Core Values: ...and how they underpin strategy and organisational culture

'Core Values' is a short, highly accessible and practical guide for anyone interested in making core values impactful for an organisation. In a turbulent and fast changing world, leaders of organisations of all sizes and sorts are desperately seeking anchors - firm, enduring points of reference from which to triangulate their plans, decisions and actions. Core values can provide such anchorage and can do so in ways conducive to empowering leadership, employee engagement, participative governance and purposeful work.

To make a difference with core values is, however, no quick win, as research, discussed in this book, has shown. To have any significant impact, core values need to affect the lived experience of people both inside and outside the organisation. This book sets out to enable leaders to:

- Think more deeply and more systematically about core values;

- Discuss core values more meaningfully and perceptively;

- Decide on core values more rigorously;

- Present and apply core values more impactfully.

The aim of the book is to have core values feature more prominently and more usefully in the life of your organisation. By doing so, core values can provide a robust foundation for impactful strategy and strong organisational culture.

Mike Baxter is a renowned strategy expert and has spent over 20 years delivering independent front-line consultancy and advice to some of the world's most successful companies, to fast-growing tech start-ups and to leading UK universities. He is author of 'The Strategy Manual' and founder and Director of Goal Atlas Ltd, working with leaders and teams, across sectors, to facilitate the systematic, hands-on production, management and governance of effective strategies.