Shared Values

01/21/2010

Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.
John Dewey, 1859-1952, American Psychologist

In her book, Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children, Exchange's Director of Community Development, Debra Sullivan, conveys these thoughts about shared values:

"A new perspective on values has emerged in recent years, focusing on the leader's relationship with followers. More and more, the literature on leadership is looking at the concept of shared values rather than solely focusing on the leader's values. Shared values are the beliefs and ideals that are held in common by the individual and the group. Shared values are the means by which a group of people will achieve their goals and their mission. For leaders, sharing values means that no one person's values take priority, not even the leader's. The workplace will reflect primarily the top two or three values that all of you agree to.

"Values such as openness, caring, empowerment, listening, understanding, acceptance, and empathy are indicative of leaders who work in harmony with the needs and desires of other group members. Shared values change groups and organizations by...

Fostering strong feelings of personal effectiveness
Promoting high levels of group loyalty
Facilitating consensus about key group goals and stakeholders
Encouraging ethical behavior
Promoting strong agreements about working hard and caring
Reducing levels of job stress and tension

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