“When values are clear, decisions are easy.”
My friend Matthew Foxhall says this all the time. And, he’s 100% right; it’s why he’s a tremendous leader. Values are a leader’s best friend.
They establish the rules of engagement and the operating system for your business (or your life). Values create environments for decisive, predictable actions. They allow businesses to move faster.
Here’s the thing I’ve noticed inside great companies:
Values are NOT situational. Values are enduring.
The best leaders take the care to address adverse behaviors – the first time, everytime. They never waver or accept actions adverse to the values. Period.
Businesses that articulate a value, but act differently create disillusioned environments. Values must be binary. There is no gray. When leaders choose to blindly step over values to pickup a dollar of revenue (or add the asshole talent everyone is going to hate), it causes them to lose their Soul (and their best people).
If you want to build a compelling company, start with values.
Every compelling company I know has clearly established values.
Does yours?