The Development of Leaders' Core Values and the Means by Which They Communicate Values to Inspire Shared Vision

The purpose of this study was to examine how leaders communicate values and inspire their employees to support a shared vision. This study focused on the development of the leaders' core values and the impact of those values on their leadership. It also uncovered the process by which leaders communicate and inspire shared vision within their organizations.;This study employed a phenomenological research design to discover and describe the life experiences and core values of leaders. The main idea behind qualitative research is to uncover the many aspects and layers of a particular issue that is being studied. This was done by focusing on phenomena that occurred in natural settings during the data collection process. Data were collected in one-on-one in-depth interviews and document review.;The results of the study confirmed that participants' core values were formed by their life experiences. When these life experiences are recognized, it gives leaders the ability to gain a better understanding of their core values. The core values identified in the study included humility, faith, and virtues. This study concluded that the values identified are ethical core values, which play a substantial role in leaders' practices.;The study also found that participants focused on four key leadership behaviors that were influenced by core values. The key behaviors included: 1) Leading by example (modeling behavior), 2) A willingness to listen to others, 3) Establishing mission and vision, and 4) Building relationships. Lastly, the following three findings related to how values were communicated in the creation of shared organizational values and vision were found: having open communication, providing written updates and newsletters, and conducting purposeful meetings.;Ethical leaders are critical in transforming 21st century organizations that value honesty and integrity and doing things the right way. Therefore, it is believed that this study can have a significant impact on leaders who can connect to ethical core values and communicate them consistently throughout their organization.