My Values
Shared organizational values are foundational pillars that when alive and well, guide how team members are expected to show up every single day.
I hold personal values to guide who I am, how I show up, and what the leaders I come alongside can expect when they partner with me.
There are two values that I place above all to guide my expertise.
I stole this one from Ian Lurie:
Be Trusted, Then Liked.
At Portent, we were taught to be trusted consultants to our clients first, then liked by them afterwards.
It is so easy to get that formula flipped in any kind of consultative work.
Being liked is easy.
It’s easy to agree. It’s easy to communicate what a client wants to hear. It’s easy to avoid the hard conversation and real truth that needs to be delivered.
But being trusted is what drives the most value for the leaders I support.
What does that mean?
Well, I might be the only person in your sphere to tell you a truth you may not want to hear.
It might mean I share a recommendation that makes your job more difficult in the short term but by doing so, sets you up to achieve what you want in the long term.
It means you’re going to get clear, direct, and honest communication from me. I can deliver clearly, directly, and honestly while being kind too.
A line I find myself repeating all too often with clients:
“You may not like that path but I think you know it’s the right path too.”
Trusted, then liked.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to be trusted AND liked. But the former is more important to me and ultimately, more valuable to you.
Be Reliable.
Do we really want anything more than be surrounded by people who we can rely on?
Reliable people show up in the right way at the right time, regardless of what the situation calls for.
Reliable people are dependable people. They are measured, consistent, and follow through on delivering what you need, when you need it.
What does that mean to me?
I’m going to do everything I can to show up in the right way at the right time, regardless of what the situation calls for.
In any aspect of my life, if I am reliable to the people around me, I am living the way I want to live.