Modeling the Way, Clarifying Values


Over the last several weeks, we’ve been looking at principles of leadership as expressed in the book The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. The authors’ first principle for leaders is to Model the Way. They suggest that this begins by Clarifying Your Values, identifying those values that are most important to you as a person and as a leader.

The authors state: “To become a credible leader, you first have to comprehend fully the deeply held beliefs – the values, standards, ethics, and ideals – that drive you. You have to freely and honestly choose the principles you will use to guide your decisions and actions. Then you have to genuinely express yourself. You have to authentically communicate your beliefs in ways that uniquely represent who you are.”

Kettering Health Network has identified five values that drive our organization. These values are:

  • Trustworthy
  • Innovative
  • Competent
  • Caring
  • Collaborative

As a leader modeling the way for your team, reflect on your actions and experiences, and think of a situation in which each of these values was displayed through your behavior. Share these stories when appropriate so that your team sees these values in your interactions with them, as well as with patients.

The Called to Care Conversation Guide, Your Personal Purpose, Values, and Vision Statements, says it this way: “Choose your top five Values and then describe how you demonstrate them in your day to day life – at work and in your relationships.”

Called to Care Action

Go through the KHN Values with your team, discussing what each one looks like in the behaviors of your department. Ask, In what situation do we show that we are Trustworthy? Innovative? Etc.

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