How to navigate a values conflict at work as a leader

In general, your satisfaction with work is driven in part by whether your organization has a mission that is aligned with your values and goes about its work in a manner that is consistent with how you choose to live your life. I have written about the impact of values conflicts at work broadly before, but there are several specific problems that arise when you are a leader and the organization wants to do things that are a mismatch to your deeply held commitments. When your organization wants to do something or pursue a project that violates a value you hold dear, it creates a significant impact for leaders. For one thing, you are more strongly identified with the organization by others than people lower down in the food chain. For another, you are likely to feel pressure to conform by other leaders. In addition, leadership roles are well-respected and well-compensated, so there are pressures not to rock the boat. In addition, as a leader, you may feel like you have enough influence to change the direction the organization is going, so you may continue to do things you find problematic in the hope of blunting the impact of what you see as a bad path. Here are four steps to take i…