The True Cost of Misaligned Values and Toxic Leadership
The Foundation of Success: How Values Shape Leadership, Culture, and Growth
In every business, there’s a pulse—a heartbeat that’s made up of purpose, vision, and, most importantly, values. And for me, it’s these values that separate a thriving, connected organization from one that’s simply coasting along. Whether you’re a leader, a change-maker, or a founder, understanding your own values and how they align with the business you’re in is non-negotiable.
My Values are about being bold, impactful, passionate, and direct. These are the values that drive my work, my interactions, and my commitment to helping others build empowered teams and incredible cultures. Why? Because values are the very foundation of success. They are my code of conduct. They are what you can expect when you work with me.
Why Values Matter: Culture Starts Here
Company culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, brick by brick, through the values we choose to stand by. When a business is clear about its values and hires people who share them, it’s like magic—everything flows, and the culture thrives. Its certainly not just having a bunch of values up on the wall that no one in the organisation can even remember! And 3honestly - or 4 are enough! you don't need whole lists of them!
But let’s be honest: it’s not always that simple. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that when values are misaligned, everything starts to fall apart, and I've directly experienced that in several organisations throughout my career - the values are lost and the behaviours corrosive! Employees feel disconnected, toxic attitudes creep in, and the entire organization loses momentum or becomes a more stressful environment to turn up to each day. Be it enduring undue pressure, hitting targets, navigating boys' clubs, alpha females, glass ceilings, passive aggression from your boss, or straightforward lack of trust in your colleagues, these are miserable places to work, and thats not good when we spend so much time, effort and hope there. It’s why I’m such a strong advocate for making decisions—whether that’s hiring, developing, leading your teams or even letting people go—through the lens of values.
If you bring on people who resonate with the values of your business and refer to them and measure performance and day to day communications by them, they will embody these traits in their work and interactions. But if they don’t, it’s better to part ways sooner rather than later.
Because a misalignment of values is like a crack in the foundation—it’s only going to widen over time.
Values-Based Leadership: Walking the Talk
It’s not enough for me to just say I'm about boldness and impact. It’s about how I show up. Leadership is about setting the tone and demonstrating what those values look like in action, every single day. For me - these as I said are my codes of conduct - being bold means taking risks, having the tough conversations, and never shying away from the truth. Being impactful means ensuring that every decision, every project and outcome, and every interaction drives my client(s) and their business forward in a meaningful way. Being passionate? That’s my fuel. And directness is all about cutting through the noise—making it clear, making it count.
When leaders walk the talk, the whole team feels it. It creates trust, consistency, and a shared sense of purpose that empowers everyone to show up as their best selves. This alignment is what truly connects people to the company’s mission. Values and behaviours drive successful workplace culture! Simon Sinek captured it perfectly:
“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.”
And employees will only love a company if they see their leaders embodying the values they signed up for.
Building Strong Cultures: The Role of Values in Growth
Values drive culture, and culture drives growth—plain and simple. When leaders live and breathe the company’s values, it’s not just about keeping the workforce happy; it’s about creating a space where people feel free to innovate, collaborate, and make decisions that align with what the business stands for.
But what happens when values are compromised? The culture gets murky. People feel lost. And worse yet, they start operating out of fear or obligation rather than genuine enthusiasm. That’s when you see engagement plummet and performance waver, and people quitting! Nearly everyone I've worked with can point to at least one toxic culture they have experienced directly, and we've seen at least 2 recent cases of this this year alone in the news where it has gone horribly horribly wrong!
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Toxic Leadership
There’s nothing more damaging to a business than toxic leadership that betrays its core values. I’ve seen it too many times—leaders who talk about passion and impact but act in ways that shut down creativity or undermine the confidence of their team. This kind of disconnect doesn’t just erode trust; it poisons the entire culture.
When a business prioritizes values, though, it’s a different story. Leaders become role models, and employees feel inspired to go above and beyond. The team becomes a powerhouse of innovation, ideas, and energy.
Bringing It All Together: Leading with Boldness, Impact, Passion, and Directness
For me, it’s simple: great leadership and great culture start with values. It’s about making decisions that are bold, creating impact, leading with passion, and being direct in a way that drives clarity and connection. For ME....... and how I support my clients to do that too.
Alignment between leadership and values creates psychological safety, trust, and a sense of belonging. Employees feel more connected to their work and the company’s mission, driving engagement and productivity. As Seth Godin aptly said:
“People like us do things like this.”
It’s a simple statement, but it speaks volumes about how shared values create an identity that unites people and inspires them to contribute their best
Whether you’re running a small business or leading a massive organization, the question is: Are your values clear? Do they resonate with who you are and what your business stands for? And more importantly, are you living them every day?
Because when values align, businesses don’t just grow—they thrive.
Do your values resonate who and what your business stands for? Does your team and culture embed your business values? Do your leaders create empowered and happy cultures by leading with heart and this foundation?
I run a number of workshops and foundation sessions on setting out Purpose Vision and Values and how to optimise these in your culture to inspire empowered teams and drive happy growth. Are you looking to embed better values, behaviours and habits as part of your people support story? Are you trying to break down toxic culture right now? Message me and we can chat.
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*image credit to cototourist.com
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