From Personal Values to Business Success

This topic came up in conversation last week with a Founder and was built off of a conversation with him about my recent article, Building an Authentic Brand from the Inside Out.

He mentioned that his personal values seeped into the way him and his partner run their business, often without them even realizing it. When entrepreneurs are setting out, they may not have a full grasp of their core values, but these values tend to reveal themselves in how they lead, make decisions, and approach their team. Values aren’t just guiding principles—they’re the foundation for trust, unity, and resilience within a team.

Even if personal values haven’t been explicitly identified, they’re still essential to creating strong, cohesive leadership. Here’s how to become more aware of your values, why they matter, and how to use them to set a powerful example for your team.

1. Identifying Personal Values

Before setting a values-driven example, entrepreneurs need to recognize what they stand for. Self-awareness is a key part of any leader’s journey, and identifying your personal values is a great way to deepen that awareness.

Here are a few ways to begin uncovering your core values:

• Reflect on pivotal life experiences that have shaped who you are. Often, values are rooted in significant events that made an impact on you.

• Ask what principles you would never compromise on, personally or professionally. The “non-negotiables” can give you insight into what’s most important.

• Consider qualities you admire in others and aspire to emulate. Think of mentors, colleagues, or even friends who inspire you—these qualities likely connect to your values.

• Refer to my previous blog post and complete Brené Browns Values exercise

Knowing your core values helps you make aligned, sometimes difficult decisions, which is crucial as a leader. When values are clear, they can guide you in both calm and challenging moments, becoming a compass for tough calls.

2. Why Values Matter in Leadership

Values are more than just personal guiding principles; they’re the foundation of consistency, trust, and respect in a business. Here are a few ways values affect leadership:

• Trust Building: When leaders consistently act according to their values, trust develops naturally. The team sees that leadership actions are guided by core principles, creating stability and clarity. For example, if communication is a foundational value, leaders must model it consistently—even during challenging times. This means holding both themselves and their teams accountable to communicate openly, providing training to build communication skills, and fostering growth through clear, honest dialogue. Decision-making should also reflect this value: Are different perspectives considered? Are outcomes shared transparently?

  However, when these practices aren’t prioritized, it can lead to disengagement, distrust, and a weakened sense of organizational values. If communication isn’t upheld as a standard, team members may begin to view values as superficial, which is difficult to mend without significant time and effort spent on rebuilding trust. Leaders who commit to these values help create a resilient, values-driven culture that stands strong, even through challenges.

• Clarity and Direction: Values provide clarity, especially during challenging times. Recently, I spoke with a client experiencing tension between two employees from different classifications. The full-time employee wanted the other removed from the team. We explored this through the lens of her business values—relationships and growth. Removing someone would be an immediate solution, but it wouldn’t encourage the team’s long-term growth. Instead, we framed the situation as an opportunity for both individuals to reestablish boundaries and learn how to work together. It also sets a precedent for future situations when team members express similar concerns.

• Authenticity: Leading authentically inspires genuine connections with your team. When you know and stand by your values, it empowers your team to do the same. One client said, “When we know our shared values, we know what’s expected of us, we know what’s expected of others, and we hold one another accountable to live and embody these values for long-term business success.”

Values-rooted leadership isn’t just about following personal beliefs; it’s about cultivating an environment of respect and integrity that can set your business apart.

3. Translating Values into Action

Identifying your values is a good start but translating them into daily actions is where real impact happens. Here are some practical ways to bring values to life in your business:

• Lead by Example: Show, don’t just tell. For example, if transparency is one of your values, be open about business challenges with your team. When they see you model the behaviour you expect, it sets the tone.

• Set Clear Boundaries and Expectations: Define what’s acceptable in terms of behaviour, decision-making, and team dynamics. If collaboration is a core value, make it clear that everyone is expected to work together, regardless of roles.

• Reward Value-Driven Behaviour: Recognize employees who embody company values in their work. Whether through shout-outs, small rewards, or added responsibility, this reinforces that living by values is a priority.

4. Setting Values as Team Expectations

A team is more likely to embody values when they’re woven into the company’s culture and practices. Clear communication goes a long way:

• Onboarding and Training: Introduce company values during onboarding and integrate them into ongoing training. This ensures values aren’t just posters on the wall—they’re a living part of the team’s experience.

• Open Conversations: Make space for team discussions on values, particularly when difficult decisions come up. This fosters buy-in and helps employees see how their work aligns with the larger mission. One effective approach is to create mock scenarios that explore how team members might act in challenging situations. By examining these scenarios through a values-driven lens as a group, the team becomes better equipped to stay grounded in the values when real emotions run high. This practice reinforces a shared commitment to core principles, even in the toughest moments.

• Feedback Loop: Make values a two-way street by asking for feedback on how well they’re being represented across the company. This demonstrates that values are a shared commitment, not just top-down directives.

• Values Champions: Empower long-standing employees to act as champions of the organization’s values. These team members can demonstrate how values shape day-to-day operations, share personal stories of how they align with the organization, and guide new employees in approaching their work through the values lens. By cheerleading the organization’s values, they help new hires understand how to make decisions and navigate their roles, especially in the early stages.

5. Revisiting and Reinforcing Values

Values aren’t static. As your business grows or the landscape shifts, your values might evolve. Periodically revisit them to ensure they’re still in sync with your business goals and team dynamics.

Encourage team members to give feedback on whether they feel the values are being lived, and look for ways to update or refine values as needed. Just as in our personal lives, reflection and adjustment in business can strengthen how values are embodied.

Recognizing and embracing your values is the first step to building a business that reflects who you truly are. When values are made explicit and embodied by the team, it fosters a resilient, connected, and unified workplace. If you’re setting out on this journey, take a moment to ask yourself: What are the values I want to see reflected in my business? What am I doing to ensure they’re alive in my leadership?

Whether you’re just starting or revisiting these principles, know that values-driven leadership is transformative in both your personal and professional lives. As you bring your values to life, you’ll inspire your team to do the same, creating a culture that’s both resilient and ready to thrive. If you’d like to learn more, please schedule a discovery call with me to chat further, I’d love to help you on your journey.