What Really Drives Your Team

Welcome to the Leader’s Lens: The Perspective Shift issue!

This issue offers a fresh perspective and actionable tips to enhance your leadership this week.

Send me an email and let me know how you plan on implementing this perspective shift in your leadership!

Was this email forwarded to you?

Above The Frame: ‘Shift Your Lens’ in your Inbox!

In the last Leader’s Lens Newsletter, I shared that I’m developing a video series called “Shift Your Lens”—a set of bite-sized, actionable videos answering real leadership questions from real leaders.

Each video (5–7 minutes) gives you practical steps, tools, and insights you can apply right away—designed specifically for those leading from the middle out.

If you want to receive this free, 5-7 minute per episode video series in your inbox, just vote in that issue and I’ll add you on the list!

Don’t lead alone. Join a growing community of leaders navigating the same tensions, and doing the work to lead with clarity, confidence, and care.

Through the Lens: Do we understand the values behind our work?

I was listening to a conversation with Daphna recently discussing the connection between both sports analytics and organizational psychology.

One of her clients, NHL teams, were leveraging her services to scout draft prospects.

The standards scouting report included players skill and stats.

But the deeper question they're asking is: Who fits our culture?

Not just "Can they play?" but "Will they elevate what we're building here?"

My ears perked up and I threw on my Leader’s Lens!

We focus so much on what people can do that we forget to ask: What do they actually care about? And does that align with where we're trying to go?

What Really Motivates People?

One main concept that stood out to me: Everyone you lead has a value hierarchy.

We all care about something. Sometimes it’s the same thing, but majority of the time its different.

The thought is the order in which we care about things. And that order shapes everything they do.

Let’s put it this way… Someone might say they value "growth," but if they're overwhelmed right now, what they really need is stability. If you keep pushing stretch goals without recognizing that, you're going to lose them.

While they may be capable, you will lead them based on what you think they should want instead of what they actually need.

Why Does This Matter for Your Leadership?

This comes up frequently with the leaders I coach. They're frustrated because their team isn't "bought in" or someone isn't performing the way they expected.

But when we dig deeper, it's usually a values misalignment.

The leader is operating from one set of priorities, the team member from another, and nobody's talking about it.

The gap is where burnout lives. That's where good people leave. That's where culture breaks down.

What about The Culture Fit vs. Culture Add Question?

Now, you might be thinking: "Wait! Aren't we supposed to move away from 'culture fit' and focus on 'culture add'?"

You're right to ask that. And here's the nuance I've been wrestling with:

Culture fit often gets misused. It becomes code for "Do they look like us, think like us, act like us?" That's not what we want.

Culture add pushes us to ask better questions: "What perspective, experience, or energy can this person bring that we don't already have?"

But here's where understanding values bridges both:

You can pursue fresh perspectives without ignoring values alignment.

Sameness? No.

Shared grounding? Yes!

You don't need everyone to operate the same way, but you do need alignment around core things like respect, growth, transparency, or how you handle conflict.

So whether you're leading your current team or bringing someone new in, the question becomes: "Can this person bring something we need and thrive within the values we hold?"

That's building culture intentionally.

How Can Think About Values in Our Leadership?

I like to think about values in three layers:

Core Values: The deep stuff that rarely changes. Things like integrity, belonging, freedom.

Contextual Values: What matters most right now based on what's happening in their life or work. Maybe it's stability during a reorganization, or recognition after they've been overlooked.

Aspirational Values: What they think they should care about, or what they're working toward. Sometimes these aren't actually driving their decisions yet.

The key thing to remember is that these layers shift. What motivated someone six months ago might not be what they need today.

How can we Lead with This in Layers in Mind?

1. Ask Better Questions in Your 1:1’s

Instead of just checking on tasks, try:

• "What's giving you energy at work right now?"

• "What matters most to you in this season?"

• "If you could spend more time on one type of work, what would it be?"

Listen for the values behind their answers.

2. Look for the Gaps

Take a step back and ask:

• Are we rewarding what we say we value?

• What behaviors are actually getting elevated here?

• Is there a disconnect between what our team needs and what our systems promote?

3. Make Values Visible

You don't need a big corporate initiative. Just start small:

• In team meetings, notice whose voice gets heard

• Track how decisions actually get made

• Pay attention to what gets celebrated and what gets ignored

When you make the invisible visible, you can start to close the gaps.

Questions for you to reflect

• What's your value hierarchy as a leader right now?

• Where might you be leading from misalignment saying you value something but behaving differently?

And here's the harder one:

• Where have I defaulted to "culture fit" in a way that stifles innovation? Where might I be missing the need for values alignment even when someone brings a new perspective?

I ask myself these regularly because it's easy to get caught up in what we think leadership should look like instead of what our team actually needs from us.

Watching this conversation with Daphna got me thinking about how we can be more intentional about culture-building in our leadership. If you want to dive deeper into creating teams where people actually want to show up and do their best work, that's exactly what we explore in the Leader's Lens community.

You can watch the full episode here:

Let me know what resonates with you. I'd love to hear how you're thinking about values in your leadership.

Now is the moment,

Ray

⸻

P.S. If this sparked something for you, I'd love to continue the conversation. Hit reply and let me know what you're seeing in your own team dynamics.

Whenever you are ready, here are ways you can work with me:

• 🎤Speaking - As a Speaker and Facilitator, I will engage your team on how belonging and inclusivity can increase your team dynamics! ​Book Ray Now

• 🤝Coaching - As a Coach, I will help you enhance the power of inclusivity and empathy to be an effective leader through an equity lens! Book a Call Now

• 📘Consulting - As a Consultant, I will help strengthen your organizational culture to increase the employee experience and retention! Book a Consultation Now

P.S. - Thank you to those who have filled out the survey letting me know more about your leadership journey! I am excited to dive into the results over the next couple of weeks to provide you with resources and content that will support your leadership! If you haven’t filled it out yet, do so by clicking the link here!