“A leader without strong values is a menace to every organization.”
~ Dorothy Zevenbergen, CEO Cultivate Consulting
Core values — and actions that align with those values — are at the heart of every effective leader’s approach to leadership.
Wondering how values show up in leadership? Consider this:
- Have you ever experienced a boss that said one thing and did another? If so, you know how damaging this is to his or her trust and reputation. You also may immediately be reminded of how your own reaction to this person changed — for the worst — with every broken promise.
- Have you ever worked for an organization that promotes “hiring from within” but you find out you did not get the job you were highly qualified for because they hired from outside? Instantly you lose your connection and confidence with the company’s alleged culture and value statements.
The reason why having your actions clearly reflect the values you claim with your spoken word is because it builds trust. That is absolutely at the heart of all leadership. As a leader, every action you take, your core values will either be evident in your work… or not. If so, you’ll build trust, rapport, and success. If not, you’ll erode trust, rapport, and success. In other words, as a Leader/Manager, what you build on the inside shows on the outside!
Taking steps to create an attitude of transparency – the foundation of trust, and the action you take today to strengthen your character (values), will create deposits in your relationships, and communication tomorrow. Here are three actionable items you can do today to improve your leadership skills.
Ask for accountability.
Tell someone the values that you want to embody in your day to day and give them permission to call you on this. (This is why hiring a coach is such a vulnerable and powerful action to take.)
Make sure your boundaries are defined and communicated.
This protects you from resentment and from falling into patterns of actions or attitudes that don’t align with your own values.
Take your inventory.
Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write out your values. On the right, write out your actions in the last week. Look at them honestly and curiously. Then ASK yourself…DO they align? If they don’t, keep asking yourself why until you find the root. (This IS tough work!!! Hiring a coach is a safe and courageous step to take when examining your inventory.)
One actionable step I took to improve my leadership skills was to hire a coach to help me with a very specific need. Partnering with a coach created accountability. I needed to keep myself on track to set, maintain and defend my boundaries, and examine the root cause of my Leadership pain points. Believe me, coming from corporate America, and now as an entrepreneur, I have walked in your shoes. I will match your commitment to your resolve to strengthen your core values and actions.
As partners, we will:
Review and examine your leadership attitudes and beliefs
Examine your actions for alignment
Create a strategy to strengthen your leadership in ways that make you a leader whose values align with the individuals you are entrusted to lead.
I’m here to help you with your strategy – Book a Session!
Another actionable step I took early on was joining a monthly membership geared specifically to what I wanted to improve. There are many reputable entrepreneurs/solopreneurs that are worth your time, money, and effort. I can give you some great referrals; however, I have created an affordable monthly membership option designed specifically for busy professionals if you want to improve your leadership and communication skills.
Cultivate Your Success Monthly Membership Includes:
- (1) Audio/video teaching on the subject of the month
- (1) Weekly inspirational/instructional email on a monthly topic
- E-Coaching (email coaching)
No matter what you want/need to do to improve your skills, you have to create TRUST in yourself and your personal and professional life. Remember having your actions clearly reflect the values you claim with your spoken word builds trust. Over the years, I’ve learned how to do just that. It’s not easy, but the commitment is there.
So one last actionable item you can take right now is to commit to yourself to be intentional and work on your actions to reflect your words. You are worth it!
I am committed to your process and progress. I am here for you, and I am always here to talk and help you strategize. Contact me today at https://cultivateconsultants.com/contact/. I want to hear your plans for cultivating your success.
