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Ever wonder how to incorporate your personal values into the way you work?

It's important to incorporate your personal values in the work you do. People connect to and respond with people and people leave bad managers not bad organizations or companies. With so many businesses lacking ethics and leaders facing worldwide criticims from poor leadership and management, leaders of organizations should incorporate their personal values into the work they do, especially entreprenuers! In doing so you set the standard for excellence within your company.

The following exercise is help you decide what you value most.

1. Go through the list below and write down the top 10 things you value most.

Achievement                               Friendships                               Physical challenge

Advancement and promotion         Growth                                     Pleasure

Adventure                                   Having a family                          Power and authority

Affection (love and caring)            Helping other people                   Privacy

Arts                                            Helping society                          Public service

Challenging problems                   Honesty                                   Purity

Change and variety                      Independence                           Quality of what I take part in

Close relationships                       Influencing others                     Quality relationships

Community                                  Inner harmony                Recognition (respect from others, status) Competence                                Integrity                                  Religion

Competition                                  Intellectual status                    Reputation

Cooperation                                 Involvement                         Responsibility and accountability Country                                        Job tranqulity                        Security

Creativity                                    Knowledge                             Self-respect

Decisiveness                               Leadership                                Serenity

Democracy                                  Location                               Sophistication

Ecological awareness                   Loyalty Stability                  Economic security

Market position                             Status                                  Effectiveness

Meaningful work                             Supervising others                  Efficiency

Merit                                            Time freedom                      Ethical practice

Money                                          Truth                                  Excellence

Nature                                        Wealth                                 Wisdom                                                                  Excitement being around people who are open and honest         Fame

Order (tranqulity, stability, conformity)                              Work under pressure

Fast living                             Personal development           Work with others

Financial gain                               Freedom                              Working alone

2. Once you've captured that list write down how you display those values in your personal life.

3. Next I want you write down how you can display those values in your professional life.

4. Then I want you to look at that again and circle your top 5 values.

Those are what you are going to be known for showing and displaying at all times at work. Make sure you write them down and keep a company at your desk, in your wallet and make a post it note for your car.

Remember to look at them daily and ask yourself: How can I show this in my work today?

You can also complete the same activity for your business and once you've identified your top five values, create a values statement for how your company can display these values daily.

As a new leader, visionary or entrepreneur, your sphere of influence is your power circle. Influence is all about the people you connect with constantly. If you don't have one then you aren't leading. If you aren't sure whose in this circle you are leading the blind. The goal of all leaders should be to increase their circle and cater to the interests and needs of their circle of influence.

As a leader you should have a team who is dependent on your vision and leadership to guide them. This is your sphere on influence. Your energy is dedicated to the visions, the mission, and your team. You should know what is most important to that circle and how you are reaching them. You need to know how your circle receive information best and how frequently you need to contact them to keep them motivated.

To tap into your sphere of influence think about this:

• Who is currently in your circle of influence? Who do you currently connect to consistently? Do you share the same values, career, problems? What attracts you to one another? Think about if this is the group you need to sell the vision you have. If not begin to think about who you need to add to your circle. 
• Who would I like to include in my circle of influence? Maybe there are a group of professionals who you'd like to market your vision to but you aren't currently. You have to study places they frequent and who they tend to gravitate to. You've got to do what you need to, to grab their attention and once you've got it give them all you've got. They need to leave understanding who you are, what you do, and why they should care. Think about this carefully before approaching new influences. 
• What is most important to them? Know their values and principles. Know what problems they have, what makes them tick, and where they go to de-stress. You need this information to target and position yourself to be on their radar. Once you are speaking to them you have a few speaking points of their interest, and you can now transition into telling them more about you and what you do. 
• How can I communicate what I know to that circle of influence? Once your initial contact how can you stay in contact with them. When you exchange business cards you can ask if they'd like to know more about the topic you discussed and get permission to add their email to your list. Now you have targeted exactly who you need to have on your list and you can win them into your circle of influence!