN THIS PART …

Explore the basic concepts and application of values-based leadership.

Decipher the workforce Quad: who they are, what they want, and how they’re 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 Narcissism is an outdated strategy.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 organization’s effectiveness to make a difference.

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 you’re 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 you’ve begun the practice of values-based leadership (VBL), but something isn’t firing on all cylinders yet. You may be looking to find the missing pieces. You may be a Millennial who knows you’re going to lead massive teams, and you just want to get a leg up on how this leadership may look outside of the models you’ve seen already.

All these reasons are valid, but the common thread is the desire for change. People don’t always come to change easily. At times, it’s consciously accepted, but sometimes change is forced on them. You may be thinking, I know something has to change, but I’m not sure what to do now. Knowing there’s 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 wasn’t 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. It’s 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. That’s 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 “The rise of awareness” 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.)

THE RISE OF AWARENESS

According to ConsiousCapitalism.org (www.consciouscapitalism.org/about/history), a steady flow of influence has been propping up the need for awareness in the business community. Its initiatives have been a big part of this shift:

1984: Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach by R. Edward Freeman is published.

1995: Economist, banker, and microlending pioneer Muhammad Yunus uses the term socially conscious capitalist enterprise in a major publication.

2005: Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism by Patricia Aburdene is published.

2007 (February): Firms of Endearment by Raj Sisodia and David Wolfe is published.

2007 (August): A white paper titled “Conscious Capitalism: Creating a New Paradigm for Business” is released.

2008: The first Catalyzing Conscious Capitalism Conference is held with 120 individuals in attendance (this would later be renamed the CEO Summit).

2009: Be The Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World’s Problems by John Mackey and Michael Strong is published.

2010: Conscious Capitalism, Inc., is formed by the merger of FLOW, Conscious Capitalism Alliance, and Conscious Capitalism Institute.

2012: Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business is published by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia.

2016: Alexander McCobin becomes co-CEO, and Conscious Capitalism, Inc. opens its office in San Francisco.

Understanding the Escalator Effect of Values-Based Leadership

VBL continues the evolution of how we choose to engage in business. It’s 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.

© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

FIGURE 1-1: Leadership escalator.

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 — 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 what’s implied and what’s expected. Clarity on which principles are selected by each leader for themselves and their organizations is the foundation for the process.
• Character of Leadership: You’ll hear me say many times that character can’t be faked. It can be evolved and directed in more constructive ways, but it’s not something you can fake, not for long. It is who you are. On our journey, I’ll 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 that’s crucial — without it, you’ll fail. Trust in the leadership, one another, and the path you’re all on together will determine how productive your teams will be. Simply put, if they don’t trust you, they most certainly won’t follow you, at least not wholeheartedly. Part 3 (especially Chapter 9) has more information.
• Employees Engaged: Either they’re part of the process and the organization’s success, or they aren’t. 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. Let’s reverse the thought process. Engaged employees who are actively involved in the company’s 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. What’s your willingness level at this point? Rank it from one to five. One means “I’m really not interested at all.” (I highly doubt these individuals are reading this book.) Three means, “You’ve got my attention but I’m not sure,” and five means, “I’m all in.”

If you’re at a three, teetering in either direction, read on. Fours and fives, you’re definitely in the right place.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Part 1: Getting Started with Values-Based Leadership
• Part 2: Becoming a Values-Based Leader
• Part 3: Charting the Course and Crafting Your Values
• Part 4: Supercharging Your Team and the Workplace with Values
• Part 5: The Part of Tens
• About the Author
• Advertisement Page
• Connect with Dummies
• Index
• End User License Agreement