Meeting Topic
Clair Carter – Values at the Heart of Leadership
Lead with Your Core: Why Values Are the Heart of True Leadership
As businesswomen and leaders, we’re often consumed by the day-to-day demands of running a business—meeting deadlines, managing finances, and supporting our teams or clients. But at the foundation of all this lies something far more significant: our core values. These values don’t just guide our decisions; they shape the leader we become and define whether we’re someone others want to follow.
Why Core Values Matter
Core values are the principles and beliefs that sit at the heart of who we are. They represent what’s most important to us, acting as a compass when we’re faced with difficult choices. In leadership, they go beyond personal preference—they influence how we treat others, how we show up in challenging times, and how we build trust with those around us.
When you’re clear about your values, your leadership gains authenticity. People are drawn to leaders who are consistent and true to themselves because it creates a sense of stability. Imagine a leader who claims teamwork is a priority but makes every decision solo, or one who preaches integrity but bends the truth when it’s convenient. Their words lose power because their actions don’t align.
In contrast, a leader who lives by their values inspires trust. When you say you value respect, and you demonstrate it by listening openly to differing opinions, even when they challenge you, people notice. When you prioritise kindness, and it shows in how you handle conflict or mistakes, people respect you more. Your values become the foundation of your reputation, and the reason others want to work with or for you.
Values as a Leadership Tool
Values also help you create a vision for your business that resonates with others. When your team or clients understand what you stand for, it’s easier for them to connect with your purpose and feel aligned with your goals. This sense of shared meaning is what turns leadership into followership.
Let’s not forget that leadership isn’t just about inspiring others; it’s also about making tough calls. Your values can provide clarity during those moments. For instance, if one of your core values is fairness, you’ll strive for balance and equity, even in situations where doing so is difficult. If growth is a core value, you’ll see challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.
Living Your Leadership Values
To lead with your values, you first need to define them. Take some time to reflect:
- What drives you at your core?
- What do you want your business to stand for?
- When have you felt most proud of your leadership, and what values were you honoring?
Once you’re clear on your values, let them guide your decisions, actions, and communication. Speak about them openly with your team, clients, or collaborators. Use them as a benchmark for how you measure success.
Values Make You Magnetic
People are naturally drawn to leaders who are grounded in their values. They provide clarity in chaos, inspiration in uncertainty, and trust in every interaction. By staying true to your values, you’re not just running a business; you’re creating a legacy of leadership that others admire and want to emulate.
So, ask yourself: Are your core values leading your business? And are they shaping you into the kind of leader you would want to follow?
Clair Carter Sunrise Coaching
+64 21 278 7139
Next Meeting Topic
Stop looking in the rear-view mirror – Erica Hodgson
On the motorway of business, are you looking out the front windscreen, or do you spend all your time looking in the rear view mirror?
Being in leadership roles, or on the board of directors, can sometimes mean that we are stuck in what’s already been. We can spend all our time looking backwards to review compliance, track sales and identify trends that have already happened. Reports are written on performance over the last month, the last quarter (or the second to last quarter if we’re really slow) with dashboards and trends finishing at the very most to the end of the financial year. How often do we prioritise predicting what is coming towards us, beyond this? This is sometimes called ‘looking over the mountain’ – we may not be able to see what lies beyond, so who can we call on that may already be there or has heard from others what it’s like.
Good practice for medium sized businesses to keep your view strategic rather than stuck in the weeds:
- Include regular environmental scans of your practice context – what are your competitors up to, what do futurists see coming your way, what opinion does the current government hold on your industry, what are key stakeholders doing in your wider community?
- Build these scans into the annual workplan for your meeting structure, whether for internal governance or for the board.
- Invite guests into your meetings or attend industry groups to get a wider perspective.
- Link papers and decisions in senior leadership or board meetings to your strategic plan – if it can’t link to the plan, should you be discussing it and can it be delegated?
- Have a strategic plan which has been operationalised well, with clear and regular reporting allocated to the right roles, so you can trust and step back.
- Keep your nose in and fingers out – it’s ok to do a sniff test of what’s going on, but if your fingers get itchy, remember it’s not your job to do all the doing!
- Make sure KPIs are allocated to the right metrics – so they don’t inadvertently skew performance (and therefore your strategic direction) such as high sales to the wrong customer market.
And if you’re a sole trader or can’t delegate the doing to someone else:
- How can you ensure that you still take the time to look forwards?
- Build strategic planning and review time ahead in your calendar and don’t let anything else book in over the top of it!
- Do this review somewhere different to your day job, to refresh how you see your business.
- Find an accountability friend/coach/networking group who ask how you’re going in relation to your strategy (not how the last month has been…)
Compliance and assurance are important, but as owners and directors you can delegate this to your team. How can you ensure that your gaze is firmly out the front windscreen this year?
