Authentic Leadership Rooted in Values Creates Abundance for All
Recently, I spoke with Jen Coyne, CEO of The Peak Fleet and host of the Authenticity Matters radio show on KXRW in Vancouver, Canada, to explore how thriving as leaders ripples outward into our organizations, communities, and beyond. In a world where complexity and interconnection are our everyday reality, Jen’s insights offer a refreshing reminder: Leadership grounded in authenticity, purpose, and values is leadership that enables everyone to thrive.
What Does It Mean to Thrive?
For Jen, thriving has very little to do with accumulation or traditional markers of success. She defines thriving as”…being able to connect in meaningful ways with other people, creating community… I don’t think that as a human I can thrive unless others thrive—it’s not a zero-sum game.”
Her notion of “right-sized abundance” challenges the common belief that more is automatically better. Real thriving means having enough—enough resources, time, energy, and vitality to live a fulfilling life and sustain a healthy organization while ensuring others have access to the same. This perspective asks us to broaden our view: How is the whole ecosystem doing—not just the individual leader, team, or organization?
Jen names compensation as one example of this broader responsibility. “If your ratio [of CEO to lowest-paid employee pay] is in the triple digits, that is a problem,” she said. As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders who thoughtfully considered their compensation gained trust from employees and customers alike. Addressing systemic issues like pay equity is one on many ways leaders can intentionally build conditions where people can truly thrive together.
At The Heart of Thriving Leadership? Authenticity
Jen describes authenticity as a practice of aligning three key elements:
- Core Values: How you want to act and make decisions
- Skills: The capability you have developed or naturally possess
- Passions: What energizes and inspires you
These elements interact across every area of life: at work, at home, at play, and in how we support our bodies, minds, and relationships. When we examine these areas honestly, we begin to see what we are aligned—and where a shift could bring more meaning, energy, and ease.
Organizations that honor these elements help people bring their whole selves to work. And when people are connected to their values, skills, and passions, they don’t just contribute more effectively. They become catalysts for thriving—uplifting colleagues, communities, and systems far beyond the office walls.
As Jen notes, “Humans thrive in connection.” Authenticity is a doorway to that connection.
Bridging the Values Gap
Jen highlighted an eye-opening statistic: While 90% of organizations have stated values, only 25% of employees feel they can use those values in their daily work. This disconnect is a huge challenge for leaders.
Yet, why does this disconnect show up in organizations?
- The values are performative: The organizational values are defined, but not lived.
- The values are aspirational: The values reflect who an organization hopes to become, not who it is today.
- The values lack operationalization: The values never make it into an organization’s processes, structures, or cultural norms.
Leaders who bridge this gap don’t just talk about values, they embed them. They make the values actionable. They design for coherence, where daily decisions demonstrate what the organization says it stands for.
This isn’t easy work. It’s full of paradoxes. For example, valuing innovation may require designing more space for human ingenuity within the workflow despite organizational pressures for efficiency. Still, when organizations truly embody their values, the effects ripple outward. The value for inclusion in an organization, for instance, can inspire inclusive customer experiences—and even shape industry standards (like ISO 30415) that influence how business is done.
Values as Your Anchor
As our conversation came to a close, Jen offered words I keep returning to:
“In uncertain times, being grounded in your own values—what matters to you, how you want to treat other people, how you want to go about the world—that will always be there for you when everything is changing around you.”
Your values become your compass. They steady you when circumstances shift. They help you respond with clarity instead of reactivity. And they provide you a source of inner stability in an unpredictable world.
This deeply aligns with what we see again and again in our global work at Wisdom Works: Leaders who actively use their values to fuel their capacity to thrive not only elevate how they lead, adapt, and grow, they become a force for thriving in business and society.
When you lead with authenticity and a deep reservoir on inner resources, you create a path for others—employees, colleagues, customers, partners, friends, and family—to do the same. You help people reconnect with their own strength, meaning, and potential. And together, you contribute to a world where thriving is not an exception, but a shared experience.
Want to receive the latest research, practices and insights on thriving directly to your inbox? Subscribe here.
Wisdom Works’ Be Well Lead Well® newsletter features conversations, strategies, and resources to empower a global movement of change leaders committed to a world where everyone thrives. Our deepest gratitude to Jen Coyne, CEO of The Peak Fleet and host of Authenticity Matters, for sharing her wisdom so generously.
Wisdom Works was founded with the belief that wellbeing and wisdom are the foundation of truly effective leadership. Over 25 years, we’ve supported leaders and organizations worldwide in creating cultures where everyone can thrive. If you’d like to explore how these principles could transform your team or organization, please reach out to us via this form.
