Living Your Values Under Pressure

April 6, 2026

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write back. I love conversations. This is Weekly Spark #45.

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Last week, I stood on stage at the National HR Summit in Sydney.

The room was filled with leaders. Smart people. Experienced people. People who genuinely care about culture, performance, and building great teams.

And I asked them a simple question.

Do values disappear under pressure… or do they reveal who you truly are?

Because here’s what I have seen again and again… When things are calm, we all speak beautifully about values. Integrity. Empathy. Excellence. Ownership. Trust.

But when pressure hits… shit hits the roof!

Deadlines tighten, targets are missed, the board is asking questions, and the team is stretched. And in that moment, values are no longer words. They become behaviour.

Pressure does not break culture. Pressure reveals identity.

It shows us who we actually are. Not who we say we are. Not what is written on the wall.

But how we act when it truly matters.

Do we become calm and courageous… or controlling and reactive? Do we create space for truth… or shut conversations down? Do we build trust… or protect our image? This is the identity gap. The gap between the values we claim… and the behaviour we display.

And the cost of that gap is massive.

Look around any organisation today.

• Burnout is rising.

• Engagement is low.

• People are quietly checking out.

• Feedback is delayed.

• Conversations are avoided.

Despite all the leadership programs, workshops, and values statements… the lived experience of work is still broken but before we point fingers at organisations, let’s pause.

Because this is not just about “leaders out there.”

This is about you.

Who do you become when pressure rises?

When you are stressed, when something important is at stake, and when things don’t go your way. Do your values show up… or do they disappear?

This is uncomfortable work. Because it requires honesty.

It requires you to look at moments where you said you value trust… but chose control.

Where you said you value empathy… but chose speed.

Where you said you value excellence… but settled for convenience.

So how do you close this gap?

Let me leave you with one place to begin. Start with awareness. Nothing changes until you see clearly.

Ask yourself a simple but uncomfortable question. What are the values you say you live by, and where in the last week did your behaviour not match them? Do not justify or explain. Just notice the gap.

Then extend this to your organisation. What values does your organisation talk about, and what do people actually experience every day? Are people safe to speak, or do they stay silent? Is trust built, or quietly broken?

Culture is not what is written. Culture is what is tolerated under pressure.

And the work does not start with the organisation. It starts with you because once you see the gap, you cannot unsee it.

So here is the question to sit with this week: Where is the gap between what you say you value and how you actually show up when it matters most?