Discovering Your Personal Core Values

When you think about respected, successful entrepreneurs, how do you picture them? How do they interact with others around them? Do they carry themselves a certain way? Many times they have an air of confidence about them, bolstered by their success.

While there is no secret combination, I consider having core values and confidence critical to a successful business. But like everything, when you own your own business, it doesn’t come easy.

The Importance of the Journey and the Destination

Finding your way as an entrepreneur – heck, as a person – takes time.

A while ago, I went on a journey to discover my core values as an entrepreneur. It took longer and felt way harder than I’d imagined. I worked at it for a long time.

It took several iterations, but eventually, I found my core value: Do good things with good people. And now I use it to filter everything in my life, both personal and professional. I’m living my truth.

When I finally landed on this core value, I realized that up until that point, I’d only been chasing dollars. As a consultant, I knew the difference between right and wrong, but my work lacked real meaning. That changed once I started applying that phrase – Do good things with good people – to everything I did.

My business priorities changed. I recognized the importance of forming really meaningful relationships with my clients. No longer are my business relationships strictly transactional. And I’ve found having genuine relationships perfectly aligns me to live my core value. It’s a positive feedback loop that just keeps getting better.

Confidence Not Cockiness

There’s a difference between confidence and cockiness. As a serial entrepreneur and a Certified EOS Implementer®, I have the confidence that comes with years of experience. So, what’s the difference?

Confident people have an authentic sense of self and are secure in their abilities. Put them in front of a client to give a presentation and they’ll knock it out of the park. They put others at ease. Confident people won’t need to say “I got this” because everyone around them already knows that.

On the other hand, cocky people have no sense of vulnerability. They put themselves above others and want everyone to know how great they are. I think that cockiness comes from a place of insecurity and trying to be someone they’re not. That’s head trash! Being yourself is hard enough.

I don’t know about you, but I see more and more cocky, insecure people in business circles. They make sure everyone around them knows they’re there. Usually, the people around them can’t wait to get away from them.

When an entrepreneur does the work to discover their true core values, they discover what’s truly most important to them. Using those priorities and their unique strengths to guide business decisions can adjust their whole outlook for their business.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll see everything aligning so that you can own your stories. And as you experience more success, you get more confident and you start to gain traction.

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Next Steps:

• Download a free chapter of Traction by Gino Wickman
• Download a copy of the EOS V/TO™ to help you clarify, simplify, and achieve your vision
• Thinking of implementing EOS in your company? Request a free 90 Minute Meeting with an EOS Implementer® to get an overview of EOS and how it can help you!