There's a question that comes up in nearly every leadership workshop, every team development session, every coaching conversation about authenticity:
Should I be thinking about my professional values or my personal values?
It's an understandable question. We've been conditioned to believe in compartmentalization—that we can be one person at work and another at home, that we can hold one set of principles in the boardroom and a different set at the dinner table.
But here's what Brené Brown names so clearly in Dare to Lead: We have only one set of values.
Me and the other me
The idea that we might have separate value systems for different areas of our lives is appealing. It would make things so much easier, wouldn't it? We could be competitive at work but collaborative at home. We could prioritize results over relations in business but reverse that in our personal relationships.
Except that's not how integrity works. That's not how we work.
Our values aren't like clothes we change depending on the occasion. They're more like our DNA—the fundamental code that determines who we are, how we show up, and what we stand for, regardless of where we're standing.
Living our values
The challenge isn't choosing between professional and personal values. The challenge is living in alignment with our one set of values across every context—even when it's difficult, even when it costs us something, even when the people around us hold different values.
This is where the rubber meets the road:
- That moment when your company asks you to compromise on something you believe in
- When your friends pressure you to go along with something that doesn't sit right
- When a family member expects you to prioritize loyalty over honesty
- When a stranger's behavior at the line in the grocery store tests your commitment to respect and kindness
These moments of conflict aren't signs that we need different values for different settings. They're invitations to clarify what we truly value and to find the courage to honor those values even when it's uncomfortable.
The freedom in one set of values
Here's the good news: while having only one set of values is challenging, it's also deeply liberating.
When you stop trying to maintain multiple versions of yourself, you free up enormous energy. You no longer have to remember which version of yourself you're supposed to be in which context. You no longer have to manage the cognitive dissonance of behaving in ways that contradict your core beliefs.
You simply get to be you—fully, consistently, courageously.
Next time
So the next time you're faced with a values-based decision, don't ask yourself whether this is about your professional or personal values. Instead, ask:
- What do I actually value most?
- Am I honoring those values in this moment?
- If there's misalignment, what needs to change—my behavior or my situation?
Your values aren't situational. They're not negotiable based on context. They're the throughline of your life, the non-negotiables that define who you are when no one's watching and when everyone is.
The work isn't to have different values for different parts of your life. The work is to identify your true values and then find the courage to live them—everywhere, with everyone, all the time.
Merry Christmas!