Common Leadership Core Values & Beliefs

Workforce members and leaders are 115% more engaged when their company has a defined set of values. Values are critical to any organization; they inspire individuals to embody ideal traits and behaviors that contribute to the success of their team members and business.

To create a thriving workplace where people find growth and fulfillment, learn about nine leadership values and core beliefs that will help you truly manifest them.

Leadership Core Values & Beliefs are Keys to Greatness

Great leaders must adhere to specific core values and beliefs. Below are some of the most common leadership core values, along with beliefs that shape and inform those values.

1. Leadership

People want to be led, not managed. Instead, leaders must manage their actions and possess the ability to lead by example.

What Leadership Looks Like

Professionals who are strong leaders have firm beliefs that include:

• Good communication creates alignment: Leaders are effective communicators who clearly articulate the company’s vision and goals.
• Collaboration unlocks growth: Leaders foster teamwork and collaboration among their teams. This skill allows individuals to learn from one another and strengthen their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Resilience defeats challenges: Leaders believe challenges and setbacks are inevitable in any role. The key is to nurture resiliency to learn from and overcome these roadblocks.
• Character speaks volumes: Ethical leaders take responsibility for their actions and expect the same from their team. They create a culture of accountability and integrity by owning up to mistakes and finding solutions.

How to Nurture the Value of Leadership

Nurturing leadership values requires one to:

• Seek opportunities: Look for opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as leading projects or teams. Invest in leadership training and development programs.
• Practice self-reflection: Regularly assess your leadership strengths and weaknesses. Find ways to maximize and improve upon them.
• Seek feedback: Ask for feedback from your peers, subordinates, and superiors.
• Learn from others: Observe and learn from successful leaders.
• Lead by example: Demonstrate the leadership qualities you want to see in others.

2. Purpose

People want to know how and why their efforts matter. A leader must actively provide this vision to their people to maintain purpose in their work.

What Purpose Looks Like

Leaders with a clear purpose understand the importance of:

• A clear vision: Leaders with a strong sense of purpose can articulate a clear and inspiring vision for the future.
• Meaningful goals: Purposeful leaders set team and individual goals that align with the organization’s values and mission.
• Community: Leaders foster a shared sense of purpose and values among their team members. They believe that creating a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels connected is the key to helping people stay invested in a shared purpose.

How to Nurture the Value of Purpose

Leaders can nurture a purpose by:

• Defining why the organization exists: Clearly articulate the organization’s mission, values, and goals. Ensure they understand the significance of those areas.
• Aligning individual goals with organizational purpose: Communicate how each person’s role contributes to the purpose.
• Celebrating achievements: Recognize and reward employees for contributing to achieving the organization’s goals. This effort will help reinforce the purpose.

3. Recognition

People want the leader to feel that they count for something. A leader should give appropriate praise often. Using a good positive measurement system will also help individuals know how they are contributing.

What Recognition Looks Like

Leaders who value recognition as one of their leadership core values believe in:

• Celebration: Celebrating successes and achievements fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment.
• Positive reinforcement: Positive feedback and encouragement can boost employees’ self-esteem and motivation.
• Empowerment: Empowering team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions can foster a sense of pride and responsibility.

How to Nurture Recognition

Supporting recognition across teams and departments requires:

• Being specific and sincere: When recognizing individuals, be specific about their accomplishments and express your genuine appreciation.
• Offering personalized rewards: Tailor rewards to individual preferences and interests.
• Making recognition public: Acknowledge people’s achievements in front of their peers to boost their morale and inspire others.

4. Congruence

Congruence is the alignment between a leader’s words and actions. When leaders demonstrate consistency between their values, beliefs, and behaviors, they inspire trust, respect, and followership.

What Congruence Looks Like

When leaders demonstrate consistency between their values, beliefs, and behaviors, they inspire trust, respect, and followership.

Those who display congruence believe in the power of being:

• Authentic: Leaders are genuine in building connection and trust.
• Transparent: Leaders are open and honest to help set up others for success.
• Consistent: They consistently demonstrate their values and beliefs, no matter the circumstances.

How to Nurture Congruence

To nurture congruence, leaders must be:

• Self-aware: They need a firm understanding of their own values, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Good communicators: Identifying ways to express those thoughts and feelings supports a congruent team.
• Constant learners: When developing leadership skills and maintaining congruence, they seek feedback from others to gain insights for improvement.

5. Trust

People need to trust their leaders to remain dedicated to the organization. Leaders must also be fair and consistent with all team members.

What Trust Looks Like

Those who trust place faith in:

• Fairness and consistency: Leaders who treat everyone fairly and consistently demonstrate that they value their employees.
• Reliability: Dependable leaders inspire trust and confidence.
• Empathy: Leaders who show empathy and understanding for their team members build strong relationships.

How to Nurture Trust

Promoting trust in the workplace requires:

• Consistency: Be consistent in your words and actions to build trust and credibility. Consistency creates a stable and predictable work environment that promotes confidence and loyalty.
• Active listening: Listen to what your team members have to say and show them you value their input. This effort provides the foundation for empathy and building healthy relationships.

6. Character

Character includes the moral and ethical qualities that define a person and their behavior. A leader’s character sets the tone for the organization and influences the behavior of their team members.

People ultimately find out what kind of person their leader is and will be influenced to behave similarly.  Therefore, leaders must consistently demonstrate good character.

What Character Looks Like

While one’s character will vary across individuals, examples of what character looks like include:

• Compassion: Compassionate and caring leaders create a supportive and positive work environment.
• Humility: Humble leaders who are open to feedback gain the ability to learn and grow.
• Courage: Brave leaders are willing to take risks and make difficult decisions.

How to Nurture Character

Becoming the leader you want to be requires:

• Self-reflection: Regularly reflect on your values and beliefs to ensure they align with your actions. Moreover, assess how these values and beliefs influence your role as a leader and how they contribute to the team. Use this to find areas for improvement.
• Feedback: Ask your team members and mentors for a holistic picture of your leadership strengths and weaknesses.
• Leading by example: Demonstrate the character traits you want to see in your team members. Keep their growth and career objectives in mind to help you facilitate this.

7. Responsibility

People feel gratified when others keep their commitments to them. Leaders who keep commitments will have employees who are accountable for their commitments.

What Responsibility Looks Like

Leaders who value responsibility believe in:

• Accountability: Leaders who take responsibility for their actions and decisions inspire trust and respect.
• Commitment: Those who remain committed to their goals and responsibilities are more likely to succeed.
• Dependability: Leaders who are reliable and can be counted on can more easily build trust and foster collaboration.

How to Nurture Responsibility

Nurturing responsibility among leaders and teams can create a more productive and engaged workplace. Here are a few tips on how to achieve this:

• Provide support and resources: Ensure your team members have the resources and support needed to succeed.
• Recognize and reward responsibility: Acknowledge and reward employees demonstrating commitment and accountability.
• Foster a culture of accountability: Create a work environment where everyone is held accountable for their actions and decisions.

8. Wisdom

Wisdom combines knowledge, experience, and judgment, allowing leaders to make sound decisions and navigate complex challenges. People learn most from their leaders through example and coaching. Leaders must temper their knowledge with good judgment and concern for others.

What Wisdom Looks Like

Wise leaders remain rooted in:

• Sound judgment: Wise leaders can make sound judgments, even in complex or uncertain situations.
• Empathy: Leaders with wisdom understand the perspectives and needs of others. They believe there is insight to gain from these perspectives and are open to listening to them.
• Humility: Wise leaders are humble and open to learning from others. No matter their title or role, wise leaders understand that development is a continuous and consistent journey.
• Perspective: A wise leader keeps the big picture in mind, connecting the smaller details to the vision.

How to Nurture Wisdom

Nurturing wisdom involves:

• Seeking out new experiences: Continuously learn and expand your knowledge base. Fresh perspectives inspire and motivate you to continue putting your best foot forward.
• Reflecting on your experiences: Take time to reflect on your experiences and learn from your mistakes. Apply those insights to your role and share them with the team.
• Developing emotional intelligence: Understand and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotionally intelligent leaders possess the self-awareness to respond in the right way and at the right time.

9. Communication

People perform better when they understand the issues. A leader who is open and listens to concerns and ideas will gain more support from their employees. This communication can be verbal, nonverbal, or even a simple visual measurement system. Do you have a positive measurement system in place?

What Communication Looks Like

Leaders who value good communication in their roles believe in the importance of:

• Open and honest dialogue: Leaders who communicate openly and honestly build trust and respect with their team members.
  Active listening: Active listening shows the value of every team member’s input and perspectives.
• Clear and concise communication: Leaders who communicate clearly and concisely avoid misunderstandings and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Non-verbal communication:  Awareness of body language and tone of voice can support more effective communication.

How to Nurture Communication

Working on this value requires:

• Opening communication channels: Encourage open and honest communication by creating avenues for employees to share their thoughts and ideas.
• Providing clear expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations and goals to your team members.
• Using various communication methods: Utilize different communication channels, such as face-to-face meetings, email, and team messaging apps.

The bottom line is that the role of leadership is to add value to other people and the true measure of leadership is influence. Thus, a great leader must have the ability to change the attitude or behavior of others.

Flexible Leadership Values

Flexible Leadership is a very positive way to help change the attitudes or behaviors of others. Based on CMOE’s Flexible Leadership model, there are six key styles a leader should implement based on various situations that arise with different individuals and levels of development:

1. Control – and oversee the progress of a project or assignment when necessary. Provide specific instructions and closely supervise specific situations.
2. Teach – and demonstrate to your team the desire and capacity that you have to share information or knowledge in the workplace.
3. Guide – and mediate. This is ideal for when there is some disagreement about the ultimate target or intent of the action.
4. Collaborate – when there is agreement about the desired outcome and when the leader’s experience and knowledge base are relatively strong.
5. Reinforce – most beneficial when the team needs positive reinforcement for their success. Key point – frequent reinforcement of positive behaviors and achievements will result in greater, long-term success.

Flexible leadership is not something you do to people but something you do with them. Following personal leadership beliefs and core leadership values and implementing Flexible Leadership helps leaders become great. Great leaders are great teachers. Reach out to CMOE to find out more about our leadership development workshops and start improving your skills today.