Values-Based Leadership Matters More Than Ever, Right?

Hello again,

I hope you’ve had a restorative summer? Mine has been full of unexpected surprises - meeting some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met…a nuclear strategist who advises countries on sustainable nuclear power, a number of CTOs, CEOs and early retirees looking for their next project. ‘They’ say that who you’re surrounded by has a big impact on your life and this is proving true for me; I recently rediscovered by favourite book of all time (You Squared by Price Pritchett) and the folks I’ve met…feel like having made a quantum leap in my circles!

It’s been making me think even more deeply about leadership and what’s needed for us at Mission Equality to make progress towards our mission.

Because the type of leadership that got us here won't get us where we need to go.

As you know, the impact of AI is pivotal. I recently worked on my own personal ‘brand’ to address this because what I’m seeing is the need to be MORE human, not attempt to compete with AI. We won’t win that race. It isn’t even a case of "working with AI”…it’s a case of working with ourselves and honing our human ‘edge’

Impressive credentials and sharp strategic minds are one thing…but people who lead from their values is where the most valuable leadership is. This isn't soft leadership, it’s how we thrive as leaders and support others to thrive too…both now and going forwards.

The Old Rules Are Breaking Down

We're living through a time of “Great Workplace Transformation” (you can quote me on that!)…

• Remote work redefined how we connect and collaborate.

• Gen Z redefined what people expect from work.

• AI is redefining what humans uniquely bring to the table.

• Economic uncertainty is redefining what sustainable success might look like.

In this environment, the colonialist command-and-control leadership model isn't just outdated, it's actively harmful.

When leaders manage through creating fear, micromanagement or ‘output only’ based metrics, they get compliance at best. But compliance doesn't innovate, it doesn’t adapt and it doesn't attract and retain the type of visionary thinkers and values-aligned ‘do-ers’ that we need. Values-based leadership does.

What Values-Based Leadership Means

When I talk about values-based leadership, people often have a sense of what it is but not a clear way to express it. To me, values-based leadership is about determining direction, setting priorities, making decisions and solving problems through the lens of clearly defined principles which are not compromised on, no matter what.

When Patagonia turns down profitable opportunities that conflict with their environmental mission, that's values-based leadership. When you choose to have a difficult conversation with a colleague about how their behaviour is impacting others rather than avoiding conflict, that's values-based leadership too.

It's leadership that asks "What's the right thing to do?" even if it’s hard.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Three forces are converging to make values-based leadership not just nice-to-have but absolutely essential:

The Trust Crisis: Employee trust in leadership is at historic lows. People follow leaders they believe in, who do what they say they’re going to, and not just when it benefits them.

The Talent Revolution: The ‘best’ talent has choices but they're not just choosing between job offers, they're choosing between cultures, missions and ways of working. Organisations with clear values which actually live these values (and SO very many don’t!) will win the talent ‘game’.

The Polycrisis Impact: The multiple challenges we’re facing - from climate change to technological disruption to social inequality - are too complex for any one leader to solve with pure intellect or authority. They require collective intelligence, diverse perspectives and sustained (and sustainable) commitment. Values create a shared foundation that enables teams to navigate complexity, together.

The Business Case Is Clear

This isn't just hearsay, the data supports it:

Companies with highly engaged workforces are 23% more profitable and have 18% higher productivity (source: Gallup). Organisations with strong cultures see 4x higher revenue growth (source: Forbes). Teams with high trust levels perform better than those without.

When leaders model values-based leadership, it filters through the organisation. People start making braver choices, taking more ownership and solving problems they weren't asked to solve.

I've seen this transformation firsthand in my own organisation; I’d like to see it in more though this is proving challenging!

The Path Forward

If you're reading this thinking, "This sounds great, but how do I actually do it," here's where I’d recommend you start:

1. Get clear on your own values. Not what you think you should value, or what sounds good in a leadership book, but what you actually value when the pressure is on. What principles do you refuse to compromise on? What kind of leader do you want people to talk about you as?

2. Align your actions with your words. The fastest way to destroy trust is to say one thing, then do another. (A huge red flag in relationships too, right?!). If you say you value transparency, share the difficult updates along with the good news. If you say you value development, invest real time in growing your people (and do not tie it to their loyalty or trying to prevent them from leaving).

3. Use systems that reinforce values. Values aren't just personal, they need to be embedded in how you hire, promote, reward and make decisions. If collaboration is a core value but your performance reviews only measure individual results, that’s a confusing mixed message.

4. Be willing to have hard conversations. Values-based leadership is about having the hardest of conversations, no matter how difficult. This builds so much more trust than you can ever imagine, even if people (including you!) find it hard to experience.

Ultimately, it’s not about whether you have values, it’s about whether you live them and lead from them.

What's your experience with values-based leadership? Have you seen the difference it makes to people? If you’d like to share, do hit reply and let me know.

If you’d like to explore your own leadership values, check out our Values-Aligned Culture Diagnostic Tool (totally free) to see how your organisation measures up: missionequality.org/resources/values-aligned-culture-diagnostic-tool/

Until next time,

Lea - Founder, Mission Equality