Become a values-based leader at any stage of your career

For many professionals, having people report to them is the very definition of leadership. In fact, once they have a team, they think they can check the leadership box. However, leadership is not a destination. Rather, it is a lifelong journey of reflection and continuous improvement. The goal is to seek not only success, but above all, significance, measured by the difference you make to others.

As 2025 approaches, here are five resolutions that will help you on your journey to becoming a values-based leader.

#1: Recognize Your Patterns on the Values-Based Path

Before starting a new year, think about what brought you to this stage of your personal and professional development path. I look at it this way: leadership is the ability to influence others. Values-based leadership is taken to the next level through the ability to build relationships with each person, seeking to inspire and motivate them to pursue what matters most.

For example, looking back on my life, I have a greater appreciation for my grandparents, parents, and other family members who were my early role models. Among my early influences was my uncle, Father Francis, who was a priest in Scranton, Pennsylvania. One Friday night, when I was a young teenager, I told my uncle that I was thinking of becoming a priest. At first he was delighted. Then I explained my reasoning to him: I had heard in the church about the lack of clergy, and if one of my friends became a priest, it would be a big problem. “If anyone is going to draw the short straw here, it might as well be me,” I told him.

Clearly, my calling was in a different direction. My uncle assured me, “If you live your life the right way, you can have a huge impact on others.” If you end up going into business or teaching, you could influence so many people. He gave me a sense of mission and purpose that made my career in finance and leadership so much more than just profit and loss reporting. Leadership has been my way of living my values ​​and doing my best to make a positive difference in the world – and that can be the case for you too.

Decide to reflect on your role models and how they have influenced you, while identifying your values ​​and working to put them into action.

#2: Engage in daily self-reflection to guide your values-based life

The journey to living a values-based life and becoming a values-based leader begins with introspection. This practice is so important that I consider it the foundation of values-based leadership.

It starts by engaging in quiet reflection, eliminating noise and distractions and asking yourself questions to determine your values, priorities and goals. For example: Am I spending enough time on the things that I think are most important to me? Do I keep my word? Am I confusing what I do with who I am – making my work my identity? If I had to live today, what would I do differently?

I think about these questions for at least 15 minutes a day and, for over 40 years, at a pace annual three-day silent retreat. As I tell my MBA students and executives who attend my Values-Based Leadership conferences, self-reflection will help you determine with greater clarity where you are aligned with your values ​​and where you are not. not up to par.

Another benefit of self-reflection is identifying what comes first and what comes last. Too often, we tend to have several “top priorities”. This is why it is useful to ask: What is really more important? What should I do more/less? Otherwise, you probably risk confusing activity with productivity.

Decide to engage in regular self-reflection to improve decision-making, set priorities, and lead from your values.

#3: Develop a balanced perspective to become a values-based leader

Whether you lead a team of 5, 50, 50,000 people, or just yourself, values-based leadership requires the principle of developing a balanced point of view. As I tell my students, you already know what you know; what you don’t know is how other people think and what they believe. By listening to others, you open your mind to varied points of view and seek to understand perspectives different from your own.

I often remember a quote from my grandfather, Farrell Grehan, who told me when I was a young boy: “Harry, life is a lot simpler when you only understand your side of the story.” » It takes effort to develop a balanced perspective, especially in today’s polarized world. But this investment of time and engagement with others helps ensure that every member of your team feels empowered to share their ideas, perspectives, and concerns. Additionally, the more people discuss the issue at hand, the more likely you are to reach consensus around the final decision.

Decide to develop a balanced perspective in all things for your understanding, seeking to understand before being understood.

#4: Embrace True Self-Confidence to Lead a Values-Based Organization

Early in my career, William Graham, longtime chairman and CEO of Baxter International, told me, “Harry, there are only two things you need to know to be a successful leader: what you know and who knows what you know. I don’t know. His comment is one of the best definitions of real self-confidenceanother principle of values-based leadership. With true self-confidence, you can feel more comfortable saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll get an answer whenever you need it.” » No one can know everything, so why waste time pretending to be omniscient? The answer might even be found in a member of your team who, thanks to your search for a balanced perspective, will eagerly speak up with the necessary information.

When combined with introspection, true self-confidence also supports your own development to overcome the weaknesses you know and uncover the blind spots you may be missing. As Ferry Kornobserved the talent and organizational consultancy, self-awareness is key to leadership performance, so leaders can “recognize their own strengths and weaknesses in order to reach their potential and avoid derailment” .

Decide to recognize your strengths and admit your weaknesses so that you can surround yourself with people with complementary talents and abilities.

#5: Build a Values-Based Legacy to Amplify Your Impact

When you think about values-based leadership, your frame of reference is probably your career. However, by dedicating your time, talent and treasure, you can make a much greater impact. Your desire to “do good” extends to your local community or extends across the world. This is the essence of building a values-based legacy. Whether you’re just starting your career, moving into senior management, or approaching retirement, building a legacy motivates you to think about what you can do for others.

This is a coming-full-circle moment as you reflect on where you come from, a practice supported by the principle of values-based leadership of true humility. You remember again the influence of your early role models and all those who have contributed to your development and success thus far. In gratitude for all that you have been given, you consider what you can give back to others, such as becoming a mentor, volunteering with a local organization, or supporting a philanthropic cause or charity that you admire (and not only by writing a check).

Decide to identify causes and concerns – local and global – that concern you and inspire you on how you can contribute to positive change.

With a new year approaching, it’s time to make resolutions about how you live and lead. By becoming aware of your values ​​and aligning with them, you will have a greater impact, at home, at work and in the world around you.