How to conduct a ‘values inventory’—and why you should

“I know you can’t tell me what to do.” I hear some version of that sentence almost every week from coaching clients wrestling with career decisions. Should they accept the promotion? Leave a leadership role? Start a company? Stay where they are? By the time we meet, they’ve usually done everything they know how to do. They’ve made pro-and-con lists, sought advice from trusted colleagues, and analyzed every possible outcome. Yet they still feel stuck. That’s because the hardest leadership decisions are rarely information problems. They’re values conflicts. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to A Cup of Ambition\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"A biweekly newsletter for high-achieving moms who value having a meaningful career \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E being an involved parent, by Jessica Wilen. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.c…