“The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” ― Epicurus, Greek philosopher
The environment in which leaders operate today is increasingly challenging. Beyond the pressures of meeting ever more aggressive business goals, we live in a state of continual disruption and instability. There are the pressures of accelerating technological advancements that hold out both opportunities and threats, a new generation of workers challenging existing organizational norms, and the changing expectations of consumers who desire greater personalization while upholding personal privacy. Within the broader environment, divisiveness is on the rise. And our social environment has seen an increase in pressure on businesses to address climate challenges, embrace diversity, and exercise greater social responsibility.
Leaders today must balance these competing demands and expanding complexities to be successful. Whether overseeing the day to day operations of their teams or debating the strategic priorities of the broader organization, to lead in today’s world requires the ability to seamlessly move from the tactical to the strategic, from the micro to the macro, from the individual to the team. know that values driven leadership is a critical component to driving innovation and continuous improvement in business performance.
What values are foundational to success?
Think “I CARE”: Integrity, Curiosity, Accountability, Resilience, and Empathy.
Living the values of I CARE starts with a passion for the mission and the people who will be a part of helping realize and sustain it.
Integrity is about operating with a clear set of principles consistently applied and creating an environment, in particular decision making, practices, and expectations consistent with those principles.
Curiosity means knowing you don’t have all the answers but asking the questions that challenge, engage, and drive your team to capture the power of their collective knowledge and capabilities. It fuels innovation.
Accountability is your ownership of actions and outcomes. That’s Job #1. Job #2 is making that Job #1 for your entire team.
Resilience is the willingness to take risks, the ability to listen to feedback, learn and apply, and the courage to continue forward when you’ve experienced failure. And a resilient team can be a super power.
Empathy is critical to building trust-based relationships. Displaying empathy supports an environment where individuals can show up and be their best, where all ideas are considered, where people feel respected and supported. Through a culture of empathy, the power of collective ideas, energy, and action can be fully realized.
Leadership is about inspiring and empowering others to reset their limitations. At their best, leaders help define and deliver new levels of performance through their teams as a collective and as individuals.
Leading with a mindset and the values of I CARE can help good leaders become great leaders.
I CARE 