After reading “The Role of Values in Leadership: How Leaders’ Values Shape Value Creation,” I was able to take away the impact of values on leaders, which helped me understand why leaders do what they do. 

Leaders interpret situations and make decisions based on their values. A leaders values also inform their vision of where they want the organization to go. “Personal values impact leaders in at least two ways: 1) as a perceptual filter that shapes decisions and behaviour, and 2) as a driver of their methods of creating value.” Lichtenstein explains the “values dynamic” which refers to how a leaders values interact with the values embedded in the organizational culture. “The values dynamic is the exchange process between the values of the CEO and the rest of the organisation, i.e., the culture. Leaders create or destroy value to the extent that they align Reality 1.0 with Reality 2.0 by implementing their methods of creating value (missions, goals, and strategies) further and faster throughout the organisation.” Humility and will are two vital qualities that make a successful leader and CEOs. Lichtenstein links values to underlying human needs, drawing on Maslows hierarchy of needs, and argues values are organized hierarchically within individuals. He distinguishes three motivational domains which include, Sustenance‑driven, Outer‑directed, and Inner‑directed. “The results provided strong support for Maslow’s (1970) assertion that value systems correspond to the underlying needs that drive them, and for the three motivational domains or “worlds” of our leaders, employees, teams, companies, and societies. Leaders need to translate their missions, goals, and strategies into the operative values of their direct reports and employees to create tomorrow’s company today.”

Leaders personal values deeply influences their decision making skills, strategic preferences, and how organizations can create value within the workplace. I think it so important for leaders to express their values, especially when in a management role as it shows who they are as a person, and in all, can give people a good representation of who their manager is which can give employees a sense of trust and clarity. When employees understand what their managers stand for, it creates a more authentic work environment which allows them to feel more confident, comfortable and motivated to move forward and contribute to their teams which fosters a culture of integrity and purpose. 

Integral Leadership Review, 

integralleadershipreview.com/6176-the-role-of-values-in-leadership-how-leaders-values-

shape-value-creation/. Accessed 02 Oct. 2025.