Values as a catalyst
Black Panther is the fourth-highest-grossing superhero film of all time. When Bob Iger, then-CEO of Disney, placed the Black Panther movie on the must-do list of Marvel projects because he thought it represented great storytelling, not everyone was enthusiastic.
Skeptics were concerned that films with predominantly black casts would struggle in international markets. Bob stood by his decision to make a great movie and not to fall prey to old arguments about what the world should be.
In a letter sent to all employees after the movie’s opening week, Bob writes, “The movie’s success is also a testament to our company’s willingness to champion bold business and creative initiatives, our ability to execute an innovative vision flawlessly, and our commitment to bringing extraordinary entertainment to a world that is hungry for heroes, role models, and unbelievably great storytelling.”
His commitment to telling great stories helped him to go against convention and demonstrate how much he was willing to sacrifice. Telling great stories acted as a rallying cry for employees and other stakeholders. And it set new standards in Hollywood.
How can we become more aware of our values, or what matters most to us? How can we live our values through the choices and actions we make?
Here are three things to reflect on:
When I do my best work, who/what surrounds me?
A 2017 paper in Management Science showed that the best quality job leads, determined by the interview and job offer conversion rate, came from those with strong relationships among those in their network.
The stronger the relationship the more likely that a contact would be a stronger advocate in the hiring process by going beyond a referral for a job interview, to make follow up calls or provide recommendations to those hiring.
This emphasises how important it is to put yourself in situations that enable you to do your best work. When you can do work that matters to you in an environment that values your effort, you are more likely to drive positive outcomes as you put in more effort to make a difference.
In turn, those you work with are more likely to strongly recommend you to like-minded people they are connected with, which in turn creates and sustains the conditions you need to do high quality work.
If something is important to me, what am I willing to give up?
Values evolve, particularly as circumstances change.
For example, when we start earning an income, we might value freedom from depending on others for financial support. Promotion or inheritance may lead us to place a greater value on long-term financial security, investing for ourselves and others. Divorce, ill health or bereavement may upend the value we place on financial security, in favour of time spent with loved ones.
In a similar way, we may accept a lower salary in the short term if it offers opportunities for growth in income over the long term. For example, taking role that pays less may allow us to learn entirely new skills, build broader networks or invest in monetising a creative idea. Assessing these trade-offs helps to clarify just how much an aspect matters to you.
What do I observe in society that I would like to be a part of changing?
Judge Thokozile Masipa, well-known for her role in the trial of Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius in South Africa for the murder of his girlfriend, started her career as a journalist. She saw a lot of injustice in the courts when covering the Soweto uprising in 1976 and turned her talents to directly fighting it instead of exposing it. So began her shift from journalism to law. She remains one of the most respected senior female judges in the country.
Thokozile made a conscious choice to devote her energy to playing at a higher level. Like Bob Iger, she decided that she wanted to be part of changing widely accepted norms.
Our values help us to take concerted action. They make it easy to let go of the things and people that no longer serve us well, and to focus on surrounding ourselves with the people and things that are aligned to our goals.