| How Values Affect Leadership. | | | | andenvironmental well-being, for instance, will consider |
| When we engage in the process of reviewing a | | | | a decision to investin the community in sacrifice of part |
| leader in the conventionalsense of the word, meaning | | | | of the companyÆs annual profitsuccessful, while |
| as a person who is in charge of guiding otherstoward | | | | one who prioritizes the companyÆs statistical |
| a certain goal, we cannot escape also examining his or | | | | performancemight not.b) Strategies toward goal |
| her values. | | | | achievement: a leader with higher ethical valuesmay |
| In leadership, there are two types of values that play | | | | prefer a more long-winded yet people-favoring way |
| an important role: | | | | toward goalachievement, than one who wants fast |
| 1) Personal values: those perceptions about what | | | | evidence of his or her lucrativeperformance.c) Human |
| matters and what not,what is important and what not, | | | | Resource management: a leader who prioritizes the |
| and what is allowed and what not. Thesevalues are | | | | interests of hisor her workforce will probably advocate |
| mainly inherited from oneÆs upbringing in a certain | | | | larger investments in training,diversity, and making sure |
| environment. | | | | the right people are in the right place, whereasa leader |
| 2) Organizational values: the principles that are | | | | who is out for the numbers will be more inclined to limit |
| fundamental to theinstitution the leader leads. These | | | | thebudget available for improvements in the |
| values are, in turn, oftentimesdetermined by the local | | | | employment sector of the company.d) Decision-making |
| political, economical, and social values. | | | | procedures: a leader who supports |
| The first term that comes to mind when reviewing the | | | | interconnectedness anda good work atmosphere, will |
| above categories is:compatibility. There has to be at | | | | attempt to establish more team performancewithin his |
| least some overlapping between these twotypes of | | | | organization, although he or she may realize that team |
| values. A leader who is very religious, for instance, | | | | decisionsare usually more time consuming than |
| shouldprobably not get involved in an organization that | | | | individual decisions. However, theleader who values |
| is anti religion or proviolence. That is, of course, if his or | | | | fast decision-making and who undervalues the |
| her religion is a peaceable one. | | | | possibleinput of workers, may avoid team |
| A good question that rises when further analyzing | | | | establishment wherever and wheneverpossible.e) |
| these two types of valuesis: which one should be | | | | Perceptions of organizational success: a leader who |
| prioritized? There may be mixed feelings about that,as | | | | values a happy, loyalworkforce will prefer a cut in |
| a person tends to be guided by his or her personal | | | | profits for the sake of employee retainment,while one |
| beliefs in the firstplace, and only secondarily by the | | | | who sees the company as a profit producing system |
| assessments of others. This emphasizeseven more | | | | will nothesitate in applying drastic reductions in the |
| the importance of the previous paragraph: there should | | | | companyÆs workforce for thesake of annual |
| becompatibility between the two categories of values | | | | numbers. |
| to avoid obstruction ininstitutional decision-making. | | | | The above-presented list may have provided a |
| If compatibility is assured the answer to the priority | | | | concise overview of theimportance of value in |
| query is easilygiven: the leader should primarily go by | | | | leadership. |
| the organizational values, knowingthat those are | | | | As an addition to the initial statement about the |
| generally in line with his or her own. | | | | importance ofcompatibility in personal and |
| That values are vital in leadership may become even | | | | organizational values, it may be good toconclude this |
| clearer if we list a fewof the areas they affect:a) | | | | article by stating that a real strong leader will most |
| Perceptions of decision outcomes: depending on a | | | | likelybe capable to alter the companyÆs mission |
| leaderÆs values he willperceive an outcome as | | | | and vision toward his or herpersonal values as he or |
| successful, mediocre, or ineffective, while anothermay | | | | she successfully establishes him or herself in thefirm. |
| see it entirely different. A leader who prioritizes people | | | | Dr. |