Question:

Read the attached and describe how you can practice the concepts covered in the Chapters in life experience.

The Leadership Challenge CHAPTER 2 Clarify Values TAKE ACTION: Clarify Values The very first step on the journey to exemplary leadership is clarifying your values-discovering those fundamental beliefs that will guide your decisions and actions along the path to success and significance. That journey involves an exploration of the inner territory where your authentic voice resides. It's essential that you put yourself on this path because it's the only route to authenticity. Moreover, you must choose that path because your personal values drive your commitment to the organization and the purpose it serves. You can't do what you say if you don't know what you believe. Nor can you do what you say if you don't believe in what you're saying. Although personal values clarity is essential for all leaders, it's not enough. That's because leaders don't just speak for themselves; they also speak for their constituents. There must be agreement on the values that everyone will commit to upholding. Shared values give people reasons for caring about what they do, making a significant and positive difference in work attitudes and performance. A common understanding of shared values emerges from a process, not a pronouncement. Unity comes about through dialogue and debate, followed by understanding and commitment. Leaders must hold themselves and others accountable to the set of values they share. We suggest that you take these actions to clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared values: - Review your personal credo-the values or principles that you believe should guide your part of the organization. Remember what we said about the importance of personal values clarity, so take the time to express them in your own voice; don't just copy the organization's values. - If you haven't yet done so this year, review the vision and values of your organization. If you've never taken the time to compare your values to the organization's values, now is a perfect time. Reflect on the "fit" between your personal values and what the organization espouses. Are there any points of tension? If so, what can you do to resolve them? - Ask your direct reports and other team members to write their personal credos and share them at team meetings. Have a conversation about the "fit" of personal values and organizational values. Are there any points of tension? What can be done to resolve them? In addition, regular conversations about leadership will let people know it's something important to you, to the organization, and to them. In every interaction, you have the chance to direct people's attention to aspects of leadership that you think are important to focus on. Find opportunities to talk with others about these questions: - What values and principles do you feel should guide our team's decisions and actions? - Tell me something about yourself that will help me be more effective in my relationship with you. TAKE ACTION: Set the Example One of the most challenging parts abou: being a leader is that you're always on stage. People are always watching you, talking about you, and testing your credibility. That's why setting the right example is so important and why it's essential to use all the tools you have available to do it. Leaders send signals in a variety of ways, and constituents read them as indicators of what's okay and what's not okay to do. How you spend your time is the single best indicator of what's important to you. Time is a precious asset because once passed it is never recoverable. But if wisely invested, it can pay returns for years. The language you use and the questions you ask are cther powerful ways to shape perceptions of what you value. You also need feedback to know if you're doing what you say or sending mixed messages. Be mindful that it's not only what you do that matters. You are also measured by how consistent your constituents' actions are with the shared values, so you must teach others how to set an example. Critical incidents-those chance occurrences in the lives of all organizations-offer significant teachable moments. They offer you the opportunity to pass along lessons in real-time, not just in theory or the classroom. Often critical incidents become stories, and stories are among the most influential teaching tools you have. Remember that what you reinforce will be what receives the most attention. You have to keep score for people to know how they're doing and improve how they're doing it. You also must be rewarding the appropriate behavior if you expect people to repeat it. We suggest you take these actions to set the example by aligning actions with shared values: - Check your values-action alignment. For the next month, keep track of how you spend your time relative to each of your shared values. What percentage of your time is spent on each? Is this the proper balance? Given where your business is, are there values you should be devoting more time to right now? - At the end of each day, ask yourself these three questions: What have I done today that demonstrated my personal commitment to our shared values? What have I done today that might have, even inadvertently, demonstrated a lack of commitment? What can I do tomorrow to make sure I set a good example? - Ask a trusted colleague to give you advice about how you are doing on these three questions above. Remember that repeated conversations about leadership will let people know it's something important to you, to the organization, and to them. Find opportunities to talk with others about these questions: - What have you observed me doing in the last week to be a positive example for others? - What's a behavior (or decision) that we've taken recently that demonstrates how our espoused values and actions are aligned? Is there another example of where we may have a possible misalignment