Are Convictions Like Values?

The answer to this question has been debated for some time, but I’ll land on the argument supported by our founder, Daniel Harkavy: Values include things you care a lot about, but will sacrifice if necessary. Convictions are the uncompromising values and beliefs for which you are willing to make sacrifices. In that sense, convictions are the few hills you are willing to die on.

Convictions are the filters through which you make all decisions. When presented with an opportunity, you ask, “how does this opportunity line up with my convictions?” I imagine convictions like a colander. As I pour opportunities into the colander I only move forward if my convictions “hold” the opportunity… if not it passes thru, and I let it go.

In the end, the more aware you are of your convictions the better you will be at making decisions.

Convictions must:

• Define what you stand for
• be held onto, even at a competitive disadvantage
• be pursued with relentless honesty
• embody what you truly believe (not what you think you should believe)
• be authentic and able to be seen played out in your life
• stay consistent, regardless of market trends, business cycles, or technology evolution
• work from the individual to the company – they are personal first and we must embody them

I take each of my clients thru our 3B Vision Tool in order to help them clarify their convictions using a series of questions designed to get crystal clear on the heart of what matters most to them. Today I thought I would share my top 5 personal convictions simply to illustrate how these can be used to help leaders be better decision-makers.

1. Keep it Simple – this is like a mantra for me… I strive to take complex concepts and break them down into their simplest terms.
2. Practice what you teach – this one is very personal. Some call it integrity others call it authenticity. Either way, I aim to live by example.
3. Be a servant leader – this is a reminder that every day I have one choice that affects most of my day. I get to choose my attitude, and I chose to serve.
4. Be a wise steward – this reminds me that someday everything I have will be given to someone else, and that I only have a brief time to manage what I’ve been given.
5. Be totally present – when I am at work, I work. at play, I play. At rest, I rest. Whomever I am with, give them attention, love, and respect.

How about you… do you know your convictions? Are you using them to help you make great decisions?