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The Enron scandal of the early 2000’s awakened a great need for business ethics. What came out of that awakening was a realization there is no such thing as business ethics. There is only ethics!. So what is the foundation of ethics? Could it be that the Golden Rule is the foundation of all ethics? After all in all major religions of the world there is a narration that discusses treating others as you desired to be treated. The verbiage may be different, but the essence is the same.

John Maxwell coined the statement that “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” However, do you know what two things are responsible for making leadership rise? The first is competence. No one wants to follow and incompetent leader. The second is values. Values defined is simply principles that guide our decisions and behaviors. When the value system is good, it only brings benefits and never harm to yourself or others.

I want to give you 8 Qualifiers that comprise Good Values. This is 2-part Podcast Series

Good Values Make Positive Change Possible – Take notice of the list of values in the table below. Ask yourself, which of these values would you like to apply to your life right now?

Choice is the difference maker when it comes to values. Choosing makes change possible!

Attitude	Gratitude	Listening	Responsibility
Commitment	Hope	Love	Self-Regulation
Communication	Humility	Perseverance	Self-Worth
Courage	Initiative	Personal Growth	Servanthood
Fairness	Integrity	Priorities	Teachability
Forgiveness	Kindness	Relationships	Teamwork
Generosity	Leadership	Respect	Work Ethic

Good Values Always Value People – You might ask, how will I know if a value is good or not? There is one and only one standard that must be met. Values must value people all of the time in all situations. There are no shortcuts, no rationalizations, no exceptions. If a value values people, then it is positive and worth embracing. If it devalues people in any way, it is not a good value. 

Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat For Humanity stated; “For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based upon people’s love and concern for each other.”

Valuing people must be the cornerstone of your company enterprise. Become a Leader, Company, and non-profit that values people who values others and adds value to them.

Good Values Must Be Personal – In his book, Awaken The Leader Within, Bill Perkins describes the difference between practices, principles, and values (pp. 35-36). He states “a practice is an activity or action that may work in one situation but not necessarily in another. Unlike a practice, a value applies to every situation. Values are different from principles. A principle is an external truth that is as reliable as a physical law such as the Law of Gravity…..While we may acknowledge the reliability of many principles, we only internalize those we deem important. When this happens, the principle has become a value that serves as an internal map we use to direct our lives. A value, then, is an internalized principle that guides our decisions.”

If you desire to change your world, community, or family, you must internalize good values yourself before you will be able to change anything outside of yourself.

Good Values Create Stability – The old adage is true; an empty bag will not stand up straight. Without good values a person is empty and weak. Americans tend to believe that a good job, financial stability, education, and technology will create the strength to hold up culture. Let’s consider the story of Palo Alto, California. This is the seat of Silicon Valley with higher-than-average income, lower than average unemployment, and 4x higher than the national average of teen suicide.

What we know to be true is that Good Values provide structure and meaning so that people live more healthy and stable lives. Transformed people transform communities. Positive transformation comes from living out what never changes in a time when everything around you seems to be changing.

Stephen Covey wrote once there are no shortcuts, but there is a pathway. That path is based upon principles revered throughout history. Meaningful living is not based upon speed or efficiency. Meaningful living is more of a matter good values. If your values are good, your life will be stable.

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!