Leadership Value #3: Values Matter

Imagine you're sitting in a room with your colleagues and the door to the conference room opens up.  A man walks in you have never met before.  He then says, "Hello, I am your new leader."  

What questions immediately come to your mind?

One that I guarantee will float to your noodle is "WHO ARE YOU?" 

Which translates into,  "What do you stand for?"   

People want to know what you are all about.
-What you believe in. 
-What you value. 
-What are the issues you will fight for.
-What do you care about.
And please do not underestimate the word --you--- throughout this post.  If you plan on pretending your way into leading others, you may be able to fool people for awhile, but over time you will be found out.  Life has a way of pressing a person until they fold or crumble.  My advice is to invest in yourself and find your voice. 

The reason is because people are busy trying to figure out if they ought to be following YOU

Remember, your value system is the core of who you are.  And it influence's every aspect of your life. 

I will close with a quote from Kouzes & Posner:

"To act with integrity, you must first see clearly.  Just as sunlight burns away the morning fog, the more light you shine on what you stand for, what you believe in, and what you care about, the more clearly you'll see those road signs pointing in the direction you want to go"