Values & Empowerment
A good leader understands their values, the values of their followers, and that of their community. Still, not only that, but they also use that knowledge to encourage and empower everyone. Collaboration in any environment can lead to innovation and progress within a community; as such, collaboration is one of the most important aspects to consider in leadership.
Leaders must know their followers personally and professionally to promote collaboration and teamwork. Appreciate their viewpoints and involve them in the decision-making process to foster a collaborative, innovative team. Transparency and involvement in the decision-making process allow everyone to understand how their work contributes to the values and goals of the community and its vision.
Approaching the process of attempting to understand your values and those of everyone within the community, it is essential to consider that the organizational values are not the stereotypical posters or morning pep talks. Instead, the importance of an organization comes from the individuals within. However, their values can and are affected by a leader attempting to unify the community towards common goals. When the importance of people within a community is synced, synergy and energy levels increase, leading to increased productivity.
Two common paths towards achieving a community with likeminded shared values are to: 1) hire people who share the values outright, or 2) find individuals who look for purpose in their job in an organization that values them. Within a community of shared values, crises are more easily dealt with due to volunteering, stepping up, and people being more willing to work together and solve the problem concerning something they all care about.
The importance of a leader’s values and their effects on a given community cannot be overstated. In numerous surveys and online, participants have continuously indicated that the leaders’ values were significant to them. However, less than half of leaders prioritize values work for organizations, less than half lacked understanding of their leadership style, and even fewer wrote down or verbalized their values.
Many leaders can and do still today struggle with values-based leadership. While we generally see the importance of leadership work in any capacity, many businesses, communities, or otherwise reinforce rules-based management-focused systems rather than values-based leadership-focused ones. We tend to focus more on our management skills when leadership skills are critical to strengthening our organization’s or community’s values.
References
Journal of Values-Based Leadership (JVBL) | College of Business | Valparaiso University. scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl.
