The story of Odin in Norse mythology demonstrates the importance of values and the willingness to make sacrifices to uphold them. Odin goes to a Frost Giant who guards the “pool of knowledge” and asks to drink from it. The giant tells him that he will only allow him to drink from the pool if he takes out his own eye. Without hesitation, Odin plucks out his own eye and drinks from the pool, becoming far-sighted and able to see things that others are not able to see. This myth illustrates that Odin values knowledge, and that knowledge is something that is worthy of sacrifice.

Odin surely also values his eyesight and avoiding pain, but his commitment to knowledge was greater. Therefore, he made the difficult decision to sacrifice his eye to uphold his values. It demonstrates that sometimes, to remain true to our values, we need to make sacrifices that might be uncomfortable or painful.

Odin’s story is a powerful reminder that values are not just empty words, but something that requires action and commitment.

Our values guide our actions and the decisions we make. Without values, we would be lost and directionless. In fact, every decision we make is determined by what we value, and our values define who we are and how we navigate in the world.

As leaders, it’s important to have a clear understanding of our values and what we’re willing to sacrifice to uphold them. Values help us to determine what we’re seeking, what to optimize, and what trade-offs we’re willing to make. High performance is first a question of values, because our definition of “high performance” is determined by what we value.

In groups, values are even more critical because people have different values, and what they value determines the way they behave. The different values held by people in a group are both an asset to the group and a challenge for how that group can work together.

While having values written down can be helpful in creating clarity about what we think is important, values are meaningless until they are brought into action in the world. Values live in action, particularly when they are in conflict with other considerations. Understanding an organization’s values requires examining times when they were in conflict and had to make tough decisions – to make sacrifices – to uphold their values.

As leaders, it’s easy to say we have values, but it’s another thing entirely to act on them, particularly when they are in conflict with other considerations. Sacrifices may be uncomfortable or even painful, but they’re necessary, and they serve as a clear demonstration of what we value.