“The first principles of value that we need to rediscover is this: that all really hinges on moral foundations. In other words, that this is a moral universe, and that there are moral laws of the universe just as abiding as the physical laws” – Marting Lucher King Jr.

The importance of value for organisational and personal purpose came into my radar about 25 years ago when I was in the mid thirties in age. I have incorporated this notion in my leadership development practice in developing leaders and helping them transform organisations. As I started inquiring in to this notion as a part of my doctoral studies a few years ago, having learnt to look at things critically from different paradigms, I realised the complexity of the notion of ‘values’.

Values being propagated and used by organisations and people, may be gimmicks in disguise if they are not supported by a moral base. For example the value ‘caring’ can result in disempowering the person being cared for, resulting in that person becoming dependent and vulnerable to the person who espoused the value, ‘caring’. ‘Caring’ can become a noble value when it is based on moral laws and noble intention. This may require finding empowering ways of caring. Telling the truth, even if it hurts. Allowing to struggle with the intention of making them strong. All of these may look uncaring, but the moral intention makes it ‘caring.

Reflecting on the value we endeavour to live by in a critical manner, therefore can help us understand its dark side. If we can then attache the value to a noble intention and moral law and articulate required behaviours, then perhaps we can use the to shape our life to be in service of the process of life and purposeful living.

Wish you purposeful living.