Key values can propel you or your organization to success. They span time, companies, and industry. Here are seven that have served me well.
- Put your clients at the top of your list. Now I know that this is debated by some. Shouldn’t it be your employees? You could make a case for that. But if employees are the number one focus, then you really just have a club of really nice people. Clubs aren’t businesses. Maybe it’s your owners? I understand why some companies take this approach, but good luck driving the right kind of culture when the number one focus is ownership. So to me, the top motivation has to be the folks paying your bills – your clients. For starters, isn’t solving their issues part of your mission? It’s likely the passion that drives your business! Second, by focusing on their needs and solutions to help them win, it will assist greatly in driving innovation in your organization.
- It’s about the team, not you. Surround yourself with great people - folks smarter and brighter and more talented than you. Give them a track to run on and clear obstacles out of their way. Support them and nurture them. Be the team of choice. I see a lot of people in leadership roles that are climbing the ladder solely for their own benefit. It’s driven by ego. Along the way you’ll see the wreckage they leave behind. They don’t realize that they’ll succeed more by helping others win. Yes, good leaders are needed. Yes, they make a difference. But good coaches don’t get very far without the right players.
- Doing the right thing matters. Running your business with complete integrity can’t be an option. And the same goes for your team. They need to see it at the top and you must hold all accountable. This means treating your clients and customers right, but also your suppliers and key centers of influence. It means doing the right thing internally, too. You will have to make some tough decisions but you can always make sure it’s done the right way.
- Innovation comes from partnership and collaboration. If you’re not innovating, you’re dying. No longer is innovation about big company silos where an idea runs through marketing, the R & D department, back to leadership and then gets pushed down to the field. Innovation can happen every day – at least it should. You have to be listening to your people and your customers. You have to observe what peers and competitors are doing. And you need to work together. Your clients want to succeed and they count on you to get them there. They don’t expect you to have the market cornered on all the great ideas. They just want you to help them win. So break some china. Develop a new product jointly with an old competitor. Partner with a complementary business to provide a new solution. You’ll be surprised at what you develop and how much fun you have in the process.
- There is no place for negative energy. Everyone, including you, can control their attitude and outlook. Positive energy goes a long way in overcoming the daily and weekly challenges you face. Everything won’t always go right. It’s how you deal with it. One word of caution: don’t stifle corrective feedback. Make sure your people know that you and your leadership team want to hear what isn’t working right. But teach them to come armed with some ideas on how it can be fixed. In observing positive leaders I know, I’ll sometimes hear whispers from others like “they’ve done well, but they’ve never faced what we have” or “wish I could be as lucky as they’ve been”. The funny thing is I know they have faced huge hurdles and overcome. They just found the challenges to be opportunities to improve and get better.
- Working hard has to be a part of the recipe. Whatever it is that you do, you’ll do more of it, become better at it, and ultimately have more success when you work harder at it. Ask any entrepreneur or successful person and you will undoubtedly hear they worked hard to get where they’re at.
- Be in it for the long haul.Commit to the success of your colleagues, your company, and your community. They all go hand-in-hand. Create a place where your team can grow and be successful. Give them the opportunity to shine. Make the investments it takes to be great. This includes your time and your resources. Sometimes the grand payoff will come after you’re gone. But what a legacy! And help make your community a better place. For many, this just makes sense and feels like a duty. But if it doesn’t, consider the business side. Without a strong community, you won’t have consumers that need your products and services. You and your clients will have a severe talent shortage. What will you have then?
What’s The Risk?
Core values are a critical guide for you and your people. From day-to-day operations to long term strategy, they will keep you and your organization aligned, out of trouble, and on the path to success (achieved the right way). Without them….?
While I find the right values are generally timeless, there is something to be said for “owning” them. If you don’t have a set of core values or haven’t updated them in a while, I’d suggest a team-based exercise to collaboratively develop or freshen up your organization’s values. We started from scratch a few years ago, but when we got done with the “new” list, we found it looked awfully similar to the one from 1993.
The most important thing is to have clarity around your guiding principles. Talk about them often. Display them. Even more so, live and follow them in everything you do. Soon enough it will become second nature to you and your team.
What are some of your core values? I invite you to share yours!
