It is commonly thought in many organizations that to have commitment from employees there needs to be a set of values that people can believe in. These values will engender loyalty and enthusiasm from employees and have a direct effect on the bottom line. This set of values is thought to be the central core of the business. Care and energy is given to naming these values and to make sure that they are well known through out the organization. Even though values are important to an organization, there is something missing here.
People bring their own values to work. If you find that you can freely live your values in your working life then you are going to be truly committed to that organization. Being truly committed to your work means that you are going to make sure that it succeeds because if fuels and nourishes you.
This point is subtle and more often than not overlooked. Emotionally committed leaders are not just aware and present, they understand the subtle difference between hoping people will adhere to corporate values and making sure that people can express and live their own values. It’s called integrity. The first cause can’t always be the company. In fact the first cause for emotionally committed leaders is to make sure that it is safe to bring your own humanity to work.