The 5 Practices of Values Based Leadership
The following is adapted from InnerWill by Dr. Thomas Epperson.
When you consider leadership, do you think of a CEO, a politician, a principal, the general manager of a team, or a pastor? Although these roles are important, the people in them are not necessarily leaders. A position does not make you a leader; your behavior does.
Consider this: your role, no matter what it is within an organization, a community, or even your family, is to lead, no matter what your title is. Leadership is a choice, not a title, and leaders have the opportunity and responsibility to have a positive impact on other people.
Values Based Leadership occurs between people, and it always starts with you.
5 Interdependent Practices
The process of Values Based Leadership includes Five Practices:
- Building Awareness
- Realizing Potential
- Developing Relationships
- Taking Action
- Practicing Reflection
These practices are interdependent instead of linear; one does not lead to the other. These practices spin together like the gears of an engine. When all the gears are moving, the engine is performing well. When one of the gears is out of line, the engine loses power and may seize up.
Building Awareness
The practice of Building Awareness is the process of understanding who we are. It includes examining our values, style, and beliefs; identifying our strengths and weaknesses; and seeking out feedback.
Building awareness can continue throughout our lives. As we evolve, take action, and develop relationships, our awareness changes.
Awareness is a tricky thing; we may believe one thing about our strengths only to find out we were wrong. We may think we are impacting others one way but actually have a very different result than what we intended.
Realizing Potential
The practice of Realizing Potential means investing in our future. It includes discovering our purpose, developing our best self, and pursuing ideal environments.
Realizing Potential is the search for the best version of ourselves. It means exploring the big questions like why we are here and what we are meant to do.
It requires us to define what impact we want to have on others. It means developing ourselves so we can live up to that purpose. It means finding the workplaces, communities, teams, or families that bring out the best in us, energize us, and make us better.
Developing Relationships
The practice of Developing Relationships means building trust with others. It includes understanding others’ values, styles, and beliefs; empathizing with others; and supporting the success of others.
Developing Relationships is ultimately about understanding what others think, feel, and need. It is a practice based on developing and strengthening our relationships by considering how others feel, even when we disagree.
It means accepting others for who they are without needing to fix them or change them. It means looking for opportunities to help others be successful and, ultimately, building trust with them.
Taking Action
The practice of Taking Action means leading with courage. It includes making conscious choices, acting with our values, and facing challenges.
Taking Action is about making intentional choices that align with our deepest held beliefs. It means standing up for what we believe is right, especially when others tell us to stand down.
Taking Action builds our ability to bounce back, to get back up when we get knocked down, to get back into the fray. It is a measure of our stick-to-it-ness, or grit, and our willingness to run toward challenges instead of away from them.
Practicing Reflection
The practice of Practicing Reflection is about pausing to learn. It includes reviewing our thoughts, actions, and impact; learning from experience; and applying the lessons.
Practicing Reflection is about learning from our experiences. It is about gathering information on our values, our behaviors, and our impact on others and using that data to make decisions. It is about being mindful and developing awareness of what we are thinking, feeling, and experiencing in the moment in a nonjudgmental way.
Ultimately, Practicing Reflection is about applying what we have learned to become the best version of ourselves over time, to live into our purpose and realize our potential. We reflect so we can make choices that better align with who we are and the person we want to become.
Become More Authentic and Influential
These Five Practices of Values Based Leadership have a cumulative effect over time. By choosing to act on them again and again, we develop our skills and increase our effectiveness.
We become more authentic and influential. We become who we are meant to become and do what we are meant to do. We are better able to live for our purpose, on purpose.
Ultimately, by embracing these practices and Values Based Leadership, you can become a better person and a braver leader. You can make a positive difference in the lives of others and create a wiser world.
For more advice on how to implement the Five Practices of Values Based Leadership, you can find InnerWill on Amazon.
Dr. Thomas Epperson is the President of InnerWill Leadership Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has helped hundreds of organizations and the thousands of people who work there, actualize potential, maximize performance and elevate impact. With a doctorate in leadership from The George Washington University and over 20 years of experience as a leadership coach, facilitator, and speaker, he has helped more than 300 organizations transform their leadership — and their results. Now, InnerWill breaks down this complex process into actionable practices and real-world examples — with a healthy dose of humor — giving you the practical skills you need to lead more effectively at work, at home, and in your community.
