What makes Wim Hof decide that climbing Mount Everest in shorts and running a marathon in the Arctic is a good idea?!

Why would Elon Musk take on the extreme risks of launching cars into space?

Why does Banksy feel the need to pull off stunts like shredding his artwork during a live auction?

Why did I decide to quit my job and decide to exhibit my own art and help people connect through creativity?

Why do you do what you do?

It all comes down to our values; the activities, behaviours, beliefs and qualities that you believe are important.

This gives us energy behind our goals.

It's fulfilling because we're in alignment with our values.

They therefore affect the choices we make and the satisfaction we feel.

Wim Hof's seemingly “crazy” stunts are rooted in his values of pushing human limits and natural healing, which he believes lead to better mental and physical health.

Elon's ventures are aligned with his vision of advancing humanity.

Banksy lives out his values by challenging societal norms, power structures and capitalism.

Just from these examples, you can see how people's values can be wildly different and this has huge implications in the workplace.

Implications for Teams

Recognising our own values and understanding those of our team members can improve team dynamics and forge stronger working relationships and understand what motivates different team members.

Sadly, people don't walk around with a list of their values pinned to them, but here are some considerations and signs to look out for.

• As leaders, we can never assume that others hold the same values as ourselves.
• When people get upset, it's likely to be a sign that one of their values is being breached.
• Psychologist, David McClelland's Human Motivation Theory states that every person has one of three main driving motivators: the needs for Achievement, Affiliation or Power.
  • Achievement-orientated individuals hold high standards of excellence, accomplishment and long-range planning.
  • Affiliation-orientated individuals prioritise maintaining good relationships and avoiding conflict.
  • Power-orientated individuals prefer positions of prestige and influence and like to be perceived as strong, effective and influential.

I run really vibrant and engaging workshops with teams where we explore values through art-making and coaching. I also run 1:1 coaching sessions for leaders.

Both of these are extremely useful in building awareness of what drives us as leaders and how we can work better together.

This Week's Painting🖼️

This week I'm sharing a painting of an eye that I made a while ago but absolutely love as I adore painting eyes!

I find their texture and the way the light falls on them really appealing and a delight to paint!

And whilst it's cliché, looking into someone's eyes, truly seeing them and what makes them tick, including their values is something that motivates and really interests me.

Helping others is a strong value of mine so I also wanted to let you know that I'm also gearing up to do the Norwich 10K run this Sunday.

We all know how important fitness is for mind and body but not everyone has the same access or advantages as me so I’m raising money for my local Community Sports Foundation.

If you can spare a few pounds, I'd be very thankful for your support to spur me on! You can donate here, or not, it's entirely up to you.

As always, have a lovely weekend and stay curious!

Best wishes,