Activity, Part One: Articulate How You Wish to Live and Work

LSM585: Leading Collaborative Teams

Cornell University

Value Assessment

Identifying Leadership Values

Instructions:

In this course, Professor Walsh describes how knowing your values will strengthen your decision making. In this activity, we will go through the steps needed to identify your leadership values. Let's begin by responding to the question of how the work you are doing does or does not enable you to live your life the way in which you prefer.

Activity, Part One: Articulate How You Wish to Live and Work

As a starting point, answer these two questions. Write down the first thing that comes to mind:

1. What type of work do you (or would you) love to do?

2. How does this work enable you (or would enable you) to live your life in the ways you prefer?

Go on to the next page.

Activity, Part Two: Identify Your Leadership Values

1. Next, review the following list of values and circle the 10 values that are most important to you, as a professional, in terms of how you perform your work.

Accomplishment / Achievement / Adventure / Authority
Career / Challenge / Commitment / Competition
Country / Discipline / Duty / Education
Faith / Family / Freedom / Fun
Good income / Growth / Happiness / Honesty
Honor / Influence / Innovation / Intellect
Integrity / Joy / Love / Loyalty
Morality / Patience / Persistence / Power
Professionalism / Prosperity / Relationships / Religious beliefs
Respect / Rewards / Self-reliance / Success
Teamwork / Tradition / Truth / Vision
Wisdom / Well-being / Your word/value / Your word/value

Go on to the next page.

2. Of the 10 values you circled, if you had to drop any 3, which would you let go of? Cross these out. List the remaining 7 values here.

Top 7 Values
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Go on to the next page.

3. From the remaining 7 values, cross off another 2 that you feel are least important.

You are now left with your 5 core values. These values are essential to how you wish to live and work. Consider them as you make decisions and lead your team.