core values innovative entrepreneurship

How to Find Your Core Values

Core values are the things that are really important to you. They are the things that matter most to you.

Think about what makes you happy and what you think is right. To determine your personal values ask yourself what you believe in and what you care about.

To determine your company culture and define how you wish people to act in the workplace you need to know the company values.

In this guide to finding your core values, complete the activity to find your set of values.

List of Core Values

Which of these values are the most important and relevant to you?

  1. Money
  2. Minimalism
  3. Accountability
  4. Professionalism
  5. Control
  6. Rationality
  7. Efficiency
  8. Structure
  9. Decisiveness

11 Justice
12 Self-Reliance
13 Respect
14 Leadership
15 Patriotism
16 Growth
17 Success
18 Competitiveness
19 Determination

21 Honesty
22 Trustworthiness
23 Loyalty
24 Reliability
25 Calmness
26 Mastery
27 Knowledge
28 Excellence
29 Health

31 Global view
32 Communication
33 Collaboration
34 Teamwork
35 Community
36 Family
37 Friendship
38 Simplicity
39 Ambition

41 Passion
42 Fun
43 Freedom
44 Beauty
45 Creativity
46 Challenge
47 Risk-taking
48 Curiosity
49 Adventurousness

51 Generosity
52 Love
53 Happiness
54 Empathy
55 Equality
56 Faith
57 Spirituality
58 Fairness
59 Diversity

instructions

  • look at the lists of core values
  • choose your top 6 values (from all the lists)
  • write down the code number of your 6 core values
  • enter the codes of your 6 core values into the Excel spreadsheet

Core Value Meanings

  • Money – money is a main reason and motivation why you do your work
  • Minimalism: Keeping things simple and not having too much stuff.
  • Accountability: Taking responsibility for your actions and doing what you say you will do
  • Professionalism: Acting in a way that is appropriate for work
  • Control: Being in charge or managing things well
  • Rationality: Making decisions based on reason and logic, not just feelings
  • Efficiency: Doing things quickly and without wasting time or energy
  • Structure: Organizing things in a clear and orderly way
  • Decisiveness: Making choices quickly and with confidence
  • Justice: Treating everyone fairly and making sure people are treated right
  • Self-Reliance: Being able to do things on your own without always needing help
  • Respect: Treating others the way you want to be treated
  • Leadership: Showing others the way and helping them do their best
  • Patriotism: Loving and supporting your country
  • Growth: Getting better and improving over time
  • Success: Achieving your goals and doing well in what you try
  • Competitiveness: Wanting to do your best and be better than others
  • Determination: Not giving up easily and working hard to reach your goals
  • Honesty: Always telling the truth and not lying
  • Trustworthiness: Being someone others can rely on and trust
  • Loyalty: Sticking by someone or something, even when it’s tough
  • Reliability: Doing what you say you will do and being dependable
  • Calmness: Staying relaxed and not getting too upset
  • Mastery: Becoming really good at something through practice
  • Knowledge: Knowing things and being smart about different topics
  • Excellence: Doing your best and reaching a high standard
  • Health: Taking care of your body and staying well
  • Global View: Thinking about the whole world and understanding different cultures
  • Communication: Sharing thoughts and ideas with others, talking and listening
  • Collaboration: Working together with others to achieve a common goal
  • Teamwork: Everyone in a group helping each other to succeed
  • Community: Helping and contributing in an area for the benefit of all
  • Family: Putting the needs of he people you are related to first
  • Friendship: Caring about and enjoying spending time with others
  • Simplicity: Keeping things easy and not making them too complicated
  • Ambition: Having big goals and working hard to achieve them
  • Passion: Really loving and enjoying what you do
  • Fun: Doing things that make you happy and bring joy
  • Freedom: Being able to do what you want and make your own choices
  • Beauty: Finding things nice to look at or pleasing
  • Creativity: Using your imagination to make or think of new things
  • Challenge: Getting reward for trying something difficult
  • Risk-taking: Trying something even if it might be a little bit dangerous.
  • Curiosity: Wanting to learn and know more about things
  • Adventurousness: Being open to trying new and exciting things
  • Generosity: Sharing what you have with others and being kind
  • Love: Caring about people and things very deeply
  • Happiness: Feeling good and positive about life
  • Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others
  • Equality: Treating everyone the same and giving fair opportunities
  • Faith: Believing in something even if you can’t see it
  • Spirituality: Feeling connected to something bigger than yourself
  • Fairness: Making sure everyone is treated right
  • Diversity: Having many different kinds of people and things

NEED MORE VOCABULARY HELP? try this: Help with English business expressions for students

How to write a business strategic plan

Follow the stages in the business strategic pyramid to create, implement and achieve your mission. Good luck!

business strategy pyramid

benefits of knowing your values

  • Understanding your core values help understand what type of person that you are.

    • Clarity: It helps clarify your priorities and what you value most in life.
    • Goals: Helps to make choices and set aligned with your values.
    • Empowerment: Recognizing values can empower students to assert themselves and stand up for what they believe in.
    • Self-Awareness: It encourages you to think deeply about what truly matters to you, enhancing your self-awareness and advancing personal growth.
    • Improved Well-Being: Those who live by their core values often experience greater life satisfaction and overall well-being, as making decisions and living in line with one’s values can reduce stress and inner conflict. This can lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

how can core values help you as an entrepreneur?

  • Direction: What is really important to you? Your business should be about something you really like and care about.
  • Future: Think about what you want your business to be like in the future.
  • Decisions: When you need to make decisions for your business, think about your core beliefs and values to help you make the right choices.
  • Personal: Make your business like you, make it unique and different from others. This will make people like your business more.
  • Strength: Remember what you believe in so you don’t give up and you can keep going.
  • Belong: Work with people like you that believe in the same things you do.
  • Best version of you: Be kind and helpful. Let things you create and do be good for people and the world.