Is Your Leadership Aligned?

Taking Your Values Temperature: A Leadership Check-Up for Long-Term Success

In the fast-paced world of business, leaders and managers are often measured by their ability to drive results. But beneath every strategic decision, every major initiative, and every leadership move lies an invisible force that determines long-term success: values. Are your values aligned with your leadership? Are they evident in your daily decisions? And most importantly—do they resonate with your team?

Welcome to the « Values Temperature Check »—a leadership diagnostic designed to help you assess where you stand, recalibrate when necessary, and ensure that your leadership is built on an unshakable foundation.

Why Your Values Define Your Leadership

Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, or manager, your values serve as the compass that guides your actions. In moments of uncertainty, when the pressure is high, values help you make consistent and ethical decisions. Yet, too many leaders assume their values are intact without ever taking the time to measure them.

If you’ve ever experienced the following, your values might be misaligned with your leadership approach:

• Your team lacks motivation. There’s a disconnect between what you preach and what they see in action.
• Decisions feel reactive instead of strategic. You’re making choices based on short-term gains rather than long-term impact.
• Trust and engagement are declining. Employees sense inconsistency, leading to disengagement.
• You feel exhausted, like you’re constantly chasing rather than leading. A leader aligned with their values feels purpose-driven, not drained.

The M360 Leadership Process: Aligning Leadership with Core Values

One proven way to check your values temperature is by integrating the M360 Leadership Process—a framework that balances leadership, productivity, and decision-making with personal alignment. When leaders focus only on outcomes, they risk compromising their integrity. When they prioritize alignment, they create cultures that thrive.

The M360 approach invites you to evaluate:

• Clarity of Purpose: Are your values explicitly defined and understood?
• Daily Leadership Habits: Do your actions reflect your values in small and big decisions?
• Team Perception: Would your employees say your leadership is values-driven?
• Accountability Structures: Do you have mechanisms in place to realign when values drift?

Checking your values temperature isn’t about perfection—it’s about ensuring that your leadership stands on solid ground.

How to Take Your Values Temperature

1. Define Your Non-Negotiable Leadership Values

Before you can measure alignment, you need to clearly identify your core leadership values. These aren’t just words on a wall but the principles that guide your decision-making. Consider these questions:

• What are three non-negotiable values that define your leadership?
• When faced with tough decisions, what principles do you always prioritize?
• How do your values influence your company culture and policies?

Common leadership values include integrity, accountability, respect, innovation, service, growth, and collaboration. Write them down. If you can’t articulate them, neither can your team.

2. Compare Stated Values vs. Actual Leadership Behaviors

Once your values are defined, the next step is honest self-reflection. Do your actions align with what you say matters most? Consider the following exercise:

• Look at your past five major leadership decisions—did they align with your values?
• How do you handle ethical dilemmas? Do you take shortcuts or hold the line?
• Are you holding your team accountable to the same standards?

This is where gaps often emerge. Leaders might value transparency but struggle with open communication. They might value accountability but avoid hard conversations. Recognizing these misalignments is the first step to fixing them.

3. Get Honest Feedback from Your Team

Your perception of your leadership might be different from how others experience it. Conducting a values auditthrough feedback can reveal blind spots.

• Ask key employees: “What do you think I stand for as a leader?”
• Conduct 360-degree feedback to measure how well your values are perceived.
• Use anonymous surveys to gauge whether employees see your leadership as authentic and consistent.

If there’s a gap between what you believe and how your team perceives you, it’s time for realignment.

4. Audit Your Leadership Habits

Small, daily habits either reinforce or erode leadership values. Evaluate:

• How do you start your day? Are your first actions intentional or reactive?
• Are your meetings value-driven? Do they reflect respect, collaboration, and growth?
• How do you handle failure and conflict? Do you stay true to your principles under pressure?

Taking your values temperature isn’t about setting values once and forgetting them—it’s about constant course correction.

5. Implement an Accountability System

Real leadership isn’t about knowing your values—it’s about living them. To ensure consistency, implement accountability structures:

• Public Commitments: Share your leadership values with your team and commit to upholding them.
• Regular Self-Audits: Schedule a monthly reflection on whether your leadership choices align with your values.
• Trusted Advisors: Surround yourself with people who challenge you and keep you honest.

If you lead a company, integrate values into hiring, training, and performance evaluations. Values should shape not just how you lead, but how your organization operates.

Why Values-Driven Leadership Outperforms Every Time

When leaders fail to align with their values, companies experience high turnover, low engagement, and inconsistent performance. But when values drive leadership:

✔ Teams trust their leaders and perform at a higher level.
✔ Decisions become clearer and long-term focused.
✔ Company culture thrives, attracting top talent and loyal customers.
✔ The leader experiences greater fulfillment, knowing their success is built on integrity.

Leadership isn’t just about strategies and skills—it’s about the deep, internal foundation that fuels sustainable success.

Final Thoughts: The Power of Staying Aligned

Taking your values temperature is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. The best leaders aren’t perfect—they’re self-aware. They recognize when they drift and make intentional choices to realign.

If you haven’t checked your values temperature lately, now is the time. Reassess, realign, and reinforce your leadership foundation. Because in the end, your values define your legacy.

Want to go deeper? Explore the M360 Leadership Process to integrate values-driven leadership into your daily decisions and long-term strategy.

Are you ready to take your values temperature? Let’s start the conversation. 🚀