Leadership Skills: Developing Core Values

Core Values Are the Foundation of Strategic Planning

“Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose.” – Edward de Bono

I work with lots of types of leaders who lead many types of organizations. We work together to create their plan. Some call this a strategic plan. I call it a Macro Strategic Framework for business clients and a Solution Map for church and nonprofit clients. Basically, we define where they want the organization to go and how they will lead the way. My client base consists of “Social Entrepreneurs.” These are leaders who are changing the world by changing how leaders lead and how organizations function. We are making a difference.

I meet many leaders who are very active in implementing their vision, but have no strategy. They are implementing tactics in the absence of an overall strategy. Many of the tactics are, therefore, mostly unproductive, confusing, out of sequence, and often cancel each other out. This is a formula for failure and, at best, a formula for setting up conflict within the team.

The foundation for strategic planning is to define the vision, mission, and core values. Every part of the strategy moving forward supports these core values.

Here are some of the typical values I get in planning with teams, some of which you may wish to choose:

• Dependable
• Integral
• Fair
• Inclusive
• Reliable
• Committed
• Open-minded
• Consistent
• Honest
• Efficient
• Innovative
• Creative
• Positive
• Optimistic
• Inspiring
• Passionate
• Respectful

These are action values for moving forward with objectives and action plans. Core values help teams to define their focus and to formulate their plans. Core values must never be violated.

Having said this, core values, in a practical sense, are useless. We define them, use them in focused planning, and then forget about them.

Companies that develop consistent, high functioning, profitable cultures, have clearly defined core values. Guiding principles are statements of how everyone in the culture will make decisions, how we treat each other, and how we function. Core values are static. Guiding principles are active statements which guide our functioning.

Check out my post on Guiding Principles to get more information.