Unleashing Your Inner Leader: An Executive Coach Tells All

CHAPTER 3

Values: What Do You Stand For?

Successful leaders are adept at identifying and leveraging their values. Your values are the rock that you stand on. When your values align with your environment, you will behave in your most authentic manner and your Inner Leader can emerge. The opposite is true. When your values are compromised, you are not on firm footing and your Inner Leader cannot shine through. The benefit to understanding and living your values is that you get clarity and a positive return on your expenditure of emotional energy. If something does not feel right, it is probably because it violates your values. You need to live your values and align them to your behavior. Your behavior is a reflection of your values. When your values, environment, and behavior align, you are inviting your Inner Leader to emerge.

CASE STUDY

Meet David, an executive in the software industry. He came from a military background and was known in his company for getting things done. For 12 years he had been rewarded very well for the results he produced. Now that he was the highest-ranking individual at his regional site, he was told that he needed to be more of a leader. When he came to the coaching engagement, not only was he confused by the company's current feedback on him, but also for the first time in his 20-year career, he was confused on what his next step should be. In fact with his quick wit, he characterized his situation as “For the last 12 years I have been the ‘fix it’ guy. ...