The Value of Values

I still remember the moment vividly: midway through a promotional interview for a leadership role, the panel asked, “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳?” I wasn’t unprepared in the sense that I lacked values—I lived by them every day. The real issue was that I had never deliberately sorted them out, named them clearly, or—more importantly—connected them to how I led others. 

In that split second of silence, I paused, then blurted out three safe, go-to answers: "integrity, honesty, and commitment." They were true, sure, but the response felt shallow because I hadn’t taken the time to reflect deeply. I made it through the interview, but I walked away knowing I’d dodged a more meaningful conversation—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳! 

That experience became a turning point. It showed me that effective leadership isn’t just about having values; it’s about understanding them intimately, articulating them confidently, and letting them guide decisions, build trust, and inspire teams.

One of the very first topics I cover when training or coaching new supervisors is values clarification—and for good reason. When you truly know what drives you at your core—what principles you refuse to bend on, what matters most when the pressure is on—you stop leading on autopilot. You stop reacting to the moment and start leading with intention and authenticity. 

As a leader, if you've never intentionally set aside time—perhaps a few focused days or dedicated sessions—to deeply sort out your core values, I urge you to do it as soon as possible. This isn't busy work; it's the foundation for authentic, credible leadership that others can trust and follow, especially in demanding fields like corrections, where consistency and integrity matter every shift. 

𝟭. Start by clarifying your own values: reflect on what truly drives your decisions, how you show up under pressure, and what principles you refuse to compromise. Use a values list, journal prompts, or quiet reflection, whatever helps you name them clearly and own them.

𝟮. Next, create space for vulnerability and connection: openly share your values with your team. Explain not just what your values are, but why they matter to you personally and how they've shaped your leadership (or where you've fallen short). This simple act of disclosure builds trust, invites reciprocity, and shows your team it's safe to be real.

𝟯. Then, invite each team member to complete the same personal values reflection exercise. Provide the same tools or prompts you used—no pressure, just encouragement to identify what matters most to them.

𝟰. Finally, bring it all together: facilitate a collaborative comparison of your values, the team's individual values, and the organization's stated values. Highlight strong alignments (where commitment flows naturally) and honest gaps (where tension or misalignment might emerge). From this shared understanding, work as a team to draft a concise, powerful 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 for your unit, shift, or area of oversight—one that everyone can own and reference in daily decisions, feedback, recognition, and tough moments. Here are a few value statement examples from different areas of a correctional facility:

• 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵: We deliver compassionate, evidence-based care with professionalism and precision. We treat every individual with dignity, empathy, and respect, committed to our mission of supporting mental wellness, reducing crisis, and promoting long-term stability.

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• 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: We maintain the highest standards of safety, hygiene, and efficiency in every meal prepared and served. We serve staff and residents with fairness, courtesy, and care, driven by our purpose to nourish bodies, support health, and contribute to a secure and humane environment.

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• 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: We pursue excellence in teaching, engagement, and skill-building with dedication and adaptability. We approach learners with patience, encouragement, and respect, guided by our mission to empower personal growth, reduce recidivism, and open pathways to positive change.

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• 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: We uphold vigilance, discipline, and accountability to ensure safety and order at all times. We interact with fairness, professionalism, and de-escalation focus, rooted in our commitment to protect lives, maintain security, and uphold justice for all.

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• 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 (𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹/𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀): We provide competent, timely, and thorough medical care with unwavering integrity. We treat patients with compassion, equity, and dignity, united by our purpose to preserve health, prevent suffering, and support rehabilitation within a secure setting.

While values may differ across individuals, work units, and shifts—shaped by unique roles, experiences, and daily realities—those differences, when aligned around shared core principles, become a strength rather than a source of division. Together, they form the foundation of a safe, secure facility where staff perform with excellence, treat others with dignity and fairness, and stay committed to the mission of protecting the public while preparing offenders to return to society as law-abiding, productive citizens.

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱-𝘣𝘺-𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦—𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 

𝘉𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯