Values, Wherefore Art Thou?
I met Mr. Carpenter on LinkedIn. I was very impressed with his profile and was looking to connect with more individuals on leadership. Being a model, a Mom, and with starting the Values First Movement, I've come to realize what a big responsiblity it is to lead with your actions...and not just your words.
Why do values really matter and why should we focus so hard on putting our best foot forward? Do you remember a few years ago when the stock market tanked? All those companies came out with scandals; executives taking more than their fair share and not being responsible/ethical with the responsibility they were given? Exactly. We call that an "ethical drift" in business. A key point I took away from attending JBU. If you don't know where you stand on issues, it's very easy to drift to the "dark side", if you will. It's really hard for employees and followers to connect with your mission and vision, if they don't know where you stand on hard topics. That's why your values are so important...not just speaking it, but doing. Standing firm in my values correlates to my modeling, my example as a Mother, & my Values First Movement.
Now, I'll step down from my soap box. I'm proud to introduce you to Maxie Carpenter. He is very educated and experienced to speak on the subject of values and leadership.
Mr. Carpenter was formerly Vice President of the People & Training/Development Divisions for Wal-Mart Stores, having worked with the company for 27 years. Since retiring in 2000, he’s been an independent consultant providing an experiential corporate perspective to individuals and organizations across the country, assisting them with process management and development that includes, but is not limited to:
-Organizational Development w/focus on Culture and Ethics
-Executive Coaching | Leadership Development | Training
-Executive Director & Board Development for Nonprofits
EXPERIENCE
-2015 – Present | Future Achievement International | San Diego, CA
-2012 – Present | Director Operations | Samaritan Community Center | Rogers, AR
-2008 – Present | Adjunct Professor | Advanced Degree Program, Donald G. Soderquist School of Business | John Brown University
-2000 – Present | Founder | Maxie Carpenter dba (CBL) Character Based Leadership | Rogers, AR
-1973 – 2000 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Operations, Merchandising, People and Training & Development
Guest Blog Post by Maxie Carpenter
Maxie Carpenter dba CBL (Character Based Leadership)
702 Biscay Lane | Rogers, AR 72758
(497) 903-2077 | carpenter.maxie@gmail.com | www.maxiecarpenter.com
Values, Wherefore Art Thou?
I wrote a blog post recently titled The Slow Death of Civility. I feel much the same way about the entire discussion of values in general, especially considering that civility is a core value unto itself.
The culture of any church, community, family, government, etc., is a social structure of shared values that bind its members together in a way that promotes the health and sustainability of the entire society. Those shared values are the filter through which all of the most important decisions guiding the way we treat each other are passed. That filter provides consistency, stability and a confidence in its members that there will always be an equal application of fairness and justice.
There have always been leaders in each of these societies that, for the most part, have modeled those shared values in a way that reinforces and sustains the culture. However, in the last few years (especially since the financial collapse of the country in 2008), there has been a slow, cultural deterioration among the leadership of our country, producing a gap that grows wider with each passing year, especially with each passing election cycle.
I’ve watched an amazing phenomenon this election year with curiosity and dismay combined! Instead of the leadership influencing the masses, I’ve watched the masses influence the leadership in a way unlike any time in our history. I’ve watched some leaders (desiring power and recognition so badly) change position on their beliefs and values to such a degree that almost no one knows what anyone really stands for anymore. It’s also unsettling to watch these same leaders go to just about any lengths to sway the masses to support them in their quest for that Holy Grail of leadership we call the Presidency.
By my own admission, I look at the world mostly through the lens of leadership based upon the values that I learned first from my parents, second from the church, and third from a multitude of leaders, who shared the same values in various ways. There will always be those, who don’t share the same values, the same beliefs or the same perspectives on just about anything. However, there has always been a majority in any society that does, for the most part, share the same values and beliefs with a consistency that ensures the health and sustainability of that society. The underlying glue that binds that consistency is leadership that stands in the gap, regardless of challenge or crisis, and refuses to sacrifice his or her core values, not only for their sake, but for the sake of the masses. That kind of values-based leadership, that used to be so plentiful in our society, is now so very rare.