Codified Core Values
Turn your values into action — and your action into trust.
Most leaders say they have strong values
But very few have actually codified them into behaviors, decisions, language, and rituals that others can feel, remember, and follow.
Codifying your values means translating what you believe into how you behave — across your work, relationships, and leadership.
This page will help you do that.
Try This Exercise Yourself
Start with 3–5 values you (or your company) already name.
Then, for each one, define:
2–3 behaviors or actions that bring it to life
A few sayings, mantras, or rules of thumb that make it memorable and usable (We call these “experience heuristics” — the things your team repeats and remembers when you’re not in the room.)
This is how you turn “culture” into something you can actually lead, measure, and scale.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Own Values
To help spark your thinking, I’m sharing how I’ve codified my own leadership operating system.
These are the values that guide how I:
- Make decisions under pressure
- Lead teams through growth and tension
- Design client and employee experiences
- Show up for my family, friends, and community
It’s not a polished branded doc.
It’s the living framework I use to lead every day.
Codified Core Values
A simplified, personal example
ZEAL → Energy in Motion
Definition: Energized devotion to meaningful work.
What it looks like in action:
Prep for meetings, enter with energy, and signal what matters most early.
Greet, respond, and contribute in a way that lifts the room, not drags it.
Spark forward motion in unclear or stalled situations by proposing next steps instead of waiting.
Mantras & Heuristics:
“Be the momentum.”
“Energy is a signal. Make yours intentional.”
“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”
BOLDNESS → Courage in Motion
Definition: Speaking truth with heart and taking action with conviction.
What it looks like in action:
Say what needs to be said — especially when it’s uncomfortable, and even more when others won’t.
Ask the hard questions that challenge assumptions, protect integrity, or move things forward.
Speak with clarity and care, using language that’s direct but never sharp.
Make the call when others hesitate, don’t wait for perfect conditions to act.
Mantras & Heuristics:
“Complacency is toxic.”
“Clarity is kindness.”
“Say the thing.”
“Discomfort is not danger.”
“Don’t wait to be asked.”
“Lead out loud.”
THOUGHTFULNESS → Wisdom in Motion
Definition: Mindful care for people, decisions, and impact.
What it looks like in action:
Pause before responding, especially under pressure.
Seek to understand before offering a solution, fix, or opinion.
Adapt communication to meet people where they are, not where you want them to be.
Leave people better than you found them.
Mantras & Heuristics:
“Regulate, then reason.”
“Leave clean footprints.”
“Lead with care, decide with clarity.”
“Be the constant, not the variable.”
DETERMINATION → Devotion in Motion
Definition: Disciplined persistence fueled by purpose — not proving.
What it looks like in action:
If you say you’ll do something, do it.
Work with urgency, not panic.
Maintain discipline in energy and calendar.
Hold the standard, even when no one’s watching.
Mantras & Heuristics:
“There’s beauty in the grind.”
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
“Discipline creates freedom.”
“Run the full lap.”
LEGACY → Impact in Motion
Definition: Enduring impact through care, growth, and integrity.
What it looks like in action:
Make decisions with downstream impact in mind.
Invest in people, even when there’s no short-term return.
Protect your reputation by protecting your word.
Choose contribution over credit.
Leave every room, conversation, and relationship better than I found it.
The 24-hour rule: Take 24 hours to feel it, honor it, then move forward.
Mantras & Heuristics:
“High standards, deep devotion.”
“Reputation fades. Integrity endures.”
“Be the reason it felt safe to try.”
“Legacy isn’t someday — it’s now.”
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© 2025 Michaela Anderson