Having more clarity about values, helps one be

Having more clarity about values, helps one become a better leader  because those values will provide a basis for how the leader will carry  their team (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).  When a leader is certain about  which values are important to them, they can perform and make decisions  more consistently. By having a leader who is consistent and continuously  acts on the values they hold, satisfaction among constituents will  increase and a more cohesive team dynamic will occur. Additionally, when  a leader clarifies their values and shares the values with their team,  it shows team members what their leader will expect of them and what  they can expect from their leader (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Once a  leader has identified which values are most important to them, they must  then “find their voice” to effectively share these values with their  team members.

In terms of leadership, “find your voice” means developing a  leadership style which is unique to the individual and fully encompasses  their own values (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). To be effective, a leader  must be passionate about the values they incorporate into their  leadership style, rather than choosing to mimic another leader’s  successful style (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). If a leader simply chooses  to base their leadership style off one they have seen previously, it is  likely they will not be as successful because it will be clear to their  constituents that the leader does not truly believe in what they are  saying or doing (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). However, once the leader  has found their voice and is able to lead in a way that is true to them  and their beliefs, their team will enthusiastically follow along and be  encouraged to clarify and share their own values. An example of a leader  finding their voice, is one who values teamwork and creates  teambuilding events for members to participate in. This leader has found  their voice because they have identified a value they want to  prioritize and demonstrated the importance of the value to their team by  implementing a way for the value to be upheld.

While it is important for a leader to clarify and uphold their values  when leading a team, it is also important for them to understand that  not everyone is going to prioritize the same values. For this reason, it  is important for leaders to openly communicate with their constituents  to gain an understanding of what values they hold and to identify any  shared values (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).  Even though there may be  differences in the values that each party holds, it is still possible  for the leader to remain deeply committed to their own values. Being  committed to a value means the leader can still behave and make  decisions based on the values which they are passionate about while also  encouraging and supporting the values of their constituents. On the  other hand, a leader imposes their will on others when they expect all  team members to uphold the same values as them without attempting to  understand everyone’s passions and priorities. This is different than a  leader who is simply committed to their values, and an effective leader  must know the difference because when team members feel forced to adhere  to values they are not passionate about, satisfaction, enthusiasm, and  willingness to work hard will decline (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).

There are several values a good leader should prioritize and uphold,  but one of the most important values is collaboration. When a leader  values collaboration it tells the team members that everyone’s ideas are  important no matter where they stand in the hierarchy. This will lead  to everyone feeling confident in their ability to share their thoughts  and opinions when working to solve a problem or improve the  organization. Additionally, by valuing collaboration, the leader and  team-members will consistently be open minded when ideas are being  shared. This is important because willingness to hear everyone’s ideas  will help to create a solution which is beneficial to the entire team  and most appropriate to address the problem being discussed.