Leading with Purpose: A Guide to Reflecting on Your Values

Today's focus is on the first mini step in setting a successful vision: reflecting and establishing your values as a leader.

Question: When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your values as a leader? Take a moment to sit with that thought. If it's been a while, let's take a few minutes for an exercise.

Get out paper and a pen or pencil. Yes, I'm all for an old-fashioned exercise. Take some time by yourself...no phone

Step 1: Start with a few questions:

• What is important to you?

• Why do you do the work you do?

• What do you want your legacy to be?

• How do others describe you?

  
  

Step 2: List the words that come to mind when asking yourself these questions.

• Examples might be integrity, growth, empathy or certainty.

  
  

Step 3: Reflect on these words and how they align with your personal values and professional development. Ask yourself these same questions as they relate to your personal relationships and activities outside of work.

Step 4: List your accomplishments. What are you proud of?

• Don't edit this list—write everything down, no matter how small. When I made this list without edits, it allowed me to think more freely without limiting myself to only the "big stuff." In reflection, this exercise helped me see that I've built a career on leading change and navigating conflict. And that many of my personal accomplishments are related to my professional pursuits.

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When I started in my first management role, I was task oriented. In my previous roles in sales and customer service, it was all about task completion. If I executed these tasks perfectly each day, I would achieve the necessary results. However, after my first promotion into management, it was evident that the same task-oriented nature wouldn't inspire others. I had to rethink how I fit into an organization by defining my purpose as a manager, eventually recognizing the difference between management and leadership.

Was I always 100% sure I was doing the right thing when leading these initiatives? Absolutely not! I had my share of imposter syndrome and an inner critic saying, 'Am I doing the right thing? Will this change be supported? Where do I begin?'

Before you set a vision, consider the 'why.' Are you being tasked with an outcome? When you show up at work today, are you seeing opportunity? How do you want to grow? What does success look like?

In several companies, I've had my share of managers over the last ~30 years—some good, some not so good. Over the years, I've refined my brand and values as a leader. It's a reflection of the above exercise, defining on paper what's important to me, as well as a combination of my accomplishments. Each year, I take the time for this exercise. While I'm similar at my core, my accomplishments have grown, and it reminds me of why I do what I do every day.

One of my first executive coaches, Mylene, asked me in an early exercise: 'What would success look, taste, smell, and sound like?' If you're going to set a vision for success, start with evaluating your values as a leader. It's the first step in my signature coaching framework, SPARK Method.