The Values Gap: What Do You Really Stand For?

The Values Gap: What Do You Really Stand For?

From On Brand with Nick Westergaard by Nick Westergaard

May 4, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Paul Ingram discusses the importance of aligning espoused values with actual values-in-use for effective leadership and brand storytelling.

We all claim to have values, but do we actually know how to use them when the stakes are high? Paul Ingram, the Kravis Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and author of What Do You Really Stand For?, joins us to dismantle the “corporate poster” approach to values. He shares a research-backed framework for identifying your true North Star and, more importantly, how to turn those abstract ideals into a practical tool for better leadership and more authentic brand storytelling. What You’ll Learn in This Episode - The critical difference between your espoused values and the actual values-in-use that drive your behavior - Why limiting your organizational values to five or fewer is the key to making them operative and memorable - How to navigate the inherent conflict of values without damaging your team's culture or relationships - The specific role of “value stories” as the most credible way to express and build trust around your principles - Practical implementation techniques from Slack emojis to using personification and archetypes like Miles Davis Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:31) The disconnect between posters and practice (03:15) The power of simplicity and…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Westergaard

Guest: Paul Ingram

Topics covered

  • values
  • leadership
  • brand storytelling
  • organizational culture
  • conflict resolution

Keywords

  • values
  • leadership
  • brand storytelling
  • organizational culture
  • conflict resolution
  • value stories
  • empirical evidence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia Business School

Books & works: What Do You Really Stand For?

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