113. 90% of leaders don't know what they stand for, and why you should: With Columbia Business Professor Paul Ingram

About this episode

Columbia Business School Professor Paul Ingram discusses the importance of values for leaders and how to effectively implement them in decision-making.

Columbia Business School Professor Paul Ingram joins Tobias Sturesson to explore why values matter for leaders and how to transform them from vague concepts into practical leadership tools that drive better decision-making and authentic leadership. Drawing from research with over 10,000 senior leaders, Paul reveals the striking gap between knowing values matter and actually using them effectively. This conversation moves beyond theory to practical application, showing how clear values reduce stress, increase resilience, and help leaders stay true to themselves when facing difficult choices and organizational pressures. In this episode, we explore: (00:00) Why good people make decisions they later regret (03:39) Defining values as our stable principles of evaluation (06:05) Cultural influences on values and finding common ground globally (11:51) Research benefits of getting clear on personal values (15:56) Building daily practices for prospective and reflective value use (21:21) Why values only matter when they cost us something (25:22) Balancing self-interest with positive impact on others (31:26) The slippery slope of temptation and ethical decision-making (36:04) Connecting…

People in this episode

Host: Tobias Sturesson

Guest: Paul Ingram

Topics covered

• leadership values
• decision-making
• ethical leadership
• organizational culture
• personal values
• stress reduction
• resilience

Keywords

• leadership
• values
• decision-making
• organizational culture
• ethical decisions
• stress
• resilience
• personal values

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Columbia Business School

Books & works: You Can Culture: Transformative Leadership Habits for a Thriving Workplace, Positive Impact and Lasting Success

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