This is why your values aren’t always enough

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THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Power of Courageous Leadership

My friend, you know that leader who talks about transparency but avoids difficult conversations? Or the one who champions accountability but rarely follows through on consequences?

This isn't always hypocrisy. It's often something more fundamental.

Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Most leaders assume this strength comes from their values. But that overlooks something crucial: your mindset is the lens that filters your values.

Your mindset frames how, when, and even if you apply your values. It sits between your conscious values and your actual behavior, shaping what feels safe or risky in any given moment.

The Values-Belief Tension 🔑

Consider the following examples that highlight the tension that often exists between a value and belief you hold:

Value: Candor
💭 Belief: "Confrontation damages relationships."
🤔 Effect: You avoid direct feedback, sugarcoat issues, wait too long to address tension
📉 Result: The value of candor gets sidelined, even if it's consciously held.

Value: Accountability
💭 Belief: "If I'm too demanding, I'll be seen as micromanaging or controlling."
🤔 Effect: You hold back on reinforcing standards, give vague feedback, or avoid follow-up.
📉 Result: Accountability erodes because your belief filtered how safe it felt to apply it.

Value: Equity and Fairness
💭 Belief: "Making exceptions for high performers is just how business works."
🤔 Effect: You tolerate toxic behavior from a 'rainmaker,' even though you believe in fairness.
📉 Result: Team morale suffers, and the value of equity is compromised by a belief rooted in performance-first logic.

Value: Empathy
💭 Belief: "Empathy slows things down. In high-pressure moments, there's no time for it."
🤔 Effect: You skip emotional check-ins, plow through difficult conversations, or dismiss team concerns.
📉 Result: Despite valuing empathy, your belief system pushes you toward transactional leadership under pressure.

The Transformation ✨

Now observe what happens when awareness of your mindset empowers you to consciously shift your beliefs to align them with your values:

Candor (with Empowering Mindset)
💭 Old Belief: "Confrontation damages relationships."
🌱 New Belief: "Honest conversations, delivered with care, strengthen relationships."
🛠️ Courageous Action Unlocked: You schedule regular feedback sessions, address issues directly but kindly, and create psychological safety for difficult discussions.
🤝 Team Transformation: Your team becomes more open, conflicts resolve faster, and trust deepens because people know where they stand.

Accountability (with Empowering Mindset)
💭 Old Belief: "If I'm too demanding, I'll be seen as micromanaging or controlling."
🌱 New Belief: "Clear expectations and consistent follow-through help people succeed."
🛠️ Courageous Action Unlocked: You set specific standards, provide regular check-ins, and address performance gaps immediately with support.
🤝 Team Transformation: Performance improves, people feel supported rather than micromanaged, and your team develops a culture of ownership.

Equity and Fairness (with Empowering Mindset)
💭 Old Belief: "Making exceptions for high performers is just how business works."
🌱 New Belief: "Consistent standards for everyone creates the conditions for sustainable high performance."
🛠️ Courageous Action Unlocked: You address toxic behavior regardless of performance, apply policies fairly, and have difficult conversations with star performers.
🤝 Team Transformation: Morale increases, psychological safety improves, and your team attracts and retains top talent who value healthy environments.

Empathy (with Empowering Mindset)
💭 Old Belief: "Empathy slows things down. In high-pressure moments, there's no time for it."
🌱 New Belief: "Taking time to understand people's perspectives accelerates long-term results."
🛠️ Courageous Action Unlocked: You pause to check in emotionally, listen fully before responding, and factor human needs into decision-making.
🤝 Team Transformation: Engagement rises, people feel valued and heard, and your team becomes more resilient during challenging periods.

The Courage Connection 🛡️

Remember, while your values certainly play a role in tapping into the mental and moral strength courage requires, the decisive source is your mindset.

Your values tell you what matters. Your mindset determines whether you'll act on that when it feels risky, uncomfortable, or challenging. This is why two leaders with identical values can behave so differently under pressure.

When you become aware of the beliefs that filter your values, you gain the power to examine them. Are they serving your leadership? Are they aligned with who you want to be? This awareness empowers you to consciously align your mindset with your values and move forward courageously.

As the examples show, a mindset shift unlocks transformative results you and your entire team. The courage to lead with your values isn't about having perfect values. It's about developing the mental clarity to act on them consistently.

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

 Your Values-Mindset Audit

Choose one value you hold strongly. For the next week, notice:

Moments of Alignment: When did you act in full alignment with this value? What beliefs supported this action?

Moments of Disconnect: When did you compromise this value? What belief or fear influenced this choice?

The Pattern: What underlying belief consistently shapes how you apply (or don't apply) this value?

Remember, my friend, courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the willingness to act on your values despite the discomfort.

DEEPENING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Resources for You

🧠 Want to explore another framework that looks at how leadership mindsets shape behavior? (Link)

🔍 This conversation looks at self-inquiry and vulnerability covers five key leadership competencies including perspective-taking. (Link)

📖 Interested in historical examples of courageous leadership during crisis? (Link)

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

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🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

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MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 📢

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette