Maria Gamb - Value Based Leadership for Dummies

Values-Based Leadership For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018937411

ISBN 978-1-119-45344-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-45431-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-45432-8 (ebk)

Welcome to Values-Based Leadership For Dummies! Theres always something in life that sets us on a trajectory toward a goal. We seek, consciously or unconsciously, to fulfill that goal our entire lives. For me, its always been to be a really good leader who does the right thing by my people. I always knew that if you treated people well, they would go to the ends of the earth for you. Treat them badly, and youve got a whole other problem on your hands. I could chalk it up to being one of four children in a boisterous house where my mother taught me to always look out for my brothers and sister and everyone else. Maybe youre the same. Its just programmed in there. No matter what, its unshakable. You too?

So, here we are together, about to embark on this journey called values-based leadership (VBL). Ive ventured to share whatever Ive learned over these many years in business, personally and through my mentors and clients. Its not perfect after all, Im not perfect. Even the title expert makes me cringe. This book is just one womans take on the topic of leadership. It may not suit everyone. But its completely customizable, so you can take what you like and leave the rest behind.

On this journey, there will be good days. There will be bad days. And then there will be those days when you think you just simply cant bear it anymore. But I assure you, you will bear it. You wont abandon your team. I know that because youre here with me. Sure, you may move on, but leaving for other opportunities isnt abandonment. Abandonment means not caring about them and saying, See ya later. You wont do that. I know that with every fiber of my being, because its not just your average human being who will pick up a book titled Values-Based Leadership For Dummies. Youre seeking to make the business workplace whole again with an eye on the bottom line. And man, am I happy youre here! The world needs you. The people you lead, or will lead, need you.

First and foremost, I want to assure you that this book is for current and would-be leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and every other person who exchanges in the art of commerce. Ive done my best to include a few key entry points for those who arent in traditional business setups. And just about everything in this book can be used for more than one purpose. Dont shy away from a chapter just because it doesnt seem to pertain to you at first glance. You may be very surprised by what you learn about yourself. Self-reflection plays a central role throughout this process. Without it, youll be flying blind. Seeing ourselves, our true motives, and how the decisions we make affect many lives requires such introspection.

Values-Based Leadership For Dummies isnt meant to be read as a step-by-step manual. However, youll need to embrace some foundational principles and attitudes in order to make use of many of the other tools. If youre reading something that isnt quite making sense to you, I suggest you go to to find the core principle and meaning of why certain tools are important in the process.

Be warned: Im going to offer you a different way of viewing leadership and business as a whole. Understanding that commerce is a vehicle for something good, even noble, will forever change how you lead other people. It will also change how you look at your role in this grand play. Your role is to create businesses and teams that serve one another and the community around you, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the way to achieve this. This all may sound grandiose, but I assure you that its no longer an option its the way things are now, and its become the normal expectation of employees. Preparing for that will assure survival of your leadership.

The principles of VBL establish a platform to create a great company culture where people are focused on living the values set forth by the leader and the organization. This creates a ripple effect into every nook and cranny of the organization: your business model, investing in your team, building strong partnerships, cultivating future leaders, improving communication, and making sure people are the right fit for the organization. Collaboration is the environment where people win. And this is all built on the foundation you set using trust as the key ingredient.

Im a pretty straightforward person. Im not very good at hinting around without telling you whats really going on. In this book you find real steps and concrete activities to help you move through situations. You find real stories of real experiences. Dont you just hate when people skirt around the issue and never get to the meat? Me too! Or they tell you they did something amazing but wont share how they made it happen. Ugh. Its so annoying. That wont happen here.