Our Approach
We have developed frameworks for Values Based Leadership (VBL) at the individual, organizational, and family level. These frameworks serve as the foundation for our programming. Keep reading to learn more about how these frameworks can transform you, your organization, and your family.
Why do the Five Practices of Values Based Leadership matter?
The Five Practices are the basic tools we need for our leadership journey. When you consider leadership, do you think of a CEO, a school principal, the general manager of a team, or a pastor? Although these roles are important, the people in them are not necessarily leaders.
Consider this: your role, no matter what it is within an organization, a community, or even your family, is to lead, no matter what your title is or what your kids call you. We believe that leadership is a choice, not a title, and that leaders have the opportunity and responsibility to have a positive impact on other people. As a choice, Values Based Leadership (VBL) occurs between people, and it always starts with you.
These practices are interdependent instead of linear; one does not lead to the other. These practices spin together like the gears of an engine. When all the gears are moving, the engine is performing well. When one of the gears is out of line, the engine loses power and may seize up.
These Five Practices of Values Based Leadership have a cumulative effect over time. By choosing to act on them again and again, we develop our skills and increase our effectiveness. We become more authentic and influential. We become who we are meant to become and do what we are meant to do. We are better able to live for our purpose, on purpose.
The Five Practices of Values Based Leadership
spin together like the gears of an engine
for optimal performance
Building Awareness
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Developing
Relationships
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Practicing Reflection
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Taking Action
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Realizing Potential
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Building Awareness Overview
The practice of Building Awareness is the process of understanding who we are. It includes:
- Examining our values, style, and beliefs
- Identifying our strengths and weaknesses
- Seeking out feedback
Building awareness can continue throughout our lives. As we evolve, take action, and develop relationships, our awareness changes. Awareness is a tricky thing; we may believe one thing about our strengths only to find out we were wrong. We may think we are impacting others in a certain way, only to find that our actions have a very different result to the one we intended.
Developing Relationships Overview
The practice of Developing Relationships means building trust with others. It includes:
- Understanding others’ values, styles, and beliefs
- Empathizing with others
- Supporting the success of others
Developing Relationships is ultimately about understanding what others think, feel, and need. It is a practice based on developing and strengthening our relationships by considering how others feel, even when we disagree. It means accepting others for who they are without needing to fix them, change them, or make them less than they are. It means looking for opportunities to help others be successful and, ultimately, building trust with them.
Practicing Reflection Overview
The practice of Practicing Reflection is about pausing to learn. It includes:
- Reviewing our thoughts, actions, and impact
- Learning from experience
- Applying the lessons
Practicing Reflection is about learning from our experiences. It is about gathering information on our values, our behaviors, and our impact on others and using that data to make decisions. It is about being mindful, developing awareness of what we are thinking, feeling, and experiencing in the moment in a non-judgmental way. Ultimately, Practicing Reflection is about applying what we have learned to become the best version of ourselves over time, to live into our purpose and realize our potential. We reflect so we can make choices that better align with who we are and the person we want to become.
Taking Action Overview
The practice of Taking Action means leading with courage. It includes:
- Making conscious choices
- Acting with our values
- Facing challenges
Taking Action is about making intentional choices that align with our deepest held beliefs. It means standing up for what we believe is right, especially when others tell us to stand down. Taking Action builds our ability to bounce back, to pick ourselves up when we get knocked down, to get back into the fray. It is a measure of our stick-to-it-ness, or grit, and our willingness to run toward the fire instead of away from it.
Realizing Potential Overview
The practice of Realizing Potential means investing in our future. It includes:
- Discovering our purpose
- Developing our best self
- Pursuing ideal environments
Realizing Potential is the search for the best version of ourselves. It means exploring the big questions, such as ‘Why we are here?’ and ‘What we are meant to do?’ It requires us to define the impact that we want to have on others. It means developing ourselves so we can live up to that purpose. It means finding the workplaces, communities, teams, or families that bring out the best in us, energize us, and inspire us to be better.