Actions Speak Louder Than Words
This past week, I noticed the power of working for a company with similar values to your own. In my experience, leaders are more likely to emerge in environments where their personal values align with those of the larger group, meaning establishing a set of core values is fundamental not only for group dynamics, but also for leaders. At AlphaSights, I have recognized several distinctive values: authenticity, ambition, empathy, trust, kindness, and patience. Recognizing and honing these values allows me to connect on a deeper level with the company, demonstrate leadership potential, and understand which qualities the company admires in both formal and informal leaders.
My team at AlphaSights recently welcomed two new hires, and seeing how my team’s associates, Manager, VP use values to teach and work with the new hires demonstrates the power of values in leadership and in life. The new hires graduated from college in May, and through interacting with them during their first few days I could tell they were nervous about starting this new chapter in their lives and they had a lot of questions about the company, their longer-term career plans, and living in New York. While some types of workplaces (i.e: law firms and banking) tend to be known for their strict and highly formal environments or establish values without acting on them, my team reassured the new joiners through being patient, authentically engaged in their onboarding experience, empathetic with their current situation in life, and kind to them as they begin to establish their role on our team and within AlphaSights.
What makes AlphaSights’ values special is that no individual needs to remind you to be kind or patient with others; the culture itself is geared toward assuming good intent from all employees and aiming to help everyone develop, both professionally and personally, through feedback and working on a team. The values are embedded into how individuals interact with one another, which helps new joiners easily immerse themselves in AlphaSights’ culture and understand the company values from day one. If anything, some people may not even realize they are being exceptionally empathetic or authentic with others because it is the company’s norm; it is more obvious if someone is short with you or seems disinterested in your work.
Having a strong set of positive values not only helps new joiners feel welcome and confident in their decision to work for AlphaSights, but it also translates to how the company works with clients. A uniform value of ambition means employees work their hardest everyday to deliver the best quality services to clients. Similarly, values of kindness, empathy, and patience shape how AlphaSights interacts with clients; we are friendly and personable, in tune with others’ emotions and needs, and understanding of different deadlines and circumstances which drive client behavior.
Not only do values benefit the company internally with new hires and overall company morale, but they also set us apart from competitors. As an emerging leader, understanding the power of actions and values helps me recognize which values are important to me and which qualities I will seek when searching for a full time position and during my career. Noticing how my team welcomed the new hires helped our company’s attitudes and ideals come full circle to recognize which values we truly embody and how to uphold a values-based leadership style moving forward.