By Frederic Guilmard, The Red Thread Partnership
Over the years, I’ve helped many organisations define their values — those few powerful words meant to capture who they are and what they stand for. Words like Courage, Integrity, Respect, Fairness.
Done well, it’s a brilliant process. People feel heard, involved, and proud. The values become a shared promise — something real, not just words on a wall.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: values are easy to write. They’re much harder to live.
I’ve seen it happen time and time again. A company launches its shiny new values, with posters, campaigns, and a great sense of optimism. Then, a few months or years later, something happens that truly tests those values.
Maybe it’s a grievance between two people.
Maybe it’s a high-performing but difficult individual whose behaviour doesn’t match the culture.
Or perhaps it’s a decision that risks upsetting a customer or missing a short-term target.
And suddenly, the values that once felt so clear start to wobble. The easy option is to protect the business, keep the peace, or avoid discomfort. The hard option — the courageous one — is to live by those values, even when it hurts.
I once worked with a business that faced this exact test. At the time, they lived their values courageously. They dealt with an internal issue involving a senior figure swiftly and fairly, even though it was painful. The message to their people was clear: our values matter more than hierarchy. It was one of the proudest moments in that company’s story.
Fast forward a few years, and under different leadership, another situation arose. But this time the response was different — more cautious, more political. The company took the path of least resistance. On paper, the “right” thing was done, but the message to employees was entirely different: that some people and situations are “too risky” to challenge.
That’s when values stop being lived and start becoming decoration.
Because values aren’t tested when things are easy — they’re tested when things are hard.
Every leader faces moments where courage and convenience collide. Those decisions define not just the outcome, but the culture that follows. When people see inconsistency, trust unravels. They stop believing what’s said, and instead believe what’s done.
And here’s the ripple effect: when trust goes, culture goes. Engagement drops. Cynicism grows. And before long, those carefully crafted values are nothing more than faded words on a poster.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Living your values takes conscious effort — and sometimes, personal discomfort. It means backing people who do the right thing, even when it’s unpopular. It means treating everyone with the same standard of fairness, regardless of status or performance.
Leadership isn’t about being liked. It’s about doing what’s right.
So next time your organisation faces a tough call, ask yourself this:
Are we living our values — or just talking about them?
Because when you get it right, people don’t just follow the words on the wall.
They follow the example you set.
