On long road trips alone, I enjoy listening to podcasts. I like filling my mind with others’ wisdom. This past weekend, I listened to Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast. She has just released a new book, Strong Ground, on leadership, and is kicking off its promotion with conversations with Adam Grant. If you’re not familiar with Adam Grant’s work, he has authored several books on organizational psychology.

In one of the episodes I listened to, they discussed core values as a crucial part of leadership. I have narrowed my core values to three —spirituality, adventure, and contributing — but Brené suggests focusing on just two. She highlights the significance of these two values as they truly guide our actions and choices. She urges us to do the hard work of asking ourselves, What does this look like and sound like in my life?

For me, my value of spirituality is a priority in my life. I take time in the morning to watch a sunrise or meditate. This helps me see that there is something bigger than myself and the connection I feel. Adventure is also one of my values. I see adventure when planning trips to places I’ve never been before. I also find adventure in learning new things and ideas.

Helping organizations and schools identify their core values is part of my work with leaders and staff to initiate conversations about values and their impact on the workplace. 

This summer, I worked with a group of high school students and their mentors to identify values. They were asked to review the company’s values. How do your values align with the company? What does that alignment mean to you?

In June 2019, I wrote about helping teens identify their values and how sharing them with a supportive adult (like a teacher) can significantly impact their academic success. You can read that post HERE.

Try This:

1. Print off this list of Core Values. Circle your top 10. I find that many want to put family first; however, you don’t need to feel obligated to do so. Family can be important, and you live your values through how you interact with your family members. 
2. Next, narrow the list down to your top five values.
3. Then to your top two. 
4. Journal about how these two values show up in your life.
   1. What does it look like and feel like when you are in alignment with your values? 
   2. What does it look like ro feel like when you are out of alignment?
5. Post your values where you can reflect on them often. This simple act can serve as a daily reminder of what’s truly important to you, helping you make decisions that align with your values. It can also provide clarity and direction, especially during challenging times.

This activity is valuable at the organizational level. When conflict occurs within an organization, unclear communication and a lack of understanding of our values can lead to assumptions, which, in turn, can increase the conflict. The time spent helping people understand and align with their own values, alongside the organization’s, can be an effective tool for addressing conflict when it arises.

Resources: Link to the 6-part podcast series Finding Our Strong Ground
Trauma-Informed Resiliency practices are designed for organizations or schools that want to support their staff in performing at their best for those they serve. If you’re interested in learning more about the workshops I can facilitate with your team, let’s chat. Click Here!