Understanding Personal Values at Work – A Key to Effective LeadershipIntroduction
Introduction
As leaders, we invest a great deal of energy into achieving strategic outcomes, managing teams and ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard. However, one crucial element that often goes unnoticed – yet significantly impacts our effectiveness – is the role of personal values in how we work with others.
In our latest podcast episode, we explored the importance of understanding our own values, recognising the values of those we work with, and how these differences can either enhance collaboration or create friction. Here, we’ll share key insights from that conversation and practical steps to apply in your leadership practice.
Why Values Matter in Leadership
Every individual brings their own unique set of values to the workplace. These values shape how they approach tasks, communicate, make decisions, and collaborate. In leadership, particularly when working strategically with peers or managing teams, values alignment (or misalignment) can significantly influence outcomes.
Even when everyone is clear on the shared goal, the values driving each person’s approach may differ – and if these aren’t acknowledged, they can become a source of tension. This isn’t necessarily about right or wrong; it’s about different perspectives and drivers being at play.
A Practical Values Framework
To illustrate how these value differences show up, we discussed a simple framework of five approaches that people may favour when tackling a piece of work:
Do it now – prioritising speed and action.
Do it right – focusing on quality, thoroughness and precision.
Do it together – valuing collaboration and input from others.
Do it this way – favouring adherence to a clear process.
Do it in harmony – seeking consensus and maintaining team cohesion.
Each of us naturally leans towards one or two of these approaches. Neither is inherently better than the others – in fact, the most effective teams find ways to blend them. However, conflict can arise when differing values clash (for example, someone who values action working alongside someone who values process). Recognising these dynamics allows leaders to adapt their approach and harness the strengths of each style.
Raising Awareness: The First Step
Awareness is the starting point for any meaningful change. As leaders, we need to develop awareness of:
Our own dominant values and preferences.
How these show up in our behaviours, communication and decision-making.
How they may differ from those around us.
This awareness helps us to appreciate that different doesn’t mean wrong – it simply offers an alternative strength or lens to add to the conversation.
Turning Awareness into Action
It’s one thing to understand these differences; it’s another to work with them constructively. Here are three practical tips to help you embed values awareness into your leadership practice:
1. Helpful and Hindering Behaviours
As a team (or in pairs with colleagues), take time to discuss what behaviours each person brings that help the team, and which behaviours may hinder progress. For example, a ‘do it now’ person might help by driving momentum, but hinder if they push ahead before others are ready. A ‘do it right’ person might ensure quality, but could slow things down unnecessarily. Surfacing these behaviours helps teams appreciate each other’s contributions while addressing potential friction points.
2. Define ‘What Good Looks Like’
At the start of any meeting, project or piece of work, ask everyone:
"For this session, what does ‘good’ look like for you?"
This simple question encourages each person to share their priorities – be it clarity of action, inclusive discussion, thorough analysis or maintaining good team spirit. By making these preferences explicit, leaders can shape the process to meet diverse needs, rather than assuming their own definition of success applies to all.
3. Explore Different Models
Values awareness doesn’t need to be complex, but using established tools can help. Explore models such as the Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI), which identifies whether people are naturally people-focused, performance-focused or process-focused. You could also look at love languages (adapted for work) or the Drivers Model (which covers internal motivators like the need to be perfect, strong or liked). Each of these provides language and structure to normalise these conversations.
The Leadership Payoff
When leaders actively recognise and value differing approaches, something powerful happens. Teams become more resilient, creative solutions emerge, and collaboration deepens. Rather than being frustrated by ‘differences’, you start to see diverse values as a strategic advantage – essential for tackling today’s complex challenges.
The next time you experience friction with a colleague, pause and ask:
"What values are at play here – for me and for them?"
That moment of reflection could be the difference between a difficult relationship and a breakthrough collaboration.
Final Thought
Effective leadership isn’t just about managing work – it’s about managing relationships and understanding the human drivers behind every action. By building values awareness into your leadership toolkit, you’re not only improving your own effectiveness – you’re enabling those around you to thrive too.