Decisions by Design | Edition 03

Embodied Core Values: The Gateway to Conscious Decisions 

Core values are the personal principles and beliefs that guide your decisions and influence your interactions with others.

They are forged from your lived experiences. 

Individually, they shape behavior.
Collectively, they shape culture. 

But here’s the truth:
Most leaders can’t name theirs.
And as a result, they unintentionally limit their impact. 

When Core Values become a conscious filter for your decisions, you gain a deeper sense of agency and avoid burnout.

And when you proactively inform others of your Core Values, you provide context that builds understanding and ultimately, trust. 

That’s why every leader we work with at The Beacon Collective onboards with an Integrative Core Values coaching session.

First, identifying their top 3.
Then, mining for the wisdom and patterns of their lived experiences.
Lastly, invoking them to inform their thresholds.

Tips for identifying your Core Values: 

Your personal and professional values are the same.
You don’t have a work-self and a real-self.
Just you, navigating different contexts, drawing on the same inner compass.

You can only have three, AND two is best.
It's nearly impossible to invoke more than three things at a time to make a decision.

They can be aspirational.
But they must be grounded in lived experiences. 

Company Values are not the same as Core Values.
As you navigate your career, look for alignment between your Core Values and your company’s stated values, and pay attention to whether leaders actually live them. If they consistently use those values to guide decisions, big and small, chances are you’re in the right place.

Until next time, 

With clarity and care, 

Courtney

Discover you top three Core Values with out Core Values Card Sort App!