Core Values are Your Rudder (Lessons from the Jumbotron)
When Private Choices Become Public Crises
Effective, ethical leaders have clear, operationalized core values. Those who do not are navigating today’s stormy seas without a rudder. This is a clear lesson from the jumbotron moment between Astronomer's CEO and HR chief. When leaders lose or lack a moral compass, the consequences extend far beyond their personal lives, potentially devastating their families, organizations, and employees.
The story unfolded in seconds but will impact careers for years. When captured on camera, their reaction spoke volumes – hands flying to faces, spinning away from cameras, ducking out of frame. Within days, both executives were placed on leave pending an investigation followed quickly by the CEO’s resignation.
A single poor choice conducted in public became an organizational crisis requiring board intervention and leadership changes.
The Ripple Effect of Leadership Choices
Leadership failures are never contained to the corner office, the impact goes deeper than headlines and personnel changes. Think about the human impact rippling through Astronomer: employees questioning their workplace culture, business partners reconsidering relationships, investors wondering about governance oversight, and customers evaluating whether they can trust an organization whose top leaders lack good judgment.
Leaders are Always On
The Astronomer incident reminds us that in today's connected world, privacy is largely an illusion, especially for senior leaders. Accepting a leadership position means surrendering the luxury of purely personal decision-making. When you become a people leader, especially in HR, your choices become organizational property. The moment you accept authority over others' careers, livelihoods, and futures, your personal conduct becomes a professional responsibility. This isn't an unfair burden. It's an explicit trade-off for the privilege of leadership.
The involvement of the company's HR chief adds another layer of complexity to this cautionary tale. When the person responsible for maintaining workplace boundaries may have crossed them, it creates an almost impossible situation for the organization. HR leaders must have real core values and be committed to holding themselves to the highest standards.
Operationalizing Your Values
Core values must be more than buzzwords. Core values are a navigational system for tough decisions, especially when no one is watching.
Do you have values? If so, are they guiding your daily decisions? If not, here is a quick exercise to illuminate, reignite, or refine your core values:
Identify the top 3-5 values words for you (e.g., community, independence, equity, etc.).
Rank and reflect on your top three and ask: what experience in life made this value important to me?
List the specific behaviors that these values demand of you (e.g., kindness, listening, in-person communication, etc.).
Now write your top three values in short statements or phrases (e.g., Equity: I meet people where they are).
Practice using your top three value statements as a filter for a past decision and then an existing one.
If you are not actively using your values in decision-making then they are not operational. Every choice leaders make either reinforces or undermines their stated values.
That is why effective leadership requires constant vigilance on the alignment between our values, behavior, and professional judgment. It's not about being perfect, it's about being intentional and understanding that the role you've accepted comes with 24/7 accountability.
In our world, where moments go viral instantly and accountability is demanded publicly, there's no hiding from the consequences of poor judgment. Your core values must serve as your rudder, guiding every decision and interaction.