Today’s workplace is full of uncertainties and massive changes. AI is looming larger in people’s minds, both as a potential for enhanced productivity and as a usurper for individual jobs. Worldwide economic, environmental, social, and political shifts are changing the way global organizations structure their regional teams. Human-centered leadership is more important than ever. A 2025 McKinsey study found that the following factors can maximize impact in an organization: the integration of wellbeing into leadership development, centralization of management, and the investment in a leadership culture that reflects an organization’s values. Driving productivity is, of course, important, but the data is clear: we need ethical leadership if we want a workplace with positive employee engagement and organizational performance.
What does values-based leadership look like?
Values-based leadership looks like leading from a place of inclusion and intention. In RW3 CultureWizard’s Becoming an Inclusive Leader Course, we define an inclusive leader as someone who inspires employees, builds collaborative teams, creates trusting environments, maximizes contributions, and gives people a sense of belonging.
The Importance of Meaning in the Workplace
Research by the Global Wellness Institute shows that organizations that prioritize well-being for employees report up to 20% higher productivity and reduced absenteeism. In this same study, organizations with a culture of well-being experience 10% higher retention rates. This is due to the fact that those who are supported show greater engagement, loyalty, and inspiration to innovate. Teams look to their leaders to foster psychological safety and to provide a collective sense of purpose in a way that speaks to who the employees are as human beings.
Leaders must communicate and emulate a sense of meaning and purpose in the workplace through their own actions and behaviors. One way to show and not simply talk about meaning in the workplace is to actively invest in research and development that encourages critical thinking and risk-taking. Utilize self-paced learning platforms such as RW3 CultureWizard’s Becoming an Inclusive Leader Course, but also provide opportunities for debriefs, discussions, and team workshops that can dissect how to realistically apply those new skills. Mistakes should be encouraged, and in fact, leaders should especially learn to admit their mistakes as part of this new era of growth and learning. When mistakes are no longer taboo, employees feel safe to grow without fear of judgment or retaliation.
Another way leaders can foster a sense of meaning is to provide opportunities for inclusive decision-making and process changes. Provide a psychologically safe way to give feedback through anonymous surveys or round-table discussions where you are not in the room. Appoint a committee whose responsibility it would be to develop new strategies. Being inclusive of your team members’ perspectives invites a sense of ownership and connection over the work they do.
Perhaps most importantly, values-based leadership should be people-first.
Leading requires you to know what your employees value, what motivates them, what challenges them, and where they can learn and grow. Leadership that places well-being and meaning at the forefront fosters positive working environments where employee engagement and collaboration can thrive. Simply put: when employees feel that their well-being is taken care of and they find their work meaningful, engagement is higher, and retention is lower. Therefore, leaders who strive for productivity must adjust to a values-based leadership style in order to meet the current needs of their team members.
Lead with purpose. Strengthen your value-based leadership skills with RW3’s Becoming an Inclusive Leader course.
