After reading the text “The Role of Values in Leadership: How Leaders’ Values Shape Value Creation” by Scott Lichtenstein, I find it more important than ever for a leader to have strong values in this life. For example, If I want to be an outdoor adventure leader in the future, I need to have a strong set of values so that I communicate well with others and create a meaningful experience for everyone. My values will help influence my decision making when it comes to safety and other ethical decisions. 

This text made me think about the events of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition. During this event, Ernest Shackleton had to express some impactful value-based leadership skills. Shackleton frequently put the safety of his crew over his own and showed the importance of sacrifice. Shackleton’s decisions during this disastrous event were guided by values such as loyalty and responsibility. His overall leadership in this story showed how strong values can help inspire trust even when looking death in the face. 

This text also reminds me of how some leaders acted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some leaders focused on compassion and the safety in their communities by enforcing policies, while others focused on keeping businesses running and making sure the economy remains as stable as possible. These worldly events reflect the text’s ideas of how leadership decisions always have consequences and there must be balance. In the real world, leadership decision making directly affects millions of people’s lives, showing just how important value-based leadership is in crisis situations on a large scale. 

Lichtenstein, S. (2012). The role of values in leadership: How leaders’ values shape value creation. Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 5(1), 1–13.