Positions of leadership may give someone a title, but it is a leader’s behaviour that gives the leader the respect needed to be effective, and it is a leader’s values and beliefs that frame behaviour.

It is these values and beliefs that give a leader that ‘steady hand’ as they negotiate the stormy seas that often accompany leadership. Dr John Cosgrove

Imagine when you are living your leadership values and beliefs — how much more focused you would be and how you could create innovative strategies to empower students and teachers at your school to unleash their collective genius, think outside the box, and discover their true entrepreneurial potential!

Values-based leadership encourages self-reflection and personal understanding of one’s values to reveal the inner motives of the person behind the leader. The essential element of a Values-based leader is the capability to truly know oneself and ask oneself reflective questions such as — What are the things that matter most to me? What are the values I would not compromise under any circumstances? The merits of value-based leadership cannot be cast aside as another leadership trend, particularly in an educational ecosystem thatoperates significantly in the areas of coaching, cultural diversity, collaboration, exchange, and values articulation. Instead , your leadership must be rooted in who you are and what matters most to you. When you truly know yourself and what you stand for, it is much easier to know what to do in any given situation. It always comes down to doing the right thing and in that, doing the best you can.

Many would contend that the leader’s values are at the core of inner leadership.  It is their personal core values — not just the skills to do the job — that determine the character of inner leaders and their relationships with others.

Every individual and every organization is involved in making hundreds of decisions every day. The decisions we make are a reflection of our values and beliefs, and they are always directed toward a specific purpose. That purpose is the satisfaction of our individual or collective needs.

When we use our values to make decisions, we make deliberate choices to focus on what is important to us. When values are shared, they build internal cohesion in a group. Our values are important because they help us to grow and develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience. Our values inform our thoughts, words, and actions while framing why we do what we do in our personal, and professional lives. Those that live in harmony with their values are happier being true to those values and, therefore, more motivated and driven. They receive more positive results in all they do. 

Values influence your motivational drivers. What drives them is based on their values, not someone else —. NOT their boss, NOT their friends, NOT social media. They drive themselves. They are confident in themselves. Your values act as your personal compass to guide you through your life and make decisions toward the achievement and success of what you want. Your values clarify the why!

The realization is that the direction of our lives is controlled by this magnetic pull of our values. They are the force in front of us, consistently leading us to make decisions that shape our lives' direction and ultimate destination. They motivate us to move forward in all aspects of our personal and professional lives, how we make our decisions, and why we do what we do. 

In leadership,  we ought to make decisions that are consistent and flexible at the same time, regardless of whether our environment rewards us for living by our values and our standards or not. We ought to live by our principles even when challenges appear and also when we do not get the support we need. To achieve long-term happiness is to live by our highest ideals and consistently act in accordance with what we believe our life is truly about

At times, it is hard if we cannot clearly identify our values. It is a lamentable situation when we are faced with tasks that pose significant difficulties, and it becomes apparent that we either lack the necessary skills or resources to accomplish them successfully. Such circumstances can be considered the most significant tragedy.

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.  Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching