You’re not happy with your job? Or do you feel stress with the content of your work? Or the behaviour of your boss really irks you?

Maybe you’re super busy, you work hard but there is no satisfaction in it?

What do those things have in common: These issues (can) stem from misaligned values. What do I mean by that: You may not be able to live your values at work. You maybe think the values of colleagues or your boss do not align with yours, and the content of the job does neither.

And that can be a huge stress factor.

But at this stage you’re likely unclear about what your values actually are.

Lack of self-awareness of personal values or perceiving a misalignment can result in stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction in the workplace. Time to change that.

How to define your values?

How do you find out what your values are? It’s easy to get lost in this thought, when you can do with with a rather simple approach.

But what are values: The beliefs that matter to you, according to which you live and work (simply said). It’s how you measure whether what’s going on is according to how you see it.

Think about situations that impacted you. When were you really happy? What was a moment you felt proud? And the list goes on. Once you can think of these moments, try to figure out what that situation was like. What was it that made you happy.

i.e. you may say that a successfully conducted project made you really happy. But what was it about that exactly? Maybe you come to the conclusion that it was working with the team that made it a success. And that the respect that everyone showed each other was what mattered. .. And maybe it’s respect that is one of your core values.

If it’s difficult, write those ideas and thoughts down. It helps to visualise it and to get it out of your mind. It always helps if you have someone to do this exercise with.

Values can also be linked to a specific leadership style.

Value based leadership

Value-based leadership is a guiding philosophy and approach to leadership. It emphasises the importance of personal and organisational values in decision-making and actions.

It is a powerful concept that goes beyond personal values and extends to leadership styles and organisations. A value-based leader not only identifies and lives by their own values, but also promotes and aligns the values of their team and organisation.

Your teams become more self-reflectiv by comparing their own actions against their values.

Implementing value-based leadership requires a commitment to self-awareness and ongoing growth. It involves fostering an environment where values are respected. And where they are integrated into daily practices. When leaders lead with values, they inspire trust, enhance employee engagement, and contribute to a positive organizational culture.

If you’re ready to explore value-based leadership further and unlock its benefits for yourself and your organisation, don’t hesitate to contact me. Also find more about what I offer for you on my services page.

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