Welcome! This weekly newsletter is for leaders who want to build influence that doesn't depend on authority. Each issue reframes leadership challenges through emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and strengths.

March's theme: Know Yourself First

Issue No. 7 | March 17, 2026 | Dr. Jacqueline Ashley, PCC

Without Your Values, You're Leading Without a Center

Your stated values and your default values aren't always the same ones.

The inner work of emotional self-awareness

FEEL DEEPLY

You're weighing two options. Both make sense on paper. You've made the list. You've asked three people you trust. You still can't move.

The information is all there. What's missing is a center to weigh it against.

Now remember a time a decision came fast. You didn't need the list. Something in you knew before the analysis caught up. That clarity wasn't luck. Your values were clear, and the decision followed.

Your core values are your compass. When calibrated, they tell you what to protect, what to release, and where to invest your limited energy. Some paths become obvious. Others become impossible. When the compass is off, everything carries equal weight. You spin and stall.

This is emotional self-awareness at its deepest layer. What you feel is the starting point. But the force behind the feeling is what changes how you lead. Emotions are signals. Values are where those signals point. You can notice your emotions and still feel directionless if you haven't asked what they're pointing toward.

For leaders who hold marginalized identities, values clarity carries additional weight. The system will assign values to you if you don't claim them: resilient, grateful, team player. Those get handed to you as expectations, not chosen by you as convictions. Knowing your values means knowing which ones are yours.

THINK CRITICALLY

Most leaders can name their values quickly. The words sound right. They feel familiar.

You say you value balance. Your calendar says you value output so relentlessly that rest feels like failure. You say you value honesty. Your last three difficult conversations say you value comfort enough to choose silence over truth. You say you value growth. Your resistance to feedback says you value certainty enough to avoid being wrong.

Think of this as data. Your stated values live in conversations and company bios. Your default values live in your stress responses, your schedule, and what you consistently say yes to without thinking.

That tension is part of being human. Stated values reflect who you want to be. Default values reflect what you’re routinely doing. That gap is where you learn the most about yourself.

What do you protect when something has to give? What do you choose when no one is watching? What shows up in your schedule that never made it onto your values list? Those answers tell you where your compass actually points.

LEAD POWERFULLY

Your values shape how your strengths show up. Here are three of 34 CliftonStrengths:

If Belief is a signature theme, this work will resonate deeply. Your core values are the engine behind your conviction and your consistency. Not every leader gets to hold their values visibly. Some environments reward conformity over conviction. Hold your values with clarity and revisit them with courage as your leadership evolves.

If Self-Assurance drives you, values clarity becomes the foundation of your trust in your own judgment. You stop needing consensus when you know what you stand for. For some leaders, Self-Assurance is read as arrogance before it's recognized as clarity. Your internal compass runs strong. Turn that conviction inward.

If Learner shapes your leadership, values clarity is not a one-time exercise. What mattered to you five years ago may not be what matters now. Some environments punish that shift. Your strength is the willingness to keep discovering. Treat your values as a living document that evolves with you.

The Integration

Start with compassion for the gap. The distance between your stated and default values means you've been navigating on autopilot without checking the direction. That pressure is real. Meet it with honesty.

Challenge the familiar. The values that sound right may be the ones you inherited, the ones that earned approval, or the ones that kept you safe. The values that are yours show up in what you protect when the stakes are real.

This is the deepest layer of knowing yourself. When your compass is calibrated, you stop spinning. Your leadership gains a center you can lead from. Lead from the inside out.

This Week's Momentum

Name one value you say you hold. Now look at your calendar this week. Did your time reflect it?

Face it 'til you ace it—sharing is the practice. Post on LinkedIn.

Take Your Momentum Further

Individual Coaching: You're a senior leader who knows the title isn't enough. A 12-month executive coaching program that builds influence, emotional intelligence, and strategic clarity from the inside out. Commit three months at a time. Apply for coaching.

90-Minute Leadership Intensive: One specific challenge. 90 focused minutes. Walk in stuck. Walk out with a plan. Three options: Emotional Intelligence, Red Team Thinking, or CliftonStrengths. Get details.

Share with Your Organization: Know an organization that needs to develop stronger leaders? Forward this newsletter to the decision-maker. Corporate program details.