1) Integrity
What it means: Tell the truth, keep promises, align words with actions.
In practice:
- Say “I was wrong” when you are, then fix it.
- Decline opportunities that require hiding key facts.
- Document decisions so your reasoning is visible later.
2) Responsibility
What it means: Own outcomes, not just intentions.
In practice:
- If you miss a result, explain why, outline the recovery plan, and set a new deadline.
- Leave places, projects, and people a bit better than you found them.
- Track commitments in one system so nothing slips.
3) Respect
What it means: Treat people as ends in themselves, not tools.
In practice:
- Be on time. If you will be late, notify early.
- Listen to understand before you argue. Paraphrase their point first.
- Give feedback privately, praise publicly.
4) Courage
What it means: Do the right thing despite fear or discomfort.
In practice:
- Speak up about risks when everyone else is silent.
- Try new approaches and accept small, smart failures.
- Ask for help early instead of hiding a problem.
5) Humility
What it means: Seek truth over ego.
In practice:
- Say “I do not know, but I will find out.”
- Invite critique on your plan before you commit.
- Share credit, take blame.
6) Discipline
What it means: Do the necessary work consistently.
In practice:
- Set daily blocks for deep work and guard them.
- Create checklists for recurring tasks.
- Finish the last 10 percent that most people skip: testing, proofreading, documentation.
7) Curiosity
What it means: Keep learning and refining your mental models.
In practice:
- Ask at least one good question in every meeting.
- Read across domains and connect ideas back to your work.
- Run small experiments instead of arguing hypotheticals.
8) Generosity
What it means: Contribute more than you must.
In practice:
- Share templates, notes, and lessons learned.
- Mentor someone one step behind you.
- Assume positive intent until proven otherwise.
9) Fairness
What it means: Apply the same rules for you and for others.
In practice:
- Use clear criteria for decisions and hiring.
- Separate performance feedback from personal liking.
- When you benefit from a mistake, correct it.
10) Perseverance
What it means: Stay the course through setbacks.
In practice:
- Track leading indicators so you see progress early.
- Review what worked each week and adjust instead of quitting.
- Celebrate small wins to maintain momentum.
How These Values Shape Daily Choices
Decision making
- Default to transparency: Share context, constraints, and tradeoffs.
- Choose long term over short term: Prefer durable trust and skills over quick gains.
- Run pre-mortems: Ask “How could this fail” and plan mitigations.
Communication
- Be clear and brief: Start with the point, then the reasons.
- Confirm agreements in writing: Send a one paragraph recap after calls.
- Respond with next steps: Every message ends with who, what, when.
Time and focus
- Plan tomorrow today: List the top three outcomes for the next day.
- Protect deep work: Silence notifications during focus blocks.
- Batch the shallow work: Email, admin, and quick tasks in set windows.
Money and resources
- Value return on effort: Ask if the task advances the mission.
- Buy once, cry once: Choose quality tools that last.
- Track costs openly: Visibility prevents waste and surprises.
Relationships
- Practice candid kindness: Be honest without being harsh.
- Repair quickly: If tension appears, address it within 24 hours.
- Keep boundaries: Say no to protect your best yes.
Red Flags That You Are Off Track
- You hide status updates or delay them until you have good news.
- You say yes out of fear, then resent the work.
- You skip retrospectives and repeat the same mistakes.
- You blame circumstances rather than adjusting your plan.
- You treat feedback as attack instead of data.
Simple Habits That Build These Values
- Morning alignment: Write the top three outcomes and why they matter.
- End-of-day review: What moved the needle, what did not, what to change tomorrow.
- Weekly integrity check: Review promises made, promises kept, and gaps.
- Learning loop: Capture one lesson and one playbook item each week.
- Generosity quota: One helpful act each day with no expectation of return.
A Compact Operating Code You Can Use Today
- Tell the truth.
- Keep your promises or renegotiate them early.
- Be on time and prepared.
- Do first things first, deeply and without distraction.
- Ask good questions and listen fully.
- Share credit, own mistakes, fix fast.
- Write things down so others can rely on you.
- Choose the long term even when the short term tempts you.
- Treat everyone with respect, including yourself.
- Improve one small thing every day.
Live this code and your values stop being slogans. They become visible results that people can feel, measure, and trust.
