During a recent conversation with a Luck Companies Mechanic he shared with me the importance of the Values Based Leadership culture that we promote and model internally. I found his words very empowering and extremely encouraging:
“I have been a mechanic for over 20 years.
I have used a lot of tools in my day.
But I have never had a tool to work on myself.
To be a part of a company that would take the time to share this with me is incredible. This is definitely a tool I am going to be using.”
As we parted ways, I couldn’t help but smile as I was reminded of the wonderful gifts of empowerment, awareness, and intention our Values Based Leadership culture provides all our associates and how impactful it is for our external customers, clients, friends, and community.
Over the past two years, I have shared my “elevator speech” job description with countless individuals and many times I am met with a blank stare of confusion. It seems most people just nod their head in agreement, not knowing what Values Based Leadership really is or how it can positively impact lives.
Individuals in life often focus on the skills of their trade- which is a natural instinct to survive and thrive in their current position. Just like our Luck mechanic, his skill to fix equipment is critical to maintaining his career within the company. However, at Luck Companies we believe there are skills that transcend ones job and can empower individuals to be leaders at work and in all aspects of life. Fixing a haul truck is empowering to the job at hand while living a Values Based Life empowering to all people in any role.
VBL is the awareness that we all have a purpose in life and that we are all extraordinary individuals. It is the intentional practice of maintaining of level of personal development; a set of skills we do not always realize can enrich lives. With the mindset around Values Based Leadership, individuals are able to think of creative ways to understand others during conflict, communicate with the intention of creating healthy relationships, and expose individuals to a higher personal purpose than just punching a time clock each day.
I have seen on countless occasions the impact the VBL mindset has on people and companies. I have seen people only dedicated to collecting a paycheck become more engaged in their lives both professionally and personally. I have seen these same individuals start to make an impact in the communities they live in and help others understand that we have so much untapped potential. So a challenge I have for myself, and I hope for you as well- can we, just like our Luck Companies Mechanic, be reminded of the importance, influence, and lasting impact VBL can have in our lives during 2015 and beyond?
