Living into Our Values
Moving beyond professing values to practicing them through operationalized behaviors that can be taught, observed, and evaluated
Living into our values means doing more than professing our values — we practice them. We walk our talk by ensuring our intentions, words, thoughts, and behaviors align with our beliefs. Brown's research found that people who live into their values are clear about what they believe, can name their core values, and have operationalized them into specific teachable and observable behaviors.
The process requires narrowing down to two core values and then defining three or four supporting behaviors and three or four 'slippery behaviors' that are tempting but counter to each value. This specificity is what transforms values from abstract aspirations into daily practice.
Brown's research also revealed that operationalized values drive productive decision making. When values are unclear, people become either paralyzed or dangerously impulsive. Clear values create a sweet spot of thoughtful and decisive action. The framework extends to organizational values, where Brown's team developed a 'values operationalizinator' that translates broad values into skills-based behaviors evaluated on a Likert scale.
- We can have many important values, but only two can be core — the ones where all others are tested
- Living into values requires operationalizing them into specific, teachable, and observable behaviors
- Slippery behaviors — the things we are tempted to do that run counter to our values — must be explicitly named
- Operationalized values drive the sweet spot of decision making: thoughtful and decisive
- Professing values without practicing them is not integrity
- Values without behaviors are just words on a wall
- 1. Name Your Two Core ValuesStart by circling ten to fifteen values from a comprehensive list that resonate with you, then narrow ruthlessly to two. These two core values are your North Star — the ones where all your other important values are tested. This is difficult and most people resist it, but the constraint forces genuine clarity about what matters most.Pro tipWhen you are struggling to cut from fifteen to two, ask yourself which values are truly independent and which are subsets of larger values. Your two core values should encompass the others.WarningDo not stop at ten or five and declare that is close enough. The power of this exercise comes specifically from the discipline of narrowing to two.
- 2. Define Supporting BehaviorsFor each core value, identify three or four specific behaviors that support living into that value. Get explicit — vague aspirations do not count. These behaviors should be observable by others, teachable to new team members, and evaluable in a feedback conversation.Pro tipUse prompts like 'What does it look like when I am living into this value?' and 'What would someone see me doing differently?' to get concrete.WarningIf your behaviors are not specific enough to be observed and measured, they are still aspirations rather than operational practices.
- 3. Identify Slippery BehaviorsFor each core value, name three or four 'slippery behaviors' — the actions you are tempted to take that run counter to your values. These are the patterns you fall into when stressed, afraid, or operating on autopilot. Naming them in advance creates awareness that helps you catch yourself before sliding.Pro tipAsk your Square Squad how you show up when you are not living into your values. Their answers will reveal slippery behaviors you may not see in yourself.WarningThis step requires radical honesty. If your slippery behaviors list feels comfortable and easy, you are not digging deep enough.
- 4. Build Empathy and Accountability StructuresShare your values, supporting behaviors, and slippery behaviors with trusted colleagues or team members. Create reciprocal accountability where you can check in with each other about alignment. Use regular one-on-one conversations to evaluate behaviors on a scale and identify strengths, growth areas, coaching needs, and mentoring opportunities.Pro tipPair values work with feedback systems. The question 'How do we stay aligned with our values while receiving feedback, regardless of the deliverer's skill?' is a powerful rumble prompt.WarningWithout accountability structures, even well-defined values drift back to aspiration. The work is ongoing, not a one-time exercise.
A leader whose core values are courage and faith recognizes she is leading from fear during organizational stress. She identifies that her slippery behaviors include controlling information, micromanaging, and withdrawing from tough conversations. She names these patterns to her team and asks for accountability.
An organization adopts 'assumption of positive intent' as a core value. Using the operationalizinator framework, they break this value into component skills: setting boundaries, practicing integrity, extending generosity, and asking 'What is the most generous interpretation of this person's behavior?'
Brown developed this framework after taking more than ten thousand people through the values process and discovering a consistent pattern: when people whittle their values down to two core values, they always find that their second-tier values are tested within those two. The organizational application emerged from repeated requests from companies to help operationalize their stated values into concrete behaviors, leading to the development of behavior banks and evaluation instruments.