Leading by Example: How Personal Values Shape Leadership
02/23/2024 0 Comment
Imagine a vibrant Monday morning in downtown Miami. The boardroom is filled with chatter as everyone anticipates the CEO addressing quarterly earnings. However, she begins by expressing gratitude to her team for participating in a weekend beach cleanup. This choice immediately captures everyone’s attention and demonstrates that true leadership and values are defined by principles rather than mere profit.
Leading by example, it’s more than a catchphrase in a mission statement. It’s the practice of letting personal values guide every decision, especially when no one’s watching. Miami’s dynamic and diverse culture makes this style of leadership resonate. It builds trust, defines culture, and inspires others to follow suit.
The Foundation: Values and Ethics in Leadership
Every successful leader stands on a solid foundation of values and ethics. What do we mean by values and ethics in leadership? Think of values as the core beliefs that drive a person’s behavior, and ethics as the moral principles that steer decision-making. Together, they form a compass that guides a leader’s choices.
The values and ethics of a leader are often reflected in how they treat people and handle tough calls. A leader who genuinely believes in honesty and fairness will find those beliefs influencing every action. That’s why ethics and values in leadership roles set the tone for an entire organization’s culture. A leader who demonstrates integrity in small ways, like admitting a mistake or giving credit where it’s due, sends a powerful message. Employees notice. Partners notice. These consistent actions gradually build a reputation that can’t be faked.
Importantly, leader's values and ethics have a ripple effect. An executive who preaches respect but belittles his staff won’t hide that hypocrisy for long. A leader whose leadership values and ethics align with their actions builds genuine credibility. Miami’s entrepreneurial scene, from tech startups in Wynwood to family businesses in Little Havana, provides plenty of examples. These environments show that values in leadership can be the deciding factor between a team that merely works a job and one that rallies around a purpose. Leadership built on ethics fosters loyalty and commitment. People are willing to go the extra mile for a leader who consistently does the right thing.
Many people wonder, what are the key values of a leader? There’s no one-size-fits-all list, but certain principles come up repeatedly. Honesty, accountability, empathy, and vision are often cited as important values a leader should demonstrate. These qualities represent core values for leaders in any field. It’s not about perfection; even great leaders have flaws, but about striving to uphold strong leadership and values every day. Those fundamental values become a safety net during crises and a beacon during uncertainty. They form the DNA of a leader’s legacy.
Personal Values Define Leadership Style
Personal leadership values shape how a person leads, much like an artist’s style makes a painting. A leader who prizes transparency will keep communication open and candid. One who values courage will stand up for what’s right, even if it’s unpopular. These core beliefs filter into every aspect of leadership style. They influence whether a manager micromanages or trusts their team and whether a CEO chases short-term gains or invests in long-term welfare. A leader’s ethics and values quietly determine whether their approach is authoritarian, democratic, or something in between.
Crucially, leaders have the power to influence values that affect behavior across their organizations. Employees take cues from the top. A boss who consistently shows kindness and fairness will see those values spread through everyday interactions. A leader who cuts corners sets an example that can normalize unethical behavior down the line. That old saying, “ The fish rots from the head,” rings true as culture starts at the top. Leaders’ personal convictions don’t stay personal for long; for better or worse, leaders have the power to influence values in any group they lead. This dynamic is evident in many Miami companies.
A passionate restaurant owner who values community might organize free meals for locals in need, setting a tone of generosity among staff. A startup founder who emphasizes sustainability will push for eco-friendly practices, and soon, every team member feels responsible for reducing waste. These are real leadership values examples in action. They show how one person’s standards can redefine what is acceptable and expected within a group.
Values are mostly influenced by lived experience and observation. People learn what really matters at work by watching those in charge. Formal codes of conduct are fine, but it’s the daily choices of leaders that carry the most weight. That’s why leadership company values are not just pretty words on a website. They need to be exemplified by the leadership itself. Authentic alignment between leadership and company values builds a resilient, unified team. Workers know where the company draws the line ethically, and they trust their leaders to hold that line.
Defining Culture Through Ethical Leadership
Leaders don’t operate in a vacuum; their personal values help improve the entire organizational culture. Values and leadership go hand in hand when building a healthy workplace. An Ethical leader acts like a mirror; their behavior reflects the kind of conduct they want to see in others. Leaders who foster open dialogue make employees feel safe to speak up. Handling conflicts with grace and fairness sets an example that becomes the office norm. The best leaders act as moral role models. A common question arises: Which type of leadership revolves around being a moral role model? The answer is often called ethical leadership, a style focused on high integrity and accountability.
Take a moment to imagine how this plays out in practice. Imagine a sales team where the manager values honesty over “making the sale at any cost.” That team will start treating customers with more care because they see that their leader would rather lose a deal than break a promise. The long-term effect is a brand known for trustworthiness. A manager whose only value is hitting targets by any means creates pressure on employees to adopt shortcuts. Leaders have a choice in the culture they create. Leading with strong ethics allows them to influence values that affect behavior in profound ways.
There’s a saying that leaders set the weather in the workplace. Their mood, their principles, and their reactions become a climate that everyone else works under. A sunny leader who shines with optimism and integrity can brighten an entire company’s outlook. A stormy leader who clouds the atmosphere with fear or favoritism can toxicate even a talented team. Miami’s workplaces are famously diverse, as they bring together people from many backgrounds. A clear ethical example from the leader unites everyone under common expectations, even when individual values and attitudes differ.
Addressing Challenges When Values Are Tested
Sticking to one’s ethics can actually be hardest when the stakes are high. Every leader faces moments when doing the right thing could cost them. It might be the temptation to cover up a mistake to save face or pressure to go along with a questionable deal to please investors. These are the fork-in-the-road moments that define careers. True character shows when nobody’s watching or when doing right isn’t convenient.
Consider a scenario many leaders know well: a top performer on the team is also a notorious bully. Removing them could hurt short-term results, but keeping them undermines the company’s values. The best leaders will address the toxic behavior, even if it means a dent in revenue because they understand the long game. They know a team’s morale and integrity are worth more than any one superstar. Leading by example in these cases sends a message that the company’s ethical standards are not just slogans.
Conflicts inevitably arise in teams. A leader might value consensus but find themselves managing a competitive group of Type A personalities. Sometimes, a leader’s personal value of transparency clashes with a corporate culture that’s traditionally secretive. Handling these differences takes finesse. It starts with honest communication, explaining the “why” behind a decision grounded in values. A skilled leader listens to feedback but remains anchored to their principles. Miami is a melting pot of workplaces. Successful leaders here find ways to respect diverse perspectives while still holding true to core ethics. That might mean making difficult compromises on strategy but never on integrity.
Even external pressures can test a leader’s resolve. Economic downturns, for example, force hard choices. Tough times reveal who sticks by their people and who sacrifices values at the first sign of trouble. Employees remember these choices. Leaders who navigate crises without abandoning their ethics earn deep loyalty. They prove that their earlier talk of values wasn’t just PR; it was real, and it endured when it mattered most.
Also Read: How Self-Awareness Leads to Effective CommunicationReal Examples of Values-Based Leadership
Miami offers vivid examples of leaders who put ethics front and center. These individuals span public service, business, and sports, and they all show that doing right and doing well can go hand in hand.
One shining example is Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County’s mayor. She took office in 2020 and was immediately thrust into crisis when the Surfside condominium collapse shook the community. She responded by making compassion and transparency her guiding values. She gave honest daily updates to keep families informed and pushed for new laws to ensure condo safety and openness. Her push for stricter building transparency put public safety above politics and demonstrated ethics and values in leadership when her community needed it most.
Dr. Eduardo Padrón provides another powerful example from the world of education. He served as president of Miami Dade College for nearly 25 years and believed deeply in the value of opportunity. He often described the college as a “dream factory” where anyone could achieve their dream. That wasn’t just talk, as he backed it up by keeping tuition affordable and championing programs for underserved students. Miami Dade College became nationally renowned for accessibility and inclusivity under his leadership. Dr. Padrón’s legacy shows how personal leadership values like equity and hope can transform an institution and countless lives.
The business world has its ethical leaders, too. Yvon Chouinard, though not a Miamian, made waves across the country in 2022 when he gave away his entire company, Patagonia, to fight climate change. An unwavering commitment to environmental values guided this billionaire founder. He chose a path that kept Patagonia’s mission pure for future generations instead of taking a payout or appeasing shareholders. His leadership company values put purpose before profit and inspired entrepreneurs in Miami and beyond to consider the broader impact of their work. It proved that a leader's values and ethics can resonate even in a competitive marketplace.
Leading by Example in Everyday Life
The concept remains the same even across languages. The Indonesian phrase personal value seorang leader describes a leader’s personal value system, the anchor that keeps them steady. Miami’s mosaic of cultures and industries all circle back to this truth: leadership and values are inseparable. We remember the leaders who stand firm on ethics when it’s easier to compromise. We celebrate companies where the founders’ principles still guide every meeting and every hiring decision. We teach the next generation that success without integrity isn’t really success at all.
Leading by example is about action, not just words. It’s about the restaurant owner who closes early on a stormy night to get employees home safely because he values family. It’s about the nonprofit director who turns down a donation from a dubious source because she won’t trade her mission for money. These everyday choices add up. They build a legacy of trust that outlasts any quarterly report or headline.
The measure of a leader, in the heart of Miami or anywhere else, comes down to this: Do they do what they say is right? Leaders whose personal values define their leadership have a clear answer to that question. Employees feel it. Communities benefit from it. This genuine, values-driven leadership is what turns ordinary individuals into role models over time. People may forget titles or accolades, but they won’t forget how a leader made them feel and what that leader stood for. Values and leadership, when entwined, can spark positive change that ripples far beyond one person. It can uplift an entire organization and sometimes even an entire city.
Also Read: Why Jim Glantz’s Leadership Academy is a Game-Changer for ProfessionalsAuthor
Jim Glantz is the Managing Partner of The Academy For Leadership And Training (TAFLAT). A 20+ year Executive of Organizational Development & Training, Jim holds a doctoral degree in Organizational Development and a Masters in Education from UCLA. Jim is an Associate Professor & the author of numerous articles.