Effective leadership is all about inspiring, guiding, and setting a precedent for your team. As you develop your management skills, following a set of core values can help guide your approach to leading your staff.
In this blog, we delve into what leadership values are, why they matter, and which ones every manager should embody to excel as a leader.
What Are Leadership Values?
In your personal life, you likely have core principles that guide your actions and choices. These values serve as a compass that helps you navigate situations you encounter.
In the same way, leadership values are principles and “people skills” that you apply to your own management style. They shape how you interact with your manager, coworkers, employees, and customers in the workplace.
Why Every Manager Should Have Leadership Values
When properly communicated, leadership values can result in a stronger workforce. A Leadership IQ study of 4,360 employees and leaders found that employees are 115% more engaged when their organization has a well-defined set of values.
And most importantly, leaders who embody their values earn the respect and commitment of their team. These leaders don't just command authority. They inspire others to follow them in pursuit of broader organizational goals, and help their teams internalize these values themselves.
10 Essential Leadership Values to Practice
While every great leader can identify and develop their own unique core principles, focusing on these 10 leadership values can help lay the groundwork for a highly effective approach to management.
1. Clear Communication
Effective leaders prioritize clear communication with their team. Employees who understand the company’s mission and how their tasks fit into broader goals are better able to succeed.
How to communicate clearly: Share your vision and goals with your team regularly, and encourage open dialogue. This means not only conveying your thoughts but also actively listening to others.
2. Role Modeling
Want to see change in your team? Lead by example.
The best managers live out the behaviors and attitudes they expect from their teams. Role modeling fosters a culture of responsibility and integrity within each group.
How to be an effective role model: Model responsibility by admitting your mistakes, taking ownership of your decisions, being punctual, and showing a strong commitment to your work.
3. Psychological Safety
Psychological safety promotes healthy conflict and allows team members to take risks, speak up, and share concerns without fear of punishment. In fact, a McKinsey study found that nearly 75% of employees associated leadership behaviors rooted in psychological safety with a positive team climate.
How to provide psychological safety: Encourage risk-taking and reassure your team that failure is a part of the learning process. Celebrate diverse viewpoints and encourage constructive debates among your team members. Consistently let your team know it’s safe to come to you with concerns and that there will never be retribution for reporting problems in the workplace.
4. Authenticity
Authenticity in leadership involves self-reflection, openness to feedback, and a willingness to improve. Authentic leaders inspire trust and loyalty in their teams, which creates a more cohesive and motivated workforce.
How to promote authenticity: Be genuine in your interactions. Share your leadership journey, including your challenges and how you overcame them.
5. Proactivity
Proactive leaders are dedicated to personal growth and the development of their teams. This not only enhances their own skills but also sets a positive example for their colleagues.
How to be proactive: Encourage your team members to identify new projects for themselves and support them in pursuing those initiatives. At the same time, seek additional opportunities for yourself, such as volunteering for new projects or mentoring others.
6. Humility and Vulnerability
The modern workforce favors leaders who show humility and vulnerability over those who think they have all the answers.
How to show humility and vulnerability: Acknowledge that you don't have all the answers and be open to learning from others across your organization, regardless of their position. Encourage employees to present ideas even if they differ from your own.
7. Setting Boundaries
Establishing healthy boundaries is vital for personal well-being and a productive work environment. This can be particularly beneficial for leaders who are showing signs of overwork, burnout, and poor work-life balance.
How to set boundaries: Establish a healthy work-life balance. Adhere to your own boundaries for your personal and professional life, and in turn, respect those that your team members set for themselves.
8. Continuous Learning
Leaders who prioritize continuous learning create a work environment where new ideas are valued. And as an added bonus, keeping your team’s skills sharp can help your company stay competitive.
How to encourage continuous learning: Plan and participate in learning and development activities with your team. For example, on-demand programs like Elevate Academy are an easy way for your team to constantly improve their leadership skills over time.
9. Accountability
A culture of accountability starts where everyone on a team (including its leaders) understands what is expected of them and feels personally responsible for their objectives.
Accountability is uniquely tied to seeking and receiving feedback. A Gallup study of over 65,000 employees found that workers who received thoughtful feedback had 14.9% lower turnover rates than employees who received no feedback. Furthermore, Workleap found that 69% of employees say receiving positive feedback beyond their regular performance reviews motivates them to work harder.
How to promote accountability: Set clear expectations and hold yourself and your team accountable for meeting them. Celebrate successes and constructively address issues. Regularly communicate feedback and provide your team with the necessary resources for them to do their jobs.
10. Adaptability
A big part of any leader’s job is managing and driving change. And in challenging circumstances, leaders should be adaptable and should show resilience for their team.
How to encourage adaptability: Being adaptable means always maintaining a positive attitude, even when changes are negative. Find solutions rather than focusing on problems, and clearly communicate your thought processes with your team.
Communicating Your Leadership Values to Your Team
Communicating values is crucial for building a cohesive and motivated group, especially if you lead a team of managers.
Start by presenting them in a team meeting as well as through written communication. Explain why your values matter to you and how they influence your decision making. And lastly, invite feedback from your team. Ask how they see these values affecting their own work or if there are any conflicts with their own ideas.
Start Building Your Leadership Values
Identifying and embodying a set of core leadership values is crucial for any manager to lead effectively. By integrating these qualities into your leadership style, you can inspire and guide your team toward greater success.
