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Leading with Corporate Values
March 15th, 2012
by Bill Boyajian

These are the principles that characterize your firm or organization. They are the essence of the organization – the foundational underpinning of your leadership — where your non-negotiables exist. They represent the difference between absolute and compromise in your life and in your firm or organization. They set a tone and standard for leadership and help define your corporate culture. Ultimately, they reflect your character. As a leader, you are the creator and keeper of these values.

When I was president of GIA, we crafted the following seven values that embodied almost everything we did:

• Independence and Integrity

• People are Our Priority

• Service- minded Leadership

• Vision-focused, Mission-driven

• A Global Perspective

• Dynamic Leadership in Our Field

• Helping People Achieve

I continuously referred to this collection of visions and values in both written and verbal communications. They were guiding principles in our Strategic Plan and in virtually every Annual Operating Plan. And I referred to most of them in my “State of the Institute” presentations to our board of governors, our staff, and our various constituencies.

Why was this important? It held me accountable to the vision and the values we set for our organization. And it held us accountable to our students, our clients, the industry, and the public we served. Values are key to your leadership. Write them out, share them with your team, and remain true to them in your projects, programs, and policies.



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–Charles Denaburg,
Managing Partner,
Levy’s Fine Jewelry
Birmingham, AL

"Our family needed some guidance on business transition and succession planning. We asked Bill Boyajian to help us because we knew we could trust him to tell us what we needed to hear. Bill became a valuable resource for our company and our entire family. He has the ability to meet each of us where we’re at and it has served us very well."

–Ceylon Leitzel
Leitzel Fine Jewelry
Hershey & Myerstown, PA

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–Ernie & Debbie Cummings
Kizer-Cummings Jewelers
Lawrence, KS