As we step into March to celebrate women’s month, I’m reminded of the first African-American woman to become a television reporter on the US west coast and winner of eight Emmy awards. Journalist Belva Davis shared these wise words to encourage all of us to live by, “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.”

Belva Davis and her wisdom inspired many journalist who came after her. The sentiment behind Davis’ words are familiar to me given the similar message I grew up hearing from my mother. I include her in this month’s celebration of women as March also represents the month of my mother’s birth. She was one of the most influential women in my life who inspired me to focus on women in my coaching practice along with other, often marginalized communities striving to be recognized for what (value) they bring to the table in leadership.

As we kick off this historic month devoted to women, we begin this 5 part series on The Executive VOICE. This month we are focusing on values. In April we will turn our attention to intentionality followed by May when we will focus on consistency. We will then wrap up the series discussing the importance of engagement.

I trust you will gain much from this month’s focus on values as we explore what values based leadership is and how to begin thinking about the values you hold dear. We will continue our journey taking a look at ways to measure the culture value in your organization. We will touch on what it means to evolve as a leader with a few tips and considerations for how to deepen your understanding for why leading from your values benefits your organization, the teams you lead, the customers you serve, and You!

Consider stereotypical leaders. Some are solely concerned with the bottom line and willing to do whatever it takes to turn a profit, including questionable or illegal actions. They fail to care about who or what gets impacted along the way – whether it be people or things.

Some leaders focus on the bottom line, and their manner is gentler. They are still the boss, profit reigns supreme, and they do their best to stay neutral and avoid controversy.

Then there are the leaders who inspire and lead by example. Values-based leadership requires a combination of ingredients that will cause your success to be realized and from which much profits. Your presence will permeate the air almost without you doing more than show up authentically as a value add to your organization.

The guiding principles of values-based leadership are:

• Lead guided by purpose – the most crucial concept is about how you lead and how that choice speaks to your deeply held values.
• Success is for all with the intension of being contagious – employees will take inspiration from the leader’s actions and want to join in the process.
• People/Job – a values-based leader employs people that are able to follow the same values. In addition, they will ensure that the person is suitable for the job.
• Character Fully Realized – take time to develop your beliefs and values. Ensure you know what you stand for and can articulate that to others.
• Differences Fuel Innovation – recognize that differences encourage growth. When considering suitability, take into account diverse views.

The importance of authenticity lies in the shared beliefs and assumptions about you as a leader, providing greater alignment and benefits for higher productivity within a team or organization. This requires setting expectations for how you lead and what is expected of new hires from the start. You will also want to express your values with everyday folks. I also urge you to circle back periodically to stoke the fire of memory so that teams are routinely reminded of what is core to their success.

Even when you need to communicate that you are limited by what you can share, communicate early and often so that people remain in the know and are not left to stumble in the darkness of the unknown. This is a debilitating experience where forward movement and innovation are key drivers to be respected.

Here are some of the results of being a value-based leader.

• Enhanced decision-making – with clarity, values-based leaders can make decisions that align with the company’s goals while setting an example for their teams to follow. Employees, managers, and leaders work together toward a common goal.
• Improved communication – open lines of communication are strengthened when you have an authentic leader who isn’t afraid of tackling tough subjects. Values-based leadership leads to enduring relationships.
• Increased productivity – when leaders encourage personnel to bring their ideas to the table, those employees tend to be more vested in the company’s success. A shared value system is one way to ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Set up individuals for success – a values-based leader develops others and encourages them to move toward common goals.

“Leadership is autobiographical. If I don’t know your life story, I don’t know a thing about you as a leader.” -Noel Tichy

Your Autobiography is your only way to author your own leadership. When you fail to take the initiative to write it, your audience will write it themselves. Most likely, vital facts will be left out, and you will be framed based on someone else’s view of you…unabridged.

This is a lesson learned I share with principals in public school systems across the United States. I implore them to write their own story and share it generously with others as often as necessary to keep the story straight. As simple a question as, Why do you do what you do? It can spark the engine that drives the message of who you are to explain what you do and why it is significant to you. These are the stories that inspire our teams to follow our leadership vision. These images paint a clear picture of what others can expect from you. These are the expectations you’ve set for yourself that give rise to how others will take them up as their own.