Leadership values defines you. How you behave and engage with people reflects how much you embed and live your values.

Having worked for organisations where values or leadership principles are integral to success, I have been privileged to experience the impact of great leadership values.

As a talent leader and career coach, I am always interested in what people’s values are.

Perhaps you are a strategic leader or a servant leader. An innovative leader or an influential leader; a transformational leader or a transparent leader.

Whatever leadership type(s) you identify yourself with, it is important to recognize that people must be at the heart of any these leadership philosophies.

HEART Leadership Values

A few years ago, I created a values-based leadership model that I call H.E.A.R.T.

This model represents my personal values of: Humility, Empathy, Accountability, Resilience & Trust. It combines the human aspects of other values-based leadership frameworks with the action and work required to be successful.

Here is what each of these values mean and how they show up.

HUMILITY

Often, business schools suggest that leaders should be more vocal, more visible and have strong opinions.

But, for many successful organisations, leaders who act with humility respect people’s opinions, even if they may disagree.

Leaders who are humble tend to actively listen more and ask clarifying questions. They interrupt their bias about a situation or someone and not rely on any assumptions.

EMPATHY

Simply put, empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place.

When you lead with empathy, you use your curiosity to really understand others.

Recent study shows empathetic leaders endears better team engagement and enable collaboration. Empathetic leaders diverse perspectives and are highly inclusive in their decision making.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Leaders are constantly making decisions, some of which are successful, whilst others are not. Being accountable is accepting responsibility for your actions as a leader.

You have to be willing to own the outcomes of your actions and decisions that you have made. Accountability also involves taking ownership for your actions.

Leaders must take their role seriously, clearly communicating their goals, objectives and results. They must be accountable to drive delivery with focus.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is one’s ability to bounce back from adversity.

It’s what allows you as a leader to cope with disruptive changes or challenges, at work or in your everyday life.

Leaders who are resilient have the ability to manage their energy level under pressure, to cope with sudden or significant changes.

During periods of uncertainty, leaders with resilience keep teams calm and focused on what matters most.

This provides visible reassurance for your teams and create the right equilibrium.

TRUST

Trust is the firm belief in the character, strength or truth of someone.

It validates the reliability of one’s words or actions and enables relationships to thrive or succeed. Leaders demonstrate trust by keeping to their words.

Trust could be build on the depth to which people believe someone’s intentions are genuine.

In the workplace, Leaders who earn trust drive high levels of engagements in their teams and empower their employees to deliver successful outcomes.