The Seven Foundational Values

THE SEVEN FOUNDATIONAL VALUES
Values are part of what makes an organization more effective; they are not only rules of
behavior, but also guiding principles in building meaningful relationships with the members and
clients of the organization. They also serve as the basic foundation in building trust and
relationship not only among the members of the organization but also those people outside the
said organization (clients and colleagues).
The following are the seven foundational values:
1. LEADERSHIP. Leadership occurs within the context of core values; it is the art of motivating
and leading a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. Leaders guide and
facilitate others to make a positive difference in their own lives and to contribute to a larger
good. Values inform the application of leadership qualities as the competencies of
leadership are activated – learned, developed, and practiced – within the set of core values.
A good leadership comes with the following:

a. Respect - as demonstrated by self-respect and respecting others regardless of
differences; treating others with dignity, empathy and compassion; and the ability to
earn the respect of others.
b. Making a Difference- as demonstrated by personal efforts that lead to making a

positive impact on individuals, systems, and/or organizations or positively affecting
outcomes.
c. Integrity- as demonstrated by moral courage, ethical strength, and trustworthiness,

keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.
d. Authenticity- as demonstrated by consistency, congruency, and transparency in

values, beliefs, and actions; integrating values and principles to create a purposeful life
and to contribute to the growth of others.
e. Courage- as demonstrated by possessing a strength of self to act with intention on

behalf of the common good; taking a stand in the face of adversity; acting boldly in the
service of inclusion and justice.
f. Service - as demonstrated by commitment that extends beyond one’s own self-interest,

personal humility for the sake of a greater cause.
g. Humility - as demonstrated by a sense of humbleness, dignity, and an awareness of

one’s own limitations; open to perspectives different from one’s own.
h. Wisdom - as demonstrated by a broad understanding of human dynamics and an ability

to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders when making decisions; can take a
long-term perspective in decision-making
2. HONESTY. The human quality of communicating and acting truthful and with fairness, as
best one is able. It is related to truth as value. This includes listening, reasoning, and any
act of human as well as speaking. It simple means, stating facts and views as best one truly
believes them to be. Ultimately, honesty builds trust in the organization and confidence in
leadership. Voicing the truth enables all the members of an organization to identify the issue
and work as a team to better it; creating an atmosphere of honesty also fosters an
environment for self-accountability and responsibility
In building honesty in the organization, the following may be practiced by its

members:
a. Listen without judgment. It is important to give each other the freedom to be honest,
even if you do not agree with their assessment. Making an employee feel that his/her
opinion is judged will not create an environment where they feel open to express their
ideas and/or concerns. Non-judgmental and authentic listening is one of the best tools to
foster honesty in relationships.
b. Have an open forum among the members occasionally. This gives members of the
team an opportunity to voice opinions, frustrations, or to just get some things off their
chest. It bonds the team itself because they know that they can express themselves to
their colleagues.
c. Implementation is Key. It is important that you don’t just give people an outlet or a
forum to express their opinions, but you actually do something about their opinions. If
employees see that their opinions and thoughts matter, and leadership and staff take the
steps to improve or implement their ideas, they will be empowered.
d. Communicate the Positive and the Negative. At the end of the day, there will always
be things that need improvement. But there are so many things that are done well, and
that voice should always be heard from employees and leadership. Whether it is through
an e-mail, newsletter, or quarterly staff meeting, everyone should say what they think is
working and perhaps what is not working. It’s important to focus on the positive, as well
as acknowledge the negative. Communication is the most important way to foster this
honest environment.
3. SELFLESSNESS. Being selfless means to care about others and to act on the desire to
help others, without expectation of or desire for compensation for helping.
“Selfishness destroys, but selflessness builds”. This simple distinction can be the
difference between success and failure for a team. Thus, effective teamwork consists in part
of communal selflessness, a collective setting aside of personal agendas and desires, for
the good of the whole, To truly become a good, each member must put aside their own
personal agendas and work toward the common goal, whatever it may be. This is what we
are talking about when we say Selflessness.
4. OPENNESS. Openness means being open in terms of sharing information, so employees

know what is going on, and crucially, feel heard. But it also means being, and expecting, an
openness to different ways of working — different styles, different opinions, and, critically,
feedback. It means openness to change. It is about building trust and helping empower
people to make good decisions. It is often not enough just to share reasoning behind a
decision, but also to use human language and show some empathy for those you are
communicating with. Employee openness, trust and transparency also ensures that people
are kept informed of issues as they arise and that everyone receives current knowledge
about an ever-changing situation.
5. ACCOUNTABILITY. Accountability means that all employees are responsible for their
actions, behaviors, performance, and decisions. It is also linked to an increase in
commitment to work and employee morale, which leads to higher performance. When you
make people accountable for their actions, you are effectively teaching them to value their
work. When done right, accountability can increase your team members' skills and
confidence.
6. INTEGRITY. Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and
uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics,
integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. It is the
willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking. Possessing high personal moral
standards and to be honest is the basis for the trust and confidence that must exist within an
organization. It is the source for great personal strength and is the foundation for
organizational effectiveness. As leaders, all employees are watching and looking to see that
you are honest and live by your word. And no person of integrity tries to shift the blame to
others or take credit for the work of others. Most importantly, a person of high integrity has
self-respect, as a professional and a human being. They do not behave in ways that would
bring discredit upon themself or the organization to which they belong.
7. OBJECTIVITY. Objectivity is a concept of being true independently from individual

subjectivity caused by perception, emotions, or imagination; it aims to eliminate decisions
based on personal bias, cultural differences and any other criterion that cannot be
measured or proven. It likewise allows the objective leader to weigh the facts of the situation
and how different alternatives impact people in the organization without prejudice. It
facilitates decisions which are both factually sound and can be accepted by people who are
affected by the decision.

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THE SEVEN FOUNDATIONAL VALUES

The following are the seven foundational values:

A good leadership comes with the following:

b. Making a Difference- as demonstrated by personal efforts that lead to making a

c. Integrity- as demonstrated by moral courage, ethical strength, and trustworthiness,

d. Authenticity- as demonstrated by consistency, congruency, and transparency in

e. Courage- as demonstrated by possessing a strength of self to act with intention on

f. Service - as demonstrated by commitment that extends beyond one’s own self-interest,

g. Humility - as demonstrated by a sense of humbleness, dignity, and an awareness of

h. Wisdom - as demonstrated by a broad understanding of human dynamics and an ability

In building honesty in the organization, the following may be practiced by its

4. OPENNESS. Openness means being open in terms of sharing information, so employees

7. OBJECTIVITY. Objectivity is a concept of being true independently from individual

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