2023 Leadership Gathering
Values-Based Leadership (VBL): Grounding our leadership in a shared set of organizational values.
December 6, 2023
This inaugural gathering marked a foundational moment: a city-wide effort to establish a shared language of leadership, introduce our Leadership Principles and Behaviors, and align executive and senior management around inclusive, values-driven expectations for every leader in our organization.
Why this gathering was needed:
Multiple organizational assessments listed below spanning workplace climate, job quality, and supervisor development consistently surfaced challenges related to leadership effectiveness, employee experience, and inclusivity. The 2023 gathering was a direct response: an opportunity to move from insight to action by anchoring our leadership culture in shared values and clear expectations.
- 2022 Workplace Climate Report (MAC/WIC)
- Job Quality Survey
- OD Stakeholder Analysis, November 2020
- Supervisor Development Needs Assessment, April 2023
What we focused on:
Leadership expectations: establishing clear, shared expectations for what leadership looks like across our city.
Values-based principles: introducing leadership principles and behaviors aligned with our organizational values.
Mayoral vision alignment: Connecting our leadership work to the goal of an inclusive, innovative, and thriving city.
VBL Principles & Behaviors:
- Self-Reflection:
- Leaders develop a deep understanding of their own values & others.
- Leaders show empathy to themselves & others.
- Leaders actively seek & use feedback for self-improvement.
- Leaders continuously learn & integrate new information.
- Balance & Perspective:
- Leaders intentionally create spaces that welcome, include, and support diverse perspectives.
- Leaders engage people in decision-making that will impact them.
- Leaders question & challenge the status quo for the sake of equity & innovation.
- Leaders hold space for multiple realities to exist among complex & competing interests.
- Self-Confidence:
- Leaders recognize & celebrate the strengths of themselves & others.
- Leaders acknowledge their own limitations & ask for help when they need it.
- Leaders reframe their challenges & failures as learning opportunities.
- Leaders believe that with desire, intention, time & hard work, they can grow & develop.
- Genuine Humility:
- Leaders check their assumptions by asking open-ended questions.
- Leaders acknowledge & celebrate the efforts of their team.
- Leaders admit when they're wrong & take steps to self-correct.
- Leaders willingly receive feedback from others with an open mind.
A special thanks...
A special thank you to the agencies and individuals represented in the focus group responsible for creating the VBL principles and behaviors.
- CDD: Nancy Saiz and Garret Tusler
- DCR: Rebecca Hoyt and Tariq Saqqaf
- Mayor's Office: Reuben Sanon
- Information Technology: Abigail Ferguson
- Human Resources: Tory Larson, Anne Nowak, and Jay Winston
Materials:
- 2023 Leadership Gathering Slide Deck - coming soon
- 2023 Leadership Gathering Summary