Leadership: Promoting Beliefs and Values

Because beliefs and values form the heart of an organization’s culture, great leaders never miss an opportunity to reinforce them. They know that once internalized, these beliefs and values affect the norms that influence day-to-day actions, determine what’s important, reinforce appropriate behavior, and change attitudes.

If these norms are to be institutionalized, management must support them by clear and visible actions. Therefore, management must live these values in their heads and their hearts. Otherwise, they may be inconsistent in applying them, or worse, fail to promote them in times of stress. If commitment is perceived as rhetoric without substance, the effort will fail.

Questions that can be answered include:

Does the company value ethical behavior over short-term business? If it’s the last day of the sales month, and the numbers look miserable, are people encouraged to do what’s best for the client or close the sale––even if it may jeopardize the long-term relationship with the client?
Are people rewarded only for the bottom-line performance or for the development of their people as well? Stories should show how individuals made it to the top of the organization while keeping the best interests of others in mind—rather than stepping on those in their way.
Do people live up to their promises? Was a promise made and kept to a client even though circumstances changed after the promise was made? This sends a message to all employees, as well as clients, that the organization can be trusted.
Are relationships lasting or made out of convenience? From a negative standpoint, are there stories about managers who disowned employees after they were promoted or transferred to another part of the organization?
Are employees treated with understanding when taking care of a sick child or parent?
What happens to someone who was once the star performer but who is now having a streak of bad breaks?

Frank Sonnenberg, a marketing strategist, has written four books and published over 300 articles. This article was adapted from Frank Sonnenberg’s new book, Managing with a Conscience: How to Improve Performance Through Integrity, Trust, and Commitment (2nd edition). The book was named one of the top 10 Small Business Books of 2012 • Trust Across America named Sonnenberg one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders of 2011 and 2012 • In 2011, Social Media Marketing Magazine (SMM) selected Sonnenberg as one of the top marketing authors in the world on Twitter. • Salon.com named Sonnenberg’s blog among the top 100 in 2009 • www.franksonnenbergonline.com © 2012 Frank Sonnenberg. All rights reserved.

Posted by Frank Sonnenberg on Tuesday, January 24, 2012

2 Responses to “Leadership: Promoting Beliefs and Values”

Defining an Organisation’s Culture | Peter Borner says:

February 7, 2012 at 6:33 am

[...] few days ago, Frank Sonnenberg (www.franksonnenberg.com) wrote an article entitled Leadership: Promoting Beliefs and Values. He stated that great leaders never miss an opportunity to reinforce their organisations beliefs [...]
Raj says:

February 19, 2012 at 8:03 am

The cortnuy needs ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS much more than leadership skills. Good Local Govt is all about delivery of these basics that you aver do not need rocket science. Well, actually, if rocket science is about getting your vehicle to go where you want it to, in the time you want it to, and with the impact you want it to have, then, yes, it does take rocket science to deliver basic services.Rather than skills, the leaders need an understanding of what Deming calls Profound Knowledge. That is the prerequisite. They can then measure the right things and ask sensible questions that keep the system in a state of what Stafford Beer and Ashby call dynamic equilibrium delivering to those most basic needs.(By the way, Ghandi is spelled Gandhi.)