Would you step away from your workplace to protect your values?
- Phil D'Adamo
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
When I read in this news link that Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, resigned because the parent company’s priorities conflicted with the values that built the brand, it really made me reflect on the power and use of core values.
He said, “From the very beginning, Ben and I believed that our values and the pursuit of justice were more important than the company itself.”
But what if you’re no longer the "top dog" or no longer exclusively in charge of the big decisions?
In my coaching work, I help leaders and teams with how to influence strategy and to clarify what really matters - the values that guide decisions, shape culture, and influence every part of an organisation.
Embedding values into strategy, performance measures and leadership practices can truly transform an organisation. I've led this and seen it in action.
Facilitating Values statements, for instance, is incredibly insightful, engaging and empowering. You see how personal values shape people’s work and how alignment with organisational purpose creates real impact.
But I’ve also seen how hard it can be to stick to them, especially when the operating environment changes or when they clash with organisational pressures or politics.
This raises big leadership questions:
• Do values truly stand for anything when they clash with profit or politics?
• Are values essential, or just “nice to have”?
• Are they flexible or locked in?
• Is sticking to them worth the personal or organisational risk or pain?
In my experience, the benefits of sticking to your values are real, but so is accepting that conflicts between values and priorities are inevitable in complex times. Sometimes values themselves need to be reviewed and refreshed. And sometimes, we just need to walk away.
How do you balance staying true to your values with organisational pressures?
