Ep. 105 Gary Gregory, Author
/Show Notes Summary
I've spent years studying, exploring and working with core values, and the more time I spend with the subject, the more I appreciate the perspectives that emerge when we create space for thoughtful conversation.
In this episode, Gary Gregory joins me for a wide-ranging discussion about values—how we understand them, how they move beyond words, and how they ultimately show up in our lives, our leadership and our organizations.
We explore the difference between simply stating values and actually embedding them into behavior. What happens when values exist on a website or a wall but aren't reflected in the everyday experience of the people inside an organization? And what role do our individual values play alongside the values of the organizations we choose to join?
We also explore the changing nature of work. As technology and AI assume more routine tasks, the human side of organizations may become increasingly important: relationships, judgment, development, leadership and the ability to bring something uniquely human to the work. And that raises another important question—are organizations continuing to develop the people who will become their next generation of leaders?
Eventually, the conversation becomes more personal as we talk about family, the people who influence us, responsibility, guardrails and legacy. Gary describes wanting his children to build upon what came before them—so that his “ceiling becomes their floor.”
We cover a lot of ground, and we don't approach every idea from exactly the same place. That's one of the things I value about conversations like this.
Different perspectives don't have to become debates. When they're met with curiosity, openness and mutual respect, they can create room for richer questions—and perhaps a deeper understanding of something as fundamental as the values that influence how we live and lead.
In this episode, we explore:
Moving values beyond words and into behavior
Personal values and organizational values
The relationship between individual identity and organizational culture
Why organizations need individuality as well as alignment
The human side of leadership and work
AI and the changing workplace
Developing the next generation of organizational talent
Building and maintaining a leadership bench
Reflection, awareness and intentional behavior
Values as guardrails—and whether boundaries can actually create freedom
The influence of family and the people around us
Responsibility and legacy
The value of bringing different perspectives into the same conversation