The Power of Knowing What Matters Most
In coaching and leadership, we talk a lot about performance and potential, but values are the quiet drivers underneath both.
I’ve always believed I made tough decisions in alignment with my values, but when I recently sat down to name them, I got stuck. I’d never actually verbalised what they were.
So I did what I do best — I researched, experimented, and road-tested the Values Identifier tool. Within 40 minutes, I was looking at them on paper. It felt like seeing the blueprints to the inner workings of not just my brain, but my soul.
That experience lit something up for me. I’m now finalising my accreditation in the Values Identifier so I can bring more evidence-based, human-centred insight to my clients and their teams.
Here’s what I’ve noticed about the power of understanding your values and how they work in practice:
1. Values Are the Blueprint for Decision-Making
Our values operate like an internal GPS quietly guiding every choice we make, from how we lead teams to how we spend our time.
When clients understand their values, they gain clarity about why they make certain decisions and what feels right or wrong in their work and life. This self-awareness reduces decision fatigue, sharpens focus, and increases confidence when navigating complexity or uncertainty.
In practice: Leaders who know they value “Integrity” or “Growth” can check their decisions against those touchstones, avoiding reactive or externally driven choices.
2. Alignment Fuels Motivation and Energy
When actions, goals, and environments align with personal values, motivation flows naturally, effort feels energising rather than draining. Misalignment, on the other hand, is one of the biggest predictors of burnout, disengagement, and dissatisfaction.
In practice: If someone who values “Connection” finds themselves in a culture that prizes “Competition,” the disconnect will eventually show up as fatigue, frustration, or underperformance.
3. Values Provide a Compass for Leadership and Behaviour
In leadership, values shape how we communicate, build trust, and make ethical decisions. Understanding personal values gives leaders a clearer sense of identity and a consistent framework for leading others. It’s also the foundation for building trust, people follow leaders whose actions are congruent with their words and beliefs.
In practice: A leader who values “Fairness” can consciously build systems and team norms that reflect it, reinforcing psychological safety and consistency.
4. Values Clarify Priorities and Boundaries
When everything feels important, nothing really is (I've written about this previously). Values help clients cut through noise and identify what truly matters, and what doesn’t. They provide permission to say “no” with purpose, and to channel energy into what’s meaningful rather than what’s merely urgent.
In practice: If a client values “Family” or “Creativity,” recognising that can shift how they delegate, structure their day, or define success.
5. Values Build Resilience and Wellbeing
Values act as a stabilising force when life gets messy. They provide meaning through challenge and anchor behaviour during uncertainty, a key predictor of resilience and recovery. Research in coaching psychology shows that values clarification supports greater life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, and sustainable performance (Passmore & Oades, 2015).
In practice: When clients face stress or transition, reconnecting to their values helps them respond with clarity and purpose rather than fear or reactivity.
6. Values Are the Bridge Between Insight and Action
Many clients know what they want to change, but not why it matters enough to sustain the change. Values make that connection explicit. Once a client identifies their top values, they can use them as filters for setting goals, building habits, and measuring success, not just by outcomes, but by alignment.
In practice: If “Contribution” is a core value, success isn’t just about hitting KPIs — it’s about feeling that work is meaningful and positively impacts others.
If you’re curious about exploring your own values or bringing this into your team — reach out. It’s one of the most powerful and human pieces of work I get to facilitate and I'm excited to do the work with you.