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The concept of values-based leadership is probably more relevant today than it has ever been. There is no doubt that, even if our clients and colleagues do not refer to it by this name, there is now an acute understanding of what we connect to and, just as importantly, what we do not connect to. Furthermore, we use this connection to make decisions about our lives: the places that we want to work, the products and services that we choose to buy, the leaders that we will follow. Issues in both financial services and other sectors over recent years have sharpened our awareness as to what we expect and want from leaders and organisations. And if we define that still further, we are looking for a values-based approach that gives us some form of connection. The impact of social media means that your organisational brand and values are not what you say they are but are what your colleagues and clients say they are based on their experience of your organisation. That is also true for us as individual leaders. What people experience of us, as leaders, is how they connect to us and the values that we bring to our leadership role.
At Values Based Leadership Ltd (VBL), our experience of working with many organisations in a variety of sectors across the world shows that the most successful, sustainable and enjoyable organisations to work for put time and energy into developing a strong values-based culture that underpins their performance. So we decided to decode how these organisations develop and maintain a values-based culture.
Values-based leadership requires leaders to be courageous. There can be difficult decisions to be made, well entrenched beliefs to be challenged and leadership behaviours to be changed when following a values-based approach. This does not always promise an easy route for leaders and taking these decisions requires courage. Humility is another important factor. In an interview with Harvard Business Review last year, Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever since January 2009, said, "I am just starting to learn". Paul identifies retaining humility as critical to his success as a CEO and it is vital to all leaders in a values-based organisation as it facilitates learning, growth and change.
In addition to courage...