Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and author, developed the Values Exercise to help individuals identify and align their core values with actionable behaviors, fostering authenticity and wholeheartedness.
Who is Brené Brown?
Brené Brown is a renowned research professor, author, and popular TED Talk speaker known for her groundbreaking work on vulnerability, shame, and human connection. Her TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, has garnered over 30 million views, making it one of the most-watched talks in history. Brown’s research has transformed the way people understand courage, empathy, and wholehearted living. She is also the CEO of The Daring Way, an organization that trains leaders and individuals in her research-based methods. Brown has authored several best-selling books, including Dare to Lead and The Gifts of Imperfection, which emphasize the importance of living with authenticity and aligning actions with core values. Her work has deeply influenced personal development, leadership, and organizational culture, making her a trusted voice in modern psychology and professional growth.
The Importance of Values in Personal and Professional Growth
Values serve as the foundation for guiding decisions, behaviors, and goals, playing a pivotal role in both personal and professional growth. According to Brené Brown, clarity around core values is essential for living and leading with authenticity. When individuals align their actions with their values, they cultivate a sense of purpose and integrity, which fosters resilience and fulfillment. In professional settings, shared values promote collaboration, trust, and accountability among teams. By identifying and prioritizing values, individuals can navigate challenges more effectively and make decisions that resonate with their true selves. Brown’s work emphasizes that values are not static but evolve over time, requiring ongoing reflection and commitment. Defining personal and professional values is a cornerstone of her research, enabling individuals to lead wholehearted, meaningful lives and create impactful organizations.
Overview of the Brené Brown Values Exercise
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a structured process designed to help individuals and teams identify, clarify, and align their core values with actionable behaviors. The exercise, detailed in her book Dare to Lead, consists of two main parts: Values Clarification and Taking Values from BS to Behavior. It begins with participants circling values from a provided list and narrowing them down to their top five. These values are then defined personally and translated into specific behaviors that demonstrate them. The exercise also includes a worksheet to document these insights, ensuring accountability and application. Brown emphasizes that living by these values fosters vulnerability, authenticity, and wholeheartedness, both personally and professionally. This practice is widely used in leadership development and personal growth, helping individuals and teams create a culture of alignment and purpose.
Understanding the Brené Brown Values Exercise
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a popular tool for self-discovery and leadership, helping individuals identify and translate core values into actionable behaviors, guided by her PDF worksheet.
What is the Brené Brown Values Exercise?
The Brené Brown Values Exercise is a transformative tool designed to help individuals and teams clarify and align their core values with actionable behaviors. Rooted in Brown’s research on vulnerability, courage, and wholeheartedness, the exercise provides a structured process for identifying personal and professional values. It consists of two main parts: Values Clarification, where participants identify their core values, and Taking Values from BS to Behavior, which focuses on defining how these values translate into specific actions. The exercise is often completed using a downloadable PDF worksheet, which guides users through reflective prompts and exercises. By connecting values to behaviors, the exercise fosters authenticity, accountability, and purposeful decision-making. It is particularly popular among leaders and individuals seeking to live and work with greater intention and alignment. The exercise is widely praised for its practicality and depth, making it a cornerstone of Brown’s teachings on personal and professional growth.
Why is the Exercise Important?
The Brené Brown Values Exercise is important because it bridges the gap between identifying core values and translating them into actionable behaviors. By clarifying and prioritizing values, individuals and teams can align their actions with what truly matters, fostering authenticity and integrity. This alignment enhances decision-making, accountability, and purposeful living. The exercise also promotes self-awareness, helping individuals recognize how their values shape their choices and interactions. In professional settings, it cultivates a culture of trust and collaboration, as shared values become the foundation for leadership and teamwork. By emphasizing the connection between values and behaviors, the exercise encourages individuals to live and lead with intention, creating a meaningful and impactful life. Brené Brown’s approach is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced world, where clarity of purpose is essential for navigating challenges and achieving fulfillment.
Key Principles of the Exercise
The Brené Brown Values Exercise is rooted in several key principles that ensure its effectiveness. First, it emphasizes the importance of clarity and specificity in identifying core values, moving beyond vague concepts to actionable definitions. Second, the exercise focuses on behavioral alignment, linking values to observable actions that reflect them in daily life. Third, it encourages self-reflection and accountability, prompting individuals to examine how their values influence decisions and relationships. Fourth, the process incorporates vulnerability and honesty, allowing participants to openly confront gaps between their stated values and actual behaviors. Finally, the exercise promotes intentional living, helping individuals and teams align their actions with what they value most. These principles create a powerful framework for personal and professional growth, fostering authenticity and meaningful impact.
Step-by-Step Guide to the Brené Brown Values Exercise
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise guides individuals through clarifying core values, translating them into behaviors, and aligning actions with personal and professional goals for authentic living and meaningful impact.
Exercise 1: Values Clarification
Exercise 1 in Brené Brown’s Values Exercise focuses on identifying core values by circling words that resonate personally. Participants review a list of values, selecting those that align with their beliefs and aspirations. Next, they narrow it down to their top five values, ensuring these reflect their authentic selves. The exercise then prompts individuals to define each chosen value in their own words, explaining what it means to them. This step encourages introspection and clarity. Finally, participants are asked to identify specific behaviors that support these values and the people who embody them. This foundational step helps individuals connect their values to actionable practices, creating a clear roadmap for aligning their actions with their core beliefs. The goal is to move beyond theoretical values to practical, lived behaviors that guide decision-making and foster integrity.
Exercise 2: Taking Values from BS to Behavior
Exercise 2 shifts the focus from theoretical values to actionable behaviors, ensuring that values are lived, not just listed. Participants are asked to take each of their top five values and define them operationally, specifying what each value looks like in practice. For example, if a value is “honesty,” they must describe how it manifests in their daily actions, such as speaking truthfully or being transparent in relationships. This step moves beyond vague intentions, requiring individuals to identify specific behaviors that align with their values. Additionally, participants are prompted to list the people in their lives who embody these behaviors, creating accountability and inspiration. The goal is to bridge the gap between aspirational values and concrete actions, ensuring that values are not just ideals but guiding principles for daily life. This exercise helps individuals move from “BS” (buzzwords) to authentic, behavior-driven values that shape their decisions and interactions.
How to Complete the Values Worksheet
Completing the Brené Brown Values Worksheet involves a structured process to identify and define personal values. First, participants are instructed to circle the values that resonate most with them from a provided list. Next, they highlight their top five values, ensuring these are the ones they prioritize. Each selected value must be defined in their own words, explaining what it personally means to them. Participants are then asked to list specific behaviors that support and protect these values, making them actionable. Additionally, they identify individuals in their lives who embody these values, fostering accountability and inspiration. Finally, they reflect on how these values will guide their decisions and actions moving forward. This step-by-step approach ensures that the exercise is both meaningful and practical, translating values from abstract concepts into lived experiences.
Core Values Identified by Brené Brown
Brené Brown identifies core values such as diversity, environment, efficiency, equality, ethics, excellence, fairness, faith, family, financial stability, forgiveness, freedom, friendship, and more as essential life guiding principles.
Common Values People Identify
Through her research and the values exercise, Brené Brown has found that people commonly identify values such as diversity, environment, efficiency, equality, ethics, excellence, fairness, faith, family, financial stability, forgiveness, freedom, and friendship. These values often reflect what individuals prioritize in their personal and professional lives. Many also highlight well-being, wisdom, wholeheartedness, and vulnerability as core principles that guide their actions and decisions. Brown emphasizes that these values are not static but evolve as individuals grow and navigate life’s challenges. By identifying and clarifying these values, people can better align their behaviors with what truly matters to them, fostering authenticity and purpose. The values exercise provides a structured way to uncover and define these principles, helping individuals and teams live more intentionally and meaningfully.
How to Define Your Personal Values
Defining your personal values involves a thoughtful process to identify and articulate what matters most to you, guiding your actions and decisions. Start by reflecting on past experiences where you felt fulfilled or upset, as these can reveal underlying values. Review a list of common values provided in Brené Brown’s exercise, such as family, honesty, or creativity, and circle those that resonate with you.
Narrow your selection to your top five values, prioritizing those that align with your long-term goals and aspirations. Define each value personally, writing down what it means to you in your own words. For example, if “integrity” is a value, describe how you plan to embody it in your life.
Identify specific behaviors that support each value, such as setting aside time for creative activities if “creativity” is a priority. Additionally, list individuals who support these values and how they influence you. Finally, commit to living these values daily, possibly through a personal statement or plan to integrate them into your routine.
This process helps you move beyond abstract concepts to intentional living, ensuring your actions align with your core principles. Regular reflection and refinement allow your values to evolve as you grow.
Behavioral Anchors for Each Value
Behavioral anchors are specific actions or practices that bring your values to life, ensuring they are actionable and observable in your daily life. Brené Brown emphasizes that values must be more than abstract ideals; they require concrete behaviors to guide decisions and interactions. For each value you identify, define what it looks like in practice.
- For example, if “integrity” is a core value, a behavioral anchor might be “speaking truthfully even in challenging situations.”
- If “connection” is a value, an anchor could be “scheduling regular check-ins with loved ones;”
These anchors create clarity and accountability, helping you align your actions with your values. Regularly reflecting on how well you embody these behaviors ensures growth and alignment with your true self. By defining behavioral anchors, you transform values into a living, breathing guide for wholehearted living.
The Role of Vulnerability in the Values Exercise
Vulnerability is central to Brené Brown’s approach, as it fosters authenticity and connection, allowing individuals to openly explore and align their values with true self-expression and courage.
Link Between Vulnerability and Wholeheartedness
Brené Brown’s work underscores the profound connection between vulnerability and wholeheartedness, where embracing vulnerability allows individuals to live authentically, fostering courage, empathy, and meaningful connections. Vulnerability, often misunderstood as weakness, is instead a courageous act that enables people to align their actions with their values, leading to a more wholehearted life. Brown argues that wholeheartedness is only possible when individuals are willing to be vulnerable, letting go of fear and perfectionism. This link is central to her values exercise, as it encourages participants to openly explore their core beliefs and behaviors without shame or judgment. By embracing vulnerability, individuals can embody their values fully, creating a life of purpose and resilience. This interplay between vulnerability and wholeheartedness is a cornerstone of Brown’s research and teachings, offering a transformative path to personal and professional growth.
How Vulnerability Shapes Your Value System
Brené Brown’s research reveals that vulnerability is a catalyst for defining and living by your core values. When individuals embrace vulnerability, they gain clarity on what truly matters to them, allowing their values to emerge authentically. Vulnerability fosters honesty and self-reflection, which are essential for identifying and prioritizing personal and professional values. By acknowledging and working through fears, imperfections, and uncertainties, individuals can align their actions more closely with their values. This process strengthens integrity and resilience, enabling them to embody their values wholeheartedly. Brown’s values exercise encourages participants to engage in vulnerable self-examination, ensuring their values are not just theoretical but deeply personal and actionable. Through this vulnerability, individuals can redefine their value systems, creating a foundation for meaningful and purpose-driven lives.
Practical Applications of the Brené Brown Values Exercise
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise offers practical tools for personal growth, team alignment, and leadership development, helping individuals and organizations make values-driven decisions and foster authenticity in their actions.
Using the Values Exercise in Personal Development
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a powerful tool for personal development, helping individuals identify and align their core values with actionable behaviors. By completing the worksheet, users gain clarity on what matters most to them, enabling intentional decision-making and authenticity in daily life. The exercise encourages self-reflection, guiding users to define their values personally and translate them into observable actions. This process fosters accountability and helps individuals live in alignment with their beliefs, leading to a more wholehearted and fulfilling life. The PDF worksheet provides a structured approach, making it accessible for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of personal values and how they shape behavior. Ultimately, the exercise empowers individuals to embrace vulnerability and cultivate meaningful connections, both with themselves and others.
Applying the Exercise in Team and Leadership Settings
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a transformative tool for teams and leaders, fostering alignment and accountability. By clarifying shared values, teams can create a unified vision and culture. Leaders can use the worksheet to guide discussions, helping teams define their core values and translate them into actionable behaviors. This process strengthens trust, collaboration, and accountability. In leadership settings, the exercise encourages vulnerability and empathy, essential for building resilient teams. It also helps leaders model behaviors that align with team values, fostering a culture of integrity. The exercise is particularly effective in remote and hybrid teams, as it provides a structured way to connect and align on shared principles. By integrating this practice, leaders can cultivate a more cohesive and purpose-driven team environment, driving both personal and organizational success.
Case Studies of the Exercise in Action
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise has been successfully implemented in various organizational settings, demonstrating its impact on team dynamics and leadership. For instance, Brown shares a case study where a co-CEO of an organization used the two-word exercise to gauge team emotions, fostering vulnerability and connection. Another example involves Brown’s own team, where a pre-meeting values clarification exercise enhanced collaboration and alignment. These case studies highlight how the exercise bridges the gap between personal and professional values, leading to improved communication and accountability. By applying the exercise, teams have reported increased trust, clearer decision-making, and a stronger sense of shared purpose. These real-world applications underscore the exercise’s effectiveness in transforming workplace cultures and nurturing wholehearted leadership practices. The outcomes often include enhanced employee engagement, reduced conflict, and a more aligned, values-driven organization.
Accessing the Brené Brown Values Exercise PDF
The official Brené Brown Values Exercise PDF is available on her website, www.brenebrown.com, along with additional resources and guides for personal and professional development.
Where to Find the Official Brené Brown Values Worksheet
The official Brené Brown Values Worksheet is available on her website, www.brenebrown.com, as part of her resources for personal and professional growth. It is provided as a downloadable PDF, allowing individuals to complete the exercises outlined in her work. The worksheet is specifically designed to guide users through identifying their core values and translating them into actionable behaviors. It is free to access and is often accompanied by additional guides and materials to enhance the experience. Brené Brown’s team ensures that these resources are easily accessible to support individuals and teams in their journey toward wholehearted living and leadership. Visit her website to download the PDF and start your values clarification process today.
Additional Resources and Guides
Beyond the official Brené Brown Values Worksheet, numerous resources are available to deepen your understanding and application of the exercise. Brené Brown’s books, such as Dare to Lead and The Gifts of Imperfection, provide extensive insights into living wholeheartedly and aligning actions with values. Her TED Talks, including The Power of Vulnerability, offer complementary perspectives on courage and authenticity. The official Brené Brown website also features blog posts, videos, and podcasts that explore values-based living. Additionally, The Daring Way website offers workshops and certified facilitators to guide individuals and teams through the exercise. For further learning, universities and online platforms like Coursera host courses based on Brown’s research. Lastly, Brené Brown’s podcast, Unlocking Us, often discusses practical applications of her values work, making it a valuable supplement to the worksheet.
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise offers a transformative path to self-discovery and wholehearted living, empowering individuals to align their actions with core values for meaningful personal and professional growth.
Final Thoughts on the Brené Brown Values Exercise
Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a powerful tool for self-discovery and growth, helping individuals align their actions with their core beliefs. By identifying and defining personal values, participants gain clarity and purpose, fostering authenticity and resilience. The exercise emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and wholeheartedness, encouraging individuals to embrace their true selves and live with intention. Through practical steps like values clarification and behavioral anchors, the exercise provides a clear path to meaningful change. It is a transformative experience that resonates in both personal and professional spheres, offering a roadmap to living a values-driven life. Brené Brown’s work continues to inspire millions, making her Values Exercise an essential resource for anyone seeking deeper fulfillment and connection.
Encouragement to Embrace the Process
Embracing Brené Brown’s Values Exercise is a courageous step toward living a more authentic and wholehearted life. While the process may feel challenging at times, it is deeply transformative, helping you align your actions with your core beliefs. Brené Brown’s work reminds us that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength, and this exercise is no exception. By committing to this journey, you open yourself to greater self-awareness, clarity, and purpose. It’s okay to take your time and be patient with yourself as you navigate your values. Remember, this is not about perfection but about progress. Brené Brown’s guidance offers a safe and supportive framework to explore your values, ensuring that you emerge with a clearer sense of who you are and how you want to show up in the world. Embrace the process with curiosity and kindness—it’s worth it.