My Leadership Values

I have been thinking lately about what I believe good leaders value and what they do to lead effectively. To me, I believe it all comes down to having values or principles and adhering to those principles. I've put together what I feel is important to me as I work to influence others - here are my top 11 (though there certainly are more). I have written these as affirmative statements of action to infuse a sense of positive energy into the values. I do not pretend that I am perfect in each of these, only that I aspire to make them part of my life.

1. Vision – I constantly envision my future and the future of my organization.  I continuously set goals and work with others to help them see what is possible.
2. Proactive – I am proactive. I take responsibility for my life and my work. I am fully responsible for myself and I direct my actions toward goal achievement.
3. Optimism – I exercise optimism. I am confident that my efforts now will influence what happens in the future.
4. Decide Intelligently – I gather data and rely on the expertise of others when making decisions. When a decision is made, I move forward with confidence and energy.
5. Learn – I am continually learning. I constantly upgrade my knowledge and skills and am continually developing myself. I foster and encourage an environment of continual growth and learning within my organization.
6. Change – I proactively change myself and my organization to adapt and grow toward a positive future.
7. Respect – I am respectful. I always show concern, respect, and compassion for everyone I work with. I do not favor one group or individual, and I am kind to everyone I meet.
8. Recognize – I recognize the contributions of others. I seek out opportunities to praise others for the hard work and diligent efforts.
9. Balance – I find balance in my life. I work to enjoy physical, spiritual, mental and social health, and I promote this balance with the people I work with.
10. Humility – I employ the habits of humility. I respect the expertise of those I work with and constantly seek new knowledge.
11. Composure – I maintain my composure under difficult circumstances. I am in control of my emotions and maintain a positive, controlled manner in all my work.

I believe that many of these values are a part of who I am, and I certainly hope to continually improve in these areas.