If you have ever worked with someone who stood their ground or wouldn’t waiver from what they knew was the right path, you have worked in the presence of someone who lead from their values. Leaders who follow this philosophy believe that success can be measured by more than power, wealth, and prestige. They believe that when you have the courage to define what is important to you, and stand behind those values you have achieved success.

In the business world, you may have noticed that doing the right thing and following your values is not always an easy task; in fact, it may be rather challenging. Values are what are important to us, they are the things that matter most to us and often define us. The values that each of us have are often unique only to us. While many of us may share the same term to define a value, the way that we demonstrate it in our daily lives is unique.

When you discover what your core values are, they will often give you a sense of purpose. When you follow your values every day, you will notice that your day is more positive and you are more productive. When you fail to follow your values, you will feel less authentic, productive, and effective in your efforts. Living a life that is based on your core values will reward you with a more positive and productive life experience.

Once you define your values and have a clear understanding of your purpose you will soon discover the path that is right for you. You should be able to follow that path and create the life that you have long wished for. Defining your values and discovering your purpose, will help you lead the type of life that you can be proud of.

Every time that you fail to follow your values, you will notice that your life is progressing in a negative way. To change that, you need to evaluate the choices and actions you have taken up to that point and see where you deviated from your true path. Once you know what you did to make you feel this way, you can then make the changes necessary to ensure you continue to live in a positive manner.

Will Rogers said it best when he said, “Live your life in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.” As leaders, it is important to strive to live with integrity in both the professional and personal arena. Would you be confident if your personal life was shown on the big screen at the next big meeting? As the great John Wooden reminds us, “There is a choice to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.”