When it comes to personal values, there are a handful of common Hot Buttons where differing views about personal values cause problems. Examples include: money, failure to deliver on commitments, personal organization and timeliness, attitude, manners, and communication styles.

When we look at businesses that are succeeding and those that are not, we see these different values 'in action', sometimes meshing together and other times grinding against one another. When businesses are succeeding we see alignment, consistency, and harmony in people's personal values and the rules that guide conduct. When businesses are struggling and failing, we see misaligned values, misunderstood values, disharmony, and disconnected approaches to the rules that guide conduct.

When individual's personal values do not align, business challenges always follow. It is only a matter of time. Sometimes, while people are struggling to start up a business or get over a difficult period in business differences in personal values are set aside…as in – setting aside differences in order to focus on a shared goal. On the other hand, when the dust of the problems clears the differences in personal values start to dominate the mindsets and influence the interactions for the worse. This explains why many businesses fall apart or plummet right after achieving plateaus of new success.

Here is another personal-values Hot Button: Sense of Urgency!

Sense of Urgency & the setting of priorities, particularly in entrepreneurial environments...these are things that often set strong reactions into play. Some people, for example Stephen R Covey, strongly embrace the concept of making time for the Important things. Other people embrace a fleet-of-foot-action approach that always favors Urgency over Important…continuously pressing for prompt action.

When we mix these two ways…

When we see the merits of executing work with a sense of Urgency and we take the time to create strategies and plan our most Important work…

...we maximize success, both with people and with profit.

Few will argue against the concept leaders must think.  Let me restate that: few will verbally argue against the concept leaders must think. On the other hand, many people, in fact the majority of people, behave in ways that confirm they do not take the concept known as thinking very seriously. 

For example, many people say things like "I'm too busy" and "I don't have time".   In fact, many business leaders repeatedly say things like, "I'm too busy to think" and "I don't have time to think".

What a losing mindset.

When the age of New Thought peaked about 100 years ago, the experts praised the value to thought, not just thought for processes such as decision-making but also thought for self-understanding and self-improvement.

“…spend 30 minutes daily thinking about the person I intend to become thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.” That’s borrowed from Napoleon Hill’s self-confidence formula, a self-help affirmation presented in his classic book, ‘Think and Grow Rich’, (1937). That sort of self-talk/affirmation or autosuggestion [as Napoleon Hill called it] was indicative of the advice intelligent people read as self-help books gained popularity a few generations ago. As the title of his 1937 classic indicates, thinking is the essence of the philosophy Napoleon Hill gathered, honed and presented.

Of course, other very popular proponents of ‘thinking for self-help’ existed prior to Hill. New Thought gained a position in literature during the mid-1800’s, hit full stride in the early 1900’s and morphed into pop culture entertainment by the early 2000’s. Specifically, I am thinking about the works of Samuel Smiles [mid-1800’s], the works of Orison Swett Marden [early 1900’s] and ‘The Secret’ [Rhonda Byrne, 2006].

As New Thought evolved it lost its essence.

The essence of New Thought was thinking…really thinking…not just presenting prescriptive ways of thinking [Haddock and Collier]…and, specifically, not just rehashing the thoughts of earlier authors [far too many to mention]…and, definitely not taking excessive metaphysical leaps [Hay] or fogging the brain by making radical jump-shifts back and forth between philosophy and physics [Chopra].

A return to thinking is overdue: self-help proponents need to cut the fantasy/entertainment and get back to good-old-fashioned New Thought values and essence – i.e., get back to being champions of thinking.

Leaders need to be more selective when they seek and embrace self-help.

Leaders need to learn more about thinking.

Leaders need to practice thinking so they gain more skill at it.

When you aim to give people more than they expect…

• You must be ready, willing and able to go the extra mile.
• You must embrace Napoleon Hill’s ‘QQS’ principle: deliver more Quantity and Quality of service and do it with a winning Spirit.
• You must seek out problems, knowing you can solve them because you know how to take advantage of new technologies.

When you aim to give people less than they expect…

• You must be ready, willing and able to drive hard bargains.
• You must be prepared to lie, cheat and steal.
• You must be wary of the inevitable reciprocation that is sure to come your way.

When you aim to give people exactly what they expect…

• You must be able to ask good questions.
• You must be a good listener.
• You must have full control over delivery of the value you generate.