Compounding Success Around Core Values

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell explains The Law of the Mirror by simply saying “We attract who we are, not who we want.” I had never seen a more obvious example than the organization I just referenced; initially as I became familiar with the company and even more so as the succession process unfolded. Prior to the changes, the team consisted of the most talented group I had ever seen in one place, and that was even more impressive given the area they were in and the total headcount. Like the fellow calling the shots, each of them were extremely detailed-oriented and relatively reserved in their approach. But as he handed off more and more control to his successor, who cared far less about the details involved and was much more deliberate in his approach, the team that took shape around him soon shared those attributes. Had the new look of the team maintained the values the organization’s foundation was built on, sustainable growth wouldn’t have been an issue; that simply wasn’t the case.

While even the most tenured, skilled, and loyal team members will eventually move on when the core values displayed by those in leadership roles no longer match their own, a company with leaders who vehemently protect the culture they’ve built as well as the values its built on will not only be one where the best team members stay indefinitely, it will (at least eventually) attract a constant flow of great people who want to join the team. Don’t misunderstand me here, this will never just happen and it will not be easy to achieve, but replacing top talent without a foundation built around your core values is far more difficult.

At this point in my career, I’ve had the privilege of seeing leaders build amazing teams around their closely held core values in large companies and small, in the workplace and in volunteer organizations, across every sector of society. The type of work, the level of compensation, and even the pedigree of the individual leading the team have had far less to do with earning commitment from the people involved than how those leaders modeled their core values. To drive this point home, I’ll detail some of the best examples I’ve had direct experience with. In each case, these leaders could have made an occasional compromise to increase the overall capacity of their team and snag more profitability in the moment. But by having the discipline to stand by what they’ve valued more, I’ve watched each of their organizations steadily grow with some of the best people in their respective industries - so we’ll pick up there next time.