How Do Values Guide Leaders?
An inspiring answer comes from AIESEC, the global student organization I described earlier. The value proposition of AIESEC is a call to youth around the world to "Activate your leadership by going on an experience with AIESEC. We provide you with the opportunity to live a shared responsibility for the world and equip you with the tools to shape it for a better future."
The Vision and Growth of AIESEC
Started in 1948 by students in Europe to promote peace and international understanding and to stop wars among European countries, AIESEC is now active in more than 120 countries and territories with 50,000 youth members, 8,000 corporate and other partners, and more than one million alumni worldwide. It is student-run through local committees in more than 4,500 universities with a focus on leadership development and international understanding. Its vision is "Peace and fulfillment of humankind."
AIESEC’s Leadership Development Model
At a 2015 meeting of the global AIESEC Alumni International association in Porto, Portugal, the AIESEC student leaders presented their relatively new leadership development model. As alumni, we were amazed at how strong the concept was and how well presented it was. Twenty of us met after the presentation to discuss the implications for alumni. We recognized that those same values had defined the AIESEC experience for participants from its early days, more than half a century ago. We all said, "This is what we lived as AIESEC students when we were involved." Even though we never talked much about leadership development or values, we lived them. They were inherent in the organization’s founding vision, mission, strategies, and activities.
Corporate Engagement and Global Vision
When I was a student leader in AIESEC in the 1960s, I met frequently with top corporate leaders who did respond to the global vision of peace and international understanding we were promoting. They were interested in youth development and contributing to a better world. I think of them as responsible leaders practicing responsible capitalism.
Leadership Challenges and the Global AIESEC Leadership Initiative
When we discussed the state of the world at that meeting in Porto, however, we agreed on the serious and widespread lack of leadership then, and even worse today. We listed glaring failures of global leaders in business and government: lack of ethics, self-focused leadership, short-term thinking, lack of responsibility, corruption and greed, broken government, crony capitalism, environmental damage, international conflict, and unfulfilled potential for humankind.
We recognized that current leadership lessons would not be adequate in the coming decades to meet the growing challenges in the workplace, community, and society or for the earth itself. We developed a new concept for alumni that we called the "Global AIESEC Leadership Initiative" to activate AIESEC alumni as leaders for a better world. We would do so by supporting youth leadership development, expanding international personal and professional relationships, and promoting global change agents, grassroots initiatives, and forums of global citizens.
The AIESEC Alumni Network
It is remarkable that I can go almost anywhere in the world and meet AIESEC alumni of different ages, professions, and cultures who immediately become trusted friends because we share the same values from our experience as students in AIESEC. I know many companies that seek out AIESEC alumni for employment because they know these people have the values to become responsible and effective leaders. Values matter, character matters.
The AIESEC Leadership Model
The AIESEC leadership model develops students to be "world citizens who lead as catalysts, believe in their abilities, and take responsibility for a better world." This leadership development model offers insight for you as an employee in any nonprofit organization or any business corporation. It states you should:
Be self-aware – Understand and live personal values, focus on strengths over weaknesses, and explore your passions.
Be solution-oriented – Adapt and show reliance in the face of challenges, transmit positivity to move forward through uncertainty, and take risks when needed.
Empower others – Communicate effectively in diverse environments, develop and empower others, and engage with others to achieve a bigger purpose.
And to do so through two essential processes:
The inner journey – Set personal goals, reflect on your experience, understand your personal values, and reinvent yourself.
The outer journey – Pursue individual responsibility and goals, take on a challenging role in the environment, interact with multiple stakeholders, and support the system.
Core AIESEC Values for Leadership Development
Developing leadership for a better world is based on six AIESEC values, which you can readily apply as you develop your own leadership capabilities:
Activating leadership – Lead by example and inspire leadership through action and results, taking full responsibility for developing others.
Demonstrating integrity – Be consistent and transparent in your decisions and actions. Fulfill your commitments and conduct yourself in a way that is true to your organization’s vision.
Living diversity – Seek to learn from different ways of life and opinions represented in our multicultural environment. Respect and actively encourage the contribution of every individual.
Enjoying participation – Create dynamic and welcoming environments that stimulate active and enthusiastic participation.
Striving for excellence – Aim to deliver the highest quality performance in everything you do. Through creativity and innovation, seek to continuously improve.
Acting sustainably – Act in a way that is sustainable for your organization and society. Make decisions that take into account the needs of future generations.
Conclusion
Values should be at the heart of every leadership discussion, and the values need to be confirmed as being for the benefit of society. Don't you wish all leaders everywhere lived their lives based on the values of responsible leadership? This would indeed be a better world! This is the core answer to the question of “Leadership for what?” It is the vision of a better world and the values that are the basis of good and responsible leadership.
For more information, go to https://aiesec.org/ for students and https://aiesec-alumni.org/ for the rest of us.
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