The Eight Virtues of Clear and Open
“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”
–Confucius
Written company values are good, but not enough. Your challenge as a leader is to inspire people to embody the company values for themselves, not for the company. Most values are vaguely written and rarely referenced. To engage your people, you must make the values of your business an ongoing conversation in clear, practical, and personal ways.
Based on the ancient code of the samurai, and updated for modern business, these are the fundamental values of Clear and Open. They are summarized here as universal company values and virtues that members learn to embody in the Clear and Open Dojo.
Right Action
You clarify your aspirations and walk a straight, narrow, and just path toward them. You demonstrate justice, honesty, fairness, moral coherence, and mindfulness.
Courage
You feel the discomfort or fear and take action regardless. You embrace risk-taking, vulnerability, strength, passion, heart, heroism, and perseverance.
Compassion
You meet people where they are with an open heart. You show benevolence, kindness, understanding, love, unity, empathy, and care.
Respect
This means you regard all of your experience first with humility and appreciation. You practice reverence, gratitude, politeness, consideration, and attention.
Truth
You accept and abide with what is, especially when it’s not what you want. You embrace realness, transparency, critical thinking, authenticity, wisdom, and honesty.
Honor
You connect with and come from your unalterable core goodness and worth. You exhibit integrity, confidence, responsibility, self-authority, and word-keeping.
Excellence
You hold yourself to the highest standards, as your work is an expression of you. You uphold responsiveness, follow-through, competence, greatness, and virtue.
Self-Management
You craft yourself into the truest sense of who you are. You practice introspection, engagement, discipline, awareness, and self-regulation.
