5LIVE YOUR VALUES
The softest pillow is a clear conscience.
—N. R. Murthy, founder and CEO, Infosys
Your values are standards of behavior that shape your True North, derived from your beliefs and convictions. Staying centered on those values is not easy because temptations and pressures of the outside world often conspire to pull you away from your True North. Being clear about your values is essential to sustaining your leadership and not getting pulled off course as Rajat Gupta did.
The most challenging test of your leadership comes when you have a great deal to lose by staying true to your values. Upholding your values requires moral courage by taking action for moral reasons despite the adverse consequences. Are there moral issues you would stand up for that could cause you to lose everything you worked for your entire life? For Merck chief executive officer (CEO) Ken Frazier, that answer is yes.
Ken Frazier: Demonstrating Moral Courage
Ken Frazier learned the importance of staying true to your values from his father. “My father was self‐taught, read two newspapers daily, and spoke immaculate English,” Ken says. “To escape indentured servitude, he was sent north by my grandfather, who was born a slave in South Carolina.”
My father was the most influential human being I have ever known. He taught me the most important lesson of my life: “Kenny, what will you do as the grandson of the man who started this narrative of being free and being your own person? You better ...
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