Values Based Leadership & The Moral Compass

Values Based Leadership is underpinned by the adherence to a set of core organisational and personal values such as those currently employed by the British Army:

Integrity

Selfless Commitment (my colleagues/organisation/task/team before myself)

Courage (physical and moral courage)

Respect for Others (including Trust and Compassion)

Loyalty (upwards, downwards and sideways)

Discipline (especially self discipline)

These core values compliment each other and guide the leader to ‘do the right thing’. If you think this sounds a bit ‘wishy washy’ in the competitive market place of today, then read on.

Adhering to a good set of core values guides the leader through difficult or unknown territory  by setting the foundations for decisions and actions.  The stronger your moral compass the more likely it is to guide you in the right direction. A strong moral compass also provides the foundation stones to build strong relationships between the leader, the team and, ultimately, the task.

In simple terms a leader with a robust moral compass is able to build a strong relationship with their team, who are more willing to follow and engage fully with the task, allowing the leader to step back and analysis progress and make decisions, in other words maintain a strategic overview of both the overall situation and the task in hand.

The relationship between leader, team and task is further strengthened by the leader who, being moralistically intelligent, has already invested in, and developed, the individuals who make up  the team, according to their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, and empowered them so they are fully prepared for the majority of tasks they may come across. Your employees are your strategic edge, why would you treat them otherwise?

Allowing your leadership decisions and style to be guided by your moral compass makes you trustworthy and reliable in the eyes of your team, employers and clients. It also means that any unpopular decision you have to make will be more readily accepted by those affected. Values Based Leadership sets you up for success.