Values – The Foundation of Our Actions

From childhood on, we have a very precise sense of what is important to us and what is worth fighting for. These deeply embedded values can relate, for example, to justice, fairness, honesty, or loyalty – or to recognition, freedom, and tolerance. They function as inner guardrails or principles according to which we align our lives and which guide us like a compass – both in private life and in a professional context. They influence our decisions, priorities, and focus, and significantly shape our development.

But what if there is a difference between our values and reality? Psychology describes this discrepancy as “cognitive dissonance”: the tension that arises when a person is confronted with contradictory cognitions and behaviors (1). Accordingly, we are driven to balance and reduce this tension – by changing behavior, attitudes, or cognitions, as dissonance is difficult for us to endure in the long run.

Values in a Generational Context

Such tension can also arise when there are differences in values within a team or within an organization. Furthermore, expectations and guardrails within generations have shifted over the past decades: Generation Z* (Gen Z, born 1995–2010), for instance, asks much more strongly about purpose (2). According to a 2025 study by Deloitte, these two generations in particular place a high value on purpose: for 89% of Gen Z and 92% of Millennials (also Generation Y, born 1980–1995), purpose in the working environment is important for job satisfaction and personal well-being (3).

Other important values for Gen Z include flexibility, mental health, and a strict work-life balance. Authenticity in leadership, diversity, and a good feedback culture are also important. In contrast, the traditional career ladder seems less attractive: only 6% of Gen Zs stated that their primary goal was to take on a leadership position (fewer than among Millennials). However, this does not mean they lack ambition; on the contrary: growth, learning, and personal development (of competencies and skills) have priority: among the reasons why they chose their employers, growth ranked third behind work-life balance and the opportunity to develop skills that can boost their future careers (70% Gen Z vs. 59% Millennials).

Organizations in the Tension Field of Values

What can organizations and leaders do to support and win over these two generations in particular? According to the Deloitte study, they can score points especially by: offering internal learning opportunities, mentoring, acquiring skills via learning platforms, and external learning offerings (3). Furthermore, they can convince through a cooperative, appreciative leadership style based on purpose, transparency, and flexibility. Giving regular feedback, acting as an equal-level coach, and taking viewpoints seriously can be key elements in leadership. In addition, employers can deliberately provide events for networking and strengthening team spirit (4). The Swiss start-up ZEAM has made it its business model to advise companies on how to position themselves even more attractively for younger employees and involve them more actively.

Values as a Compass for Leadership

What do values mean in an individual context for leaders? They have a direct impact on motivation, collaboration, and decision-making, and significantly shape the leadership style, communication, and culture that leaders create in teams and companies. This is precisely where the MVPI comes in: it shows which work environments motivate people, which framework conditions they prefer, and what drives them. This information serves as an important starting point for personal development, succession planning, employee retention, as well as the fit between corporate culture and individual personality.

Consider this practical example: A leader has altruism as their highest value in the MVPI. They enjoy advising others, supporting them, and contributing to people’s development. However, if they work in an environment where competition, individual achievements, and short-term results are rewarded, this can lead to frustration and a loss of motivation in the long run. With knowledge of a person’s most important values and drivers, development measures can be selected in a targeted manner, framework conditions can be adapted, or the leader can be placed where they can best unfold their potential.

Team Composition and Values

Values also have a major influence on the composition and collaboration of teams. Time and again, in team development workshops, we experience how a shared consensus on values can positively influence performance, success, and resilience. This is also evident in the representation of the Hogan scales in our group reports. Here, acceptance of diversity within the team plays a major role in preventing conflict. The first step, however, is to gain individual strategic self-awareness: What is particularly important to me? What is non-negotiable? Then the next step can follow: How do we, as a team, want to handle discrepancies, where do we complement each other, and which values do we want to stand for together as a team?

How would you ideally assemble a new team?

Sources

1. Definition: kognitive Dissonanz – Lexikon der Psychologie, Hogrefe AG
2. Generation Z am Arbeitsplatz: Werte, Wandel und Erwartungen (Haufe Akademie) 
3. 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey 
4. Generation Z verstehen: Werte, Eigenschaften, Arbeitsmoral 

*Even though current research views the rigid division into generations critically, we align our wording with the terminology of the Deloitte study (3) for the sake of reducing complexity.