It has been argued by some, that great leaders inspire action because they are clear about “why” they do what they do. Victor Frankl was a survivor of four different concentration camps during World War II. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he makes it clear that knowing the answer to “why” is critical in defining the purpose. He says, “A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being… will never be able to throw away his life.” 

 

In a TED Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire, Simon Sinek makes it clear that to have great success, you must start with “why”.  He argues that “no one buys what you do. They buy why you do it.”   I would also be willing to bet that both Victor and Simon would agree, creating alignment between the values you claim (values espoused), and the values on display (values in action) is a critical conversation for any organization or company if you want to have long-term success.

 

The best way I have found to align those values is to begin by answering the question, 

“Why is it important for you to do the work you’ve chosen to do?”  Followed by answering the question, “Why is that important to you?”  After that of course you should answer, “Why is that important to you?” again, and again.  If my math is correct, that means you should be answering the question at least five times.    

 

I imagine at this point that there are more than a few of you wondering what this has to do with creating a healthy culture?  Is it really that critical to spend this much time in soul searching introspection?  Can’t I just name my top three values and then move on?  Let me answer all three questions for you.  Yes, it is critical to spend this much time in deep thought.  No, you cannot just name your top three values.  

 

There are plenty of examples of companies that espouse great values, but for some reason, those values are rarely represented in the work of those organizations.  And all too often the leadership is guilty of decision making that reflects short-term goals at the expense of a culture that is healthy and long-term in flourishing.  An example of such a company was Enron.  The infamous leaders at the helm of the financial decisions, Jeff Skilling and Kenneth Lay were said to be caught up in their own arrogance.  I’m pretty sure that the company values listed at the time did not include arrogance.  

 

Here’s the bottom line for why getting your values correct is just as important as vision and mission. Your vision statement (the what) is a long-term view of what the organization wants to achieve. Your mission (the how) explains how you will achieve your vision. But your value statement (how you will be) explains what’s important to your organization, what it prioritizes, and how it will conduct itself.  And as an owner of a company that I hope will outlive me, yes that is a conversation worth having.