The Pulse of Higher Ed

By Vickie Cook

Why Values-Based Influence Matters Now 

Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts—demographic changes, budget constraints, AI disruption, and questions of relevance. In this environment, how we lead and why we lead matters as much as what we do as leaders. Leaders who operate from a strong internal compass—those grounded in values—offer clarity, stability, and hope. 

Values-based influence is not about hierarchy or control. It’s about leading with integrity, building credibility through consistency, and aligning actions with deeply held beliefs. And it works—because people follow authenticity before they follow authority.   

What Is Values-Based Influence? 

Values-based influence is the ability to lead by example, inspire others through shared values, and foster a culture rooted in purpose and trust. This model of leadership prioritizes: 

• Integrity over image 
• Collaboration over compliance 
• Consistency over charisma 

It is about becoming the kind of leader others choose to follow—not because they have to, but because they believe in the direction you are leading. 

How to Identify Values-Based Influence 

Recognizing and strengthening values-based influence begins with a few key strategies: 

1. Conduct a Values Audit 

Review strategic plans, communications, and decision-making patterns. More importantly, listen. What stories are being told in meetings? What behaviors are recognized and rewarded? These are reflections of your unit’s real values.  Align the values that are identified with the strategic plans being made. 

2. Recognize Informal Leaders 

Look beyond titles. Identify those who consistently demonstrate ethical behavior, inspire peers, or provide a moral compass during conflict. These individuals are often quiet influencers who uphold the culture and keep teams anchored in purpose. 

3. Facilitate Values Mapping 

Hold intentional conversations to map where individuals see values showing up—or falling short—in daily work. This can help uncover disconnects and foster ownership of cultural alignment. 

4. Align Practices to Principles 

Are your hiring, recognition, and budget decisions aligned with your values? If not, adjust. Systems either reinforce or erode culture.  Systems that erode culture have an oversized negative impact on an organization. 

Aspire to Lead with a Values-Based Identity 

To become a values-based leader, commit to personal and professional alignment: 

Clarify Your Leadership Values 

Define your non-negotiables—those values you refuse to compromise. Whether that’s equity, transparency, or courage, write them down, keep them on your phone, refer to them in moments of tension and conflict. Know yourself and be determined in values-based leadership. 

Model the Culture You Want to Create 

Your behavior sets the tone. If you seek a culture of collaboration, invite voices into decision-making. Build distributed leadership patterns.  If you value innovation, create safe spaces for experimentation and learning from failure. Build an entrepreneurial foundation. 

Empower Others to Lead from Their Values 

Mentor your team in reflecting on their personal values and encourage them to act from that space. Distributed, values-based leadership creates resilience and engagement. 

The Impact on Your Unit—and Beyond 

When leadership becomes rooted in shared values, the results are powerful: 

• Greater trust across teams 
• Deeper engagement from faculty and staff 
• Stronger alignment with mission and strategic goals 
• A healthier, more inclusive workplace culture 

Values-based leadership transforms institutions not from the top down, but from the inside out. 

Final Thought 

Values-based influence is not about perfection. It is about taking a bold, courageous stand to lead authentically, a commitment to mission and values alignment, and the discipline to act with integrity. In the shifting landscape of higher education that we are experiencing today, the leaders who thrive will be those who inspire not just through ideas, but through who they are. 

Additional Resources 

• Forbes, 5 Attributes (And Benefits) Of Values-Based Leadership 
• SHRM, Values-Based Leadership in Action  
• Peregrine Global, Why Choose Values-Based Leadership 
• One of the best conferences for continued conversation around values-based leadership and strong leadership theory and practice, UPCEA SOLAR  
• UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate in Online and Professional Education 

Vickie Cook is the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Retention Management and a Research Professor of Education at the University of Illinois Springfield, as well as a Strategic Advisor for UPCEA Research and Consulting.  To learn more about UPCEA Research and Consulting, please contact [email protected].