Part 6 of a 6 part blog series on developing a culture that breeds success. Make sure you add the RSS feed to your reader so you can be aware of future posts, series and guest posts!
Up to this point in the Culture of Success blog series you have read about key things to do to make sure things are moving in the right direction. The last, and perhaps most important, aspect to consider is what drives and governs preparation, planning, discipline, perseverance, commitment and follow through. There is an overarching influence that touches each one of these important areas and how they are outworked. Values.
The idea of values is noble and generally positive, but I’m going to challenge that assumption. The actual definition of values is quite different from what we assume the word to mean. It can signify accepted ideals or customs adopted by a group of people or a quality desirable as a means or as the end itself. Nothing in there about values inherently being good/bad, positive/negative, or compassionate/selfish. They are what we make them to be and do not connote goodness by simply stating one has them.
Values influence our actions. If our values are selfish in nature, so will our actions be. Successful people and organizations give and are concerned and have compassion for others. This isn’t only true under certain circumstances or with certain people. It is a value that holds true to all people and all situations. Compassion looks 
beyond the imperfections and sees intrinsic value. Compassion finds a way to give instead of demanding a right to take.
Having compassion based values makes for more open communication. Less conflict is a result. They help govern how others are treated on the team. A culture driven by these types of values is destined to succeed. It is a culture of giving, serving, and doing what is necessary to meet the needs of others. It could be team mates. It could be superiors. It could be customers. The recipient doesn’t matter as long as there is an existence of values rooted in compassion.
We all have the ability to create a culture that breeds success. It begins with compassion based values. Any other foundation is suspect and will make it much more difficult, if not impossible, to achieve any significant success. Sure the other 5 key points are essential, but their true impact is directly proportional to the values that govern them. Do your team and yourself a favor and create a culture destined for success by making sure it’s grounded in compassionate values.