"Good values are like a magnet – they attract good people."

John Wooden

Basketball Coach

Values Rulebook: A Comprehensive Guide to Living in Alignment with Your Core Values

The ViDA Values Framework: A Complete Guide to Defining and Living Your Values

At ViDA (Values-Driven Achievement), we define values as states and traits that drive behaviour, decisions, and human interactions. They are not abstract goals but the lived experience of who we are in the present. Values are the compass that guides us toward fulfillment and alignment with our personal and collective purpose. This guidebook will help you understand the nuanced principles of values in the ViDA framework.

We have major rules, and more values guidelines listed below. The main ViDA Values Rules are:

Values are STATES and TRAITS
Values are not PRINCIPLES
Values words are NOUNS that represent a QUALITY
Values pass the "That Person is so full of..." test
Value words are not PRESENT PARTICIPLES
Values are not TERMINAL GOALS or future states

Before we dive into the rules and guidelines for defining values, let’s take a step back and explore why values matter and how they actually work. Understanding the role values play in our decisions, leadership, and daily interactions is key to making them more than just words on a page—they need to be lived, felt, and embodied to create real impact.

How to Find Your Core Values and Lead with Purpose

Defining your core values is the foundation of values-driven leadership. Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or individual seeking clarity, understanding your personal values framework allows you to make better decisions, align with your purpose, and create a meaningful impact in your work and life.

But what exactly are values, and how do they differ from principles, beliefs, or goals? Many people confuse values with guiding rules or aspirational statements, but the ViDA Values Framework clarifies that values are states and traits that define who you are in the present, not just ideals to strive toward. If you’ve ever struggled with how to find your values, this guide will give you a clear, structured approach to identifying and living by them.

How to Find Your Values

The process of discovering your core values starts with self-reflection. A well-defined personal values framework helps you understand what truly matters to you and how those values show up in your actions. Here’s how to start:

Reflect on Peak Moments – Think about times in your life when you felt most fulfilled and authentic. What qualities were present in those moments?
Identify What Triggers You – Often, our strongest values become evident when they are violated. If dishonesty deeply upsets you, integrity may be one of your core values.
Use the “That Person is So Full of…” Test – A true value is something people could use to describe you naturally. If you value kindness, people might say, “That person is so full of generosity.” If it doesn’t fit in this sentence, it might not be a value.
Distinguish Between Values and Principles – A core value is a state of being, like resilience or creativity. A principle is a rule based on that value, such as “Always take on challenges with a growth mindset.”

Want to define your personal or organizational values? Download the ViDA Values Discovery Guide here.

Core Values vs. Principles: Why the Difference Matters

One of the biggest mistakes people make when defining their values is confusing them with principles or aspirational goals. While values define who you are, principles are the rules and guidelines that operationalize those values. For example:

Value: Empathy → Principle: Always seek to understand before responding.
Value: Integrity → Principle: Be truthful even when it’s uncomfortable.

Why does this distinction matter? Because when values are clear, you can create principles that support your leadership and decision-making, rather than relying on vague, feel-good statements that lack direction.

Values-Driven Leadership: Applying Your Values in Decision-Making

Once you’ve identified your values, the next step is learning how to integrate them into your leadership style. Values-driven leadership isn’t about just listing words on a wall—it’s about embodying those values in daily decisions, communication, and strategy.

When faced with a tough decision, ask: Does this align with my core values?
As a leader, create a culture where values guide behaviour—this fosters trust, accountability, and long-term success.
Recognize that values often compete—for instance, innovation vs. stability. Being aware of this helps you make balanced, conscious choices.

Now, Before You Get into the rule book, remember How Living Your Values Shapes Your Success

Understanding your personal values framework gives you the clarity and confidence to navigate challenges, lead with authenticity, and make decisions that align with your purpose. The ViDA Values Framework provides a structured way to define, refine, and live your values, ensuring they remain more than just words—they become the foundation of how you show up in the world.

Now that we understand the utility of values and why they matter, let’s get into the rules and key distinctions that bring clarity and structure to how we use values effectively. Defining values the right way isn’t just about picking words that sound good—it’s about ensuring they help us make better decisions, drive stronger leadership, and create alignment in our personal and professional lives. These rules will help you use values as a real tool for growth and impact, rather than just abstract concepts.

1. Values Are States and Traits

Values represent present states, not abstract aspirations or future-oriented movements. They start as a feeling or a Values State. They reflect how we exist here and now. For example:

A value might be care, as it represents a state of being.
However, caring, as a present participle, implies movement toward something rather than embodying it.

Rule: Live your values as a state of being. Avoid the temptation to frame them as aspirational actions or processes.

2. Values Are Not Principles

Values are the “how”, while principles are the rules that operationalize values. Principles are different, and their application and utility are crystal clear. For example:

If your value is integrity, a corresponding principle might be, “Always speak the truth, even when it’s difficult.”

Rule: Use principles as tools to put values into action, but do not conflate the two.

3. Values words are nouns that Represent a quality

Values words must be nouns representing a stable and intrinsic character quality. These words should describe a state of being or a trait that reflects who you are at your core, rather than an action, process, or external aspiration.

Examples of Compliant Values Words: Integrity, Empathy, Courage, Wisdom, Resilience

Prohibited Words:

Verbs (e.g., "Empower" could be agency, influence, empowerment)
Present participles (e.g., "Caring" could be care, compassion, empathy)
Abstract goals or outcomes (e.g., "Health" could be disciplined, energetic, wholesome)
External needs or aspirations (e.g., "Security" could be stability, confidence, trust)

Key Rule: A values word must be a noun that communicates a quality of character.

4. Values pass the "Person is so full of..." Test

Values words must describe intrinsic, stable qualities of character that naturally fit into the phrase: "That person is so full of ______." This test ensures values are understood as inherent traits rather than actions, achievements, or temporary states.

Examples:
✅ "That person is so full of kindness."
❌ "That person is so full of caring."

Rule: A valid value word must be a singular, abstract noun that conveys an intangible, positive trait. It should not be a verb, adjective, participle, or outcome-driven concept.

5. Values are not present participles

A value is not a present participle because it reflects a stable state of being, not an ongoing action or aspiration.

Present participles (e.g., "caring," "learning") evoke movement and effort, implying an action in progress rather than an intrinsic quality.
Framing a value as a present participle can create feelings of striving, impermanence, and self-evaluation, distracting from its grounding nature.
Values should affirm who you are now, offering stability and confidence, rather than prompting a need to prove or achieve them.

Rule: Always define values as states or traits, not actions or processes, to embody authenticity and alignment in the present.

6. Terminal Values Inform But Are Not Values Themselves

Terminal values, such as community, health, and family, are overarching goals. They describe the outcomes we desire in life, but they are not the states we inhabit while striving for these ideals. Instead:

The values that drive community might be connection, trust, or respect.
Health might be driven by discipline, vitality, or balance.

Rule: Define the states and traits that align with your terminal goals. Focus on how you want to live, not just what you want to achieve.

Guidelines for Value Words

When it comes to articulating values, words matter. While the following are not rigid rules, these guidelines serve as essential tools to help you clarify and ground our understanding of value terms. Values are not just abstract concepts—they are the lived experiences and traits we sense, intuit and experience. They define who we are and how we act. By adhering to the principles above and using the guidelines below, we can ensure our value words resonate authentically and guide meaningful decisions and behaviours. Let’s explore the nuances that bring clarity and power to describing our values.

Use Adjectives to Clarify Core Values

Values can be refined through adjectives, providing clarity and depth. For instance:

Connection can be expanded to loving connection, intellectual connection, or controlled connection.

Rule: Modify core values with adjectives to reflect their precise meaning and relevance to your life.

Values Are Not Needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs reminds us that values emerge when basic needs are met. However, needs and values are distinct:

In survival mode, values like protection and resilience may take precedence.
In calm, flourishing environments, values like creativity and exploration dominate.

Rule: Recognize how circumstances shape which values surface. Values reflect your authentic state within the context of your environment.

Values Are Not Beliefs

Beliefs are deeper constructs that shape values. They reside in the spiritual and emotional realm, forming the foundation of our value states. For instance:

A belief in fairness might manifest as a value of justice.

Rule: Examine the beliefs that inform your values to ensure they align with your authentic self.

Values Are Not Purpose

Values define the how; purpose defines the why. Values inform your purpose. For example:

Purpose: To help others achieve their potential.
Value: Generous impact, which informs how you fulfill that purpose.

Rule: Differentiate between your driving purpose and the values that guide how you pursue it.

Values Are Not Your Mission or Core Philosophy

Your mission is the job you do every day, and your corporate philosophy is the broader culture of your organization. Values are distinct:

Mission: Building houses.
Values: Quality, integrity, hard work.

Rule: Values are a part of your culture but do not encompass your entire philosophy.

Values Are Emotional and Meaningful

Values elicit an emotional response and feel natural, genuine, and authentic. They resonate deeply because they reflect your true self.

Rule: If a value doesn’t evoke emotion or meaning, it may not be authentically yours.

Values Can Be in Conflict

Frameworks like the Competing Values Framework and Schwartz’s Theory of Values illustrate that values often conflict:

Creativity vs. control.
Performance vs. teamwork.

Rule: Embrace and manage conflicting values. Understand their dynamics within your life and work.

Contribution vs. Self-Interest Values

Values like justice serve society, while values like hedonism prioritize personal pleasure. Neither is inherently bad, but balance is crucial. When we know our self-interested values and how they show up, we can be more conscious and effective in our leadership.

Rule: Acknowledge both self-interested and contribution-driven values and strive for harmony.

Shadow Values

Shadow values are hidden or denied values that can fuel destructive behaviours. For example:

Power and achievement can drive success but may become toxic when unacknowledged.

Rule: Identify and integrate shadow values to prevent them from undermining your goals.

Conclusion: Living ViDA Values

The ViDA framework offers a structured approach to identifying and living your values with clarity and intention. By understanding the nuances of values as states, not needs or principles, and by embracing their emotional depth and potential conflicts, you can align your life with your truest self.

Final Rule: Values are not something you have; they are something you live. Be present. Be authentic. Be aligned.

If you got this far in the post, your probably looking to apply values-driven leadership in your career or organization. So, let’s connect. Whether through executive coaching, keynote speaking, or values-driven leadership workshops, I help individuals and teams bring their values to life in a way that drives real impact.