Thinking Outloud #12 Values: Windows not Wallpaper
Why values should shape how we see and show up - not just be plastered to a wall
I’ve worked with, and in, numerous organisations where values are proudly displayed on the walls. Posters, Mugs. Powerpoint decks. Receptions. Framed statements of what matters most.
And yet. That’s often the sticking point. They remain stuck on the wall. People walk past them. They get recited during on-boarding briefings, referenced in the annual report. But they don’t live in the day to day. In teams, functions, departments.
In really large organisations they can seem to be detached from the micro-cultures that teams generally operate in - they become abstract.
Values aren’t alive in decision-making under pressure. Values aren’t interrogated when tension arises.
They are wallpaper - not windows.
What if we saw values differently?
At Be Braver, we use the metaphor of values as windows. Glasses that act as tools for seeing, not for showing. Values should help us look outward and inward:
Outward to guide how we relate to others,
Inward to stay rooted in who we are, especially when it’s hard.
Values are not just descriptive. They can directional. They can behave. And like any good lens, they help you focus, shed light on what matters. What’s fair, what’s possible.
What is the right thing to do and what’s worth protecting. Particularly when it comes to making difficult decisions.
They can provide an anchor.
Your values are verbs
Whether you’re leading a team or navigating a turning point in life, your values aren’t static. They behave. They show up in choices. They get tested in conflict. They stretch us - and they reveal who we are under stress.
💡 Brené Brown puts it simply: “Values are not just professed — they must be practiced.”
A way of being or believing that we hold most important. In practice, this means we can observe values like courage, compassion, or integrity when:
They drive a difficult decision.
They clash with other values (e.g. truth vs loyalty).
They cost us something (comfort, reputation, certainty).
They unlock something (clarity, freedom, trust).
And when we ignore our values? We feel it in our bodies: resentment, exhaustion, disconnection. It’s a form of self-betrayal.
Science meets values
Values are not only internal compasses they are universal motivators of behaviour across cultures. The alignment between personal values and organisational values is a predictor of:
Increased psychological safety
Higher job satisfaction and engagement
Lower burnout and turnover
When there’s a mismatch, people disengage. When there’s alignment, values act like rocket fuel for purpose, trust, and connection. They aren’t fluff they are fuel.
Alignment isn’t possible without self awareness
This is why self-awareness is so critical - especially for leaders. You don’t truly know your values until they’re challenged. Conflict is where values go to prove themselves, in what you protect, what you compromise, and what you walk away from
Self-awareness is the foundation for:
Understanding your own values (and where they come from)
Recognising how your values play out under pressure
Exploring how they may align with, clash with, or complement those of the organisation
Without that internal clarity, values become abstract, or worse, performative.
How Teams and Leaders Operationalise Values in Be Braver
In the Be Braver programme, we help individuals and teams move from knowing their values on paper to living them in practice. Here's how:
Self-Awareness Work:
Participants reflect on life moments, decisions, and identity markers to uncover their actual values, not just the aspirational ones.Behaviour Mapping:
We define what each value looks like when it’s "in flow" (healthy expression) and when it’s "in shadow" (overused, underused, or in conflict).Team-Level Dialogue:
We create space for teams to:Share their values stories
Identify collective values
Build shared definitions of what those values look like in practice
Create rituals or habits to reinforce them
In teams, we ask: What does this value look like when it’s working well? And crucially: What does it look like when it’s not? This creates clarity, not just inspiration.
Leadership Alignment:
Leaders explore how their personal values shape their leadership style - and where they may unintentionally create tension or inspire trust.
By making values visible, speakable, and practice-based, teams start to operate from a shared lens - not just shared language. And this is the real power of values as windows, not wallpaper: they help us see each other more clearly, and act with greater integrity and courage.
I return again and again to my own core values: courage, connection, and curiosity. They guide how I write, coach, and lead. But they aren’t always easy.
When I act courageously, I risk being misunderstood.
When I connect, I must stay open - even when I want to retreat
When I stay curious, I have to resist the urge to jump to judgment, which isn’t often comfortable.
These values don’t limit me. They root me. Help me grow. Like in the image we share at Be Braver - the bigger your roots, the bigger your canopy.
Complimentary Be Braver ITSO Workshop Guide
If you would like a free download of the Be Braver ITSO Values in Action Guidebook for Individuals, Teams, Systems and Organisations, you can access a free copy here.
I work with organisations and teams, mostly new and emerging leaders, to help them understand what courage looks like in practice. My approach blends research, psychology, and lived experience into practical frameworks leaders can use in moments that matter: high-stakes conversations, major transitions, values-based decisions, and deep uncertainty.
I also work privately with individuals and love collaborating with others who are passionate about reshaping leadership, equity, and well-being. I’m especially interested in funding and partnerships that support sustainable, long-term impact for young people and marginalised communities, those who often need courage the most, but are resourced the least.
If this piece moved you, resonated, feels relevant, or made you think differently about courage, share it. You never know who might need it today.
When you pass it on, you’re not just boosting my work - you’re creating ripples.
You become part of a quiet but powerful shift in how we understand bravery, leadership, and the future we want to build.
And I always love hearing from you. What does being braver mean in your world?