TBL - The Most Common Core Values Are Ineffective

One-word values like Family, Integrity and Excellence, while popular, are ineffective

Whenever I speak about core values or coach someone through the core values process, I always start with the same question: “What do you think your values might be?”

I remember a specific session when someone insisted confidently that he knew his core values. He recited a short list of extremely common, single-word concepts.

But once I asked a few simple, specific questions about how those values applied to his life and decision making, he realized those one-word values didn’t hold water. In fact, he had to throw them out and start from scratch.

This is a common realization. The truth is one-word values, while popular, are ineffective. I’ll explain why, using three extremely common one-word values as examples:

• Family

• Integrity

• Excellence

On the surface, these seem fine, even admirable. However, they lack the depth and specificity necessary to dictate action and behavior. The good news is each of these words connect to important themes that sit at the root of values.

Here’s the three-point test that shows why these three words don’t work, and what would need to change to make them effective.

Core Values Must Be Universal

Let’s start with Family, an extremely common core value concept that resonates widely.

Family can be your top priority in life. But a core value needs to be consistently applicable to your behavior across all facets of life, not just at home. Family doesn’t pass that test.

Consider this: can Family tell you whether to walk away from a toxic client? Can it guide you to resolve a conflict between two colleagues who need your mediation?

If you’re honest, the answer is no.

If you think Family is your core value, ask yourself: How would you describe the way you show the importance of your family to you? You could pose this question to three people who say Family is their core value and get three very difference responses. For example:

• Some people prioritize their family by always being there when they’re needed. For these people, Always Show Up may be a good core value.

• Other people ensure their family has absolute trust in them. These people might have Build Trusting Relationships as a core value.

• Still other people focus on showing kindness and generosity to their partner, children and relatives. These people might find the core value Treat Others with Kindness resonant.

Each of those bolded phrases can be applied to any area of life. For example, someone with a core value of Treat Others with Kindness would recognize a toxic client violates that value, and act accordingly.

Core Values Must Have Distinct Definitions

Many people pick Integrity as a core value. And let’s face it, who doesn’t want to be known for their integrity?

But whenever someone tells me they think Integrity is their core value, I always ask “what does Integrity mean to you?” And that’s where things get complicated.

To date, I’ve received over 10 different definitions of Integrity, including:

• Integrity means doing the right thing, no matter what.

• Integrity means always telling the truth

• Integrity means being consistent in your words and actions.

This lack of definitional clarity is a problem because your core values need to specifically dictate your decisions, actions and priorities. They should be worded so that anyone who hears them understands what they mean and what matters to you.

If you tell someone Integrity is a core value, they might think you always tell the truth, when really you mean that you always do what you say. Both qualities are admirable, but they are very different.

Chances are your actual core value is hidden in your personal definition of Integrity. The right core value may be a phrase like:

• Do the Right Thing

• Keep Your Word

• Do What You Say

Those phrases are much more specific and don’t leave room for interpretation. And they dictate different behaviors, leadership styles and decision making, allowing you to distinguish your approach from others.

A Core Value Has to Dictate Behavior

The final flawed favorite is Excellence. This one sounds particularly impressive to other people, which is why it’s also common for companies, not just individuals.

But your core values must clearly help dictate your behavior. This is where Excellence falls short.

Imagine you’re leading a business and one of your major initiatives is failing. Do you double down, committing more resources to make it successful? Or do you cut your losses, shut down the initiative and redirect focus toward what you already do well?

Excellence could justify either decision. You might say, “Excellence means we have to keep trying until we succeed.” You might also think, “Excellence means we don’t waste time on something that isn’t working.”

In other words, Excellence is ambiguous, and ambiguity is the enemy of action.

Core values must be a decision-making framework that offers clear guidance when stakes are high and there’s no obvious answer. If a value can be interpreted in two opposite ways, it’s failing you.

If you think your value incorporates Excellence, try digging to the root and reframing it into an actionable directive:

• Raise the Bar

• Do Whatever It Takes

• Never Compromise Quality

Each of these values would guide you in a moment of choice. They also dictate action, not just aspiration.

Your core values aren’t slogans. They’re not about looking good on a wall or in a bio. They are the deeply held beliefs that govern how you live, lead, and make tough decisions.

If you’ve been using words like Family, Integrity, or Excellence, you aren’t getting the ideal impact from your core values. Ask yourself what those words really mean to you and refine them into action-oriented phrases that apply to all areas of life.

The Better Leader (TBL) is a bi-weekly newsletter that delivers a strategic playbook for leaders, drawn from my 20 years of leadership experience and insights from top CEOs and leaders I’ve worked with. Each edition is concise and tactical, providing frameworks you can implement immediately to elevate your leadership and your team. TBL is available exclusively to Friday Forward premium subscribers.