“There are some values that you should never compromise on to stay true to yourself; you should be brave to stand up for what you truly believe in, even if you stand alone.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Leaders often mention core values and the importance of them to their personal success and effectiveness as a leader. They talk often too about how the organizational core values will help steer them all through the inevitable difficulties ahead.  They seem to intuitively recognize that core values serve as the moral and strategic compass of themselves and the business. And, of course they are 100% correct – core values are absolutely essential. 

Here’s where it gets interesting, however. When we ask these same leaders to specifically list, describe, and define their own core values, they often struggle to do so with any real clarity. They will declare the easy and obvious ones – the ones I guess you’re thinking of right now… but when we dig a little below the surface they start to get a little wooly, a little nebulous, and esoteric. ‘Integrity’, they say, and ‘harmony’, and ‘service’, and ‘doing the right thing’… oh sure, doing the right thing by the stakeholders – that’s easy. That’s expected.

Typically, when we ask them again, say, six months later (when they have likely forgotten the specific values they declared to us earlier), this ‘critical’ list seems to have magically altered – often to more closely reflect their particular personal or organizational challenges du-jour. 

If leaders are to live, and lead, and hire, and fire, and promote, and envision the future for themselves, their people and their company by their core values – they had better have an absolute crystal-clear picture of them. They should be able to recite them in priority order with some definitive regularity and consistency, and be able to explain each of them in detail. The best of the best leaders can – can you?

My Magic 5 in 5 Exercise

Identifying and committing to your leadership core values allows you to be a more congruent leader.

From this list below, circle the most important top 10 (yes, they are all critically important). Then whittle that top 10 down to your Magic 5. This should take no more than 5 minutes – don’t overthink it – your first thoughts are likely the correct ones.

Now take those Magic 5, and construct a statement that answers this question:

My Magic 5 matter most to me, my leadership team, my managers, and my business because…

A quick word of caution: core values identification is not the end of the leadership process; it’s at the very start of the leadership process – so you had better well take time to properly define them, understand them, communicate and share them, and be willing to fully commit to them. And by fully commit, we mean fully commit—no chopping and changing. We’re talking tattoo-level commitment… well maybe not quite that far, but at least a custom-made sign in your office and in the entrance foyer, on noticeboards, and laptops – you get the picture. The core values of the organization should be front of mind and capture share of voice – they should be clear, obvious, discussed and on display for the world to see.

If you find this exercise valuable, you will find an extended version of this critical exercise by visiting  Our step-by-step guide will help you to further define and understand identify your fundamental leadership core values, and it may well be the very best RoI on 20 minutes that you will spend this year.

As a final thought, why not have your leadership team do the same (full) exercise? Then invest 30 minutes to discuss with them all of your similarities and differences, and how as a tight-knit leadership team you can really take on the world, with core values as your guide.

Written by Antonio Garrido.
Have you read?
How a Global Recession Has Led to a Focus on Value in E-Commerce.
Defund Leadership Development Efforts – There Might Be A Better Investment by Robert H. Lengel.
How to Address Employees Yearning for Purpose at Work Without Stoking Divisiveness and Intolerance by Frank Devine.
Diversity in the Boardroom: How to Cultivate Inclusivity by Tricia Montalvo Timm.
Forming a competing company to take 100% ownership of the business you built by Robert A. Adelson, Esq.

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