Most people don’t have clearly defined personal core values. This doesn’t surprise me because a surprisingly small number of people I encounter across the company are actually clear on what they value.
As we talked about before, the research done by Jim Collins and his team for Good to Great proved that virtually all of the most successful companies have gotten clear on their core values and have formed their cultures around them. It stands to reason then, if this is so vital for successful companies, would it not be just as vital for families and individuals to do the same?
It is vital for individuals and families to get clear on their core values. But the fact that it’s important doesn’t mean it is easy. I know it’s hard. You’re trying to whittle down a list of dozens or hundreds of good values to five or six that resonate with you on a deeper level.
For example, two of my core values are Modelling Excellence & Continual Improvement.
Modeling Excellence: Mundane things don’t excite me. If it’s not above-average, I’m not interested. Because of this, excellence fascinates and excites me even if it is on display in an area outside of my own expertise. My son Jackson practices Taekwondo. When I see advanced black-belt practitioners perform I am amazed. The high level of excellence resonates with my own core values.
Continual Improvement: I get great energy when I am around other people who are constantly learning and growing. The synergistic effect of talking and associating with individuals who are thinking and focusing on becoming the very best version of themselves gets me excited.
Hopefully, this gives you some ideas to help you move forward with your own core values. I encourage you to, again, commit to being tenacious with this process. Tenacity will inevitably be the decisive factor in successfully forming core values that have a lasting impact on your life and your results.