While several organizations proudly display their core values on walls, business cards, or banners— how many actually live by them? Leadership expert and president of LearnToLead, Dave Anderson, argues that core values should be more than just decor; they must shape behaviors, define workplace culture, and drive long-term success. On today’s episode of Lessons in Leadership, Anderson explains why businesses fail to uphold their values, how leaders can integrate them into daily operations, and why accountability is crucial for maintaining a strong culture.
According to Anderson, core values are not just about achieving numbers—they are behavioral standards that dictate how success is achieved. He warns against “toxic achievers”—employees who meet performance metrics but violate company values, weakening morale and credibility in the process. In addition, Anderson stresses that businesses often fail in this area because they treat core values as symbolic rather than actionable.
In many organizations, core values are listed but forgotten. Anderson recalls working with a dealer who claimed to have 14 core values but could only remember three. If leadership itself cannot recall them, frontline employees are even less likely to internalize them. Instead of treating core values as passive statements, businesses should actively integrate them into everyday conversations and performance discussions.
Furthermore, Anderson shares his own company’s approach, which has upheld the same five values for 26 years: integrity, teamwork, urgency, personal growth, and attention to detail.
Today’s show introduced these values, reinforcing regular discussions and establishing a basis for evaluating employee behavior. He suggests that companies implement a “value of the week” system, where leaders highlight examples of employees embodying core values. This helps translate abstract principles into real, recognizable actions.
Ultimately, Anderson stresses that leaders must model the behavior they expect. Employees are more likely to embrace values they see rather than just hear about. If leaders fail to uphold the standards they set, their credibility crumbles and the entire cultural framework collapses. By consistently communicating and enforcing values, businesses can foster a positive, accountable work environment that not only achieves results but does so the right way.
"Core values are doing things the right way." – Dave Anderson
