You are a leader (whether you have the title or not). Your values drive your behavior. Whatever you value drives your thinking. Since your activities and behavior will be consistent with your values, it is critical to know and define your values. As a leader of a church, your family or business enterprise, your values are demonstrated consistently by you and your followers.
“Values are those things we consider or rate highly, prize, esteem or deem important.” Hunter, 2015)
Values are your beliefs that are critical in the way you live, lead, work, rest, and play. Your values serve as the most important component in your sense of purpose, passion and play. When the things you do and how you lead match with what you value, you are a happy fulfilled person. When your values don’t match what you do, you are stressed, unhappy and unfulfilled.
Values are without compromise, un-debatable truths, characteristics that drive and direct behavior. They are motivational; they give reasons why we do things. They are restrictive and place boundaries to guide our behavior. They provide the core of individual, group or organisational identity. They are enduring judgments about what you consider to be important, like the shoulders on a major highway. Values can be described as what we treasure the most, those things we want to live by or die for; belief characteristics that distinguish us one from another.
Leaders who are living by their values reap a great benefit from the Lord; David said they “will never be shaken.” (Psalm 112:6 NIV)
Remember, you and I may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.
Hence, this week, let’s do everything we can at home, at work, at play and at church to demonstrate God’s love in everything we do.
Yours in Service,
Laurie D. Kennedy
Jethrogroup.ca Author of Leadership is Devotions for Servant Leaders (Amazon.ca)