What do you stand for?

Take time to defining your values.

The best leaders are those who work hard to lead themselves better and positively influence those around them. If you want to lead others, you need to know yourself first. And part of knowing yourself is to define and understand your values.

Values, as defined by the dictionary, are "a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life." 

Knowing our values helps us stay true to ourselves.  They keep us in check.  They give us a moral code to live by. Values are what we feel down deep, what gets us up in the morning and moving through the day. You can't live without values! And when you are leading and living outside of your values, you feel empty.

When you learn to identify, define, and reflect on your values, you will live your life intentionally. When you live your life with intentionality, you will significantly avoid regret.

Our values drive our everyday thoughts and behavior; they reinforce what we think is important. And what is important to me might not be as important to you. Why? Because we are wired differently. We have different personalities and different gifts.

Living out our values keeps us focused on what matters the most to us, which helps us live more meaningful lives. If you don't know what's important to you in your leadership, in your family, or life, you will have a hard time deciding what you stand for.

We encourage you to spend some time defining your values. Go over the crucial moments of your life. Why do you consider them wins? How did you feel when you experienced that level of success? What were your major takeaways? Thinking through the moments in your life when you feel good about how you used your skills and passion. What recurring themes or patterns do you notice? That's the beginning of discovering your values.

If you want to work on identifying and defining your values, download the free Defining Your Values Exercise below.

Living out your core values will help you remain focused on what matters the most to you.