Corporate Education Group

2 | The Case for Values-Based Leadership: Maximizing People and Profitability 300 Brickstone Square • Suite 201 • Andover, MA 01810 USA • 1.800.288.7246 • +1.978.649.8200 • info@corpedgroup.com Power vs. Values-Based Model of Leadership Leaders, all types of leaders, CEOs, vice presidents, managers, project managers and people at all levels of a business have power, the power to influence people or events. That power or energy can be used wisely or misused, for good or for harm, for service to others, or for power over others. The present conditions in our world today are a "wake up call" to use power wisely, for the people and the planet. Find your own unique imagination, resourcefulness, and creativity. The power-based model of leadership is based on "making people do things," how to manipulate power to get what you want, how to win, the use of clever strategies. Power is an end itself and who gains more power vs. who accomplishes the most for the organization is the definition of success. The result we too frequently experience is conflict between power, people and groups. Not surprisingly, these same leaders call in "experts" to train their people in collaboration, conflict management, communication, handling stress, and countless other programs designed to alleviate the very problems they have created. What the leaders are not honestly dealing with is that the people in the organization are only modeling the leadership behaviors they see and experience every day. What is required today is a shift in our leadership paradigm, from a power-based model of leadership to a values-based or service model of leadership. Values-based leadership is characterized by a commitment to be of service, to meet the needs of others. Such companies have clearly stated values that demonstrate that commitment. And these values are not just "Post- it" note values, or some poster on a wall that people no longer really see, or "talk the talk, but not the walk." Instead, the vision of the company is clear, compelling, and it inspires people to higher purpose. It is a picture of "how the world could be...let's turn it to everyone's' advantage." The intention is on using power wisely by serving others, based on a clear vision and meaningful values — values that are visibly reflected in both the talk and the walk of the leaders in positional power. Power is a means, not an end; it is one tool to help people. Listening and coaching are the leaders' most important tools. Success is measured in how each of us has grown as people and how the organization has grown as a result. The results are cooperation and collaboration between power, people, and groups, and the focus is on problem solving and creating opportunities to see results. Values-based leadership is leadership that has a moral basis, an intention to lead for the sake of others. Values-based leaders inspire hope in others. They encourage the imagination, resourcefulness, and creativity that lies within each person. They help others help themselves and equip others so that they can transform themselves into values-based leaders. Leadership Is Influence Pittacus, one of the Seven Sages of Fifth Century Greece, said, "The measure of a man is what he does with power." In history, and in all sectors, we see countless examples of values-based leadership. Examples such as Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Jimmy Carter, and Nelson Mandela easily come to mind, but examples abound in all social, government, and private sectors. What most characterizes values- based leaders is their ability to unite people in a common vision of a better world; they provide a moral base for that vision, the intention to be of service to others. Stop and think of the leaders in your life, people who have influenced you to become your best and most creative self. Think of the values they "lived" and modeled for you, and how they influenced and shaped your life. Leadership is an influencing process. Any time you seek to influence the thinking, beliefs, or

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