Greggs’ CEO Roisin Currie talks about her own values and those of the business. How did they come to be, how do they come to life – and how do they underpin the phenomenal growth of this British High Street hero?

<p>The post 13: Roisin Currie: values-on-the-go first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

Jingye, which has direct links to the Chinese Communist Party, bought British Steel from the UK government’s insolvency service in 2020. One of their first moves was to cover the steelworks with corporate slogans, motivational mantras and brightly illustrated murals – flowers and all.

This approach is commonplace in Chinese state-owned and influenced enterprises, where business is seen as an extension of government, and values are handed down as instruments of control. In such a system, compliance is king and expression is limited to what aligns with the official line.

But Scunthorpe isn’t Shenzhen. In the UK, our working culture – for all its flaws – is built on a deeper expectation of autonomy, voice and mutual respect. When the slogans went up, the response from the steelworkers was sceptical. Let’s just say that the flowers didn’t bloom.

Because in cultures of trust, values are less about unity of messaging and more about unity of meaning. They are discovered, debated and put to work.

And that’s the real difference. Slogans demand silence. Values invite dialogue. Is your culture built for obedience or belief?

<p>The post Slogans, steelworks and scepticism first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

It was an experiment without agenda, built on a shared curiosity about what happens when you bring together people who live and lead through values.

Around the (virtual) table were people from football, finance, healthcare, marketing, academia and technology. Different sectors united by the fact that each of them had shown a deeper-than-average interest in culture as something they actively use to lead.

The conversation was generous, honest and far-reaching. By the end, it was clear this wasn’t a one-off …

Themes

Several clear themes were threaded through people’s stories, challenges and reflections.

Values aren’t optional. They are the navigational tools that help leaders make decisions when things get tough. This wasn’t about virtue signalling, but about resilience and results.

Values take courage. You cannot lead through values without also being prepared to have hard conversations, make unpopular decisions or shift direction when integrity demands it.

Culture is never finished. Organisations shift. People evolve. Contexts change. Values must be constantly re-embedded.

External perception matters. Culture is not just an internal feeling. It is how your team treats a supplier, how a parent describes their experience of your programme, or why someone chooses to join your organisation over another. Culture is your brand, lived.

Language holds power. Words like ‘kindness’ or ‘freedom’ don’t land the same way for everyone. We heard examples where well-intentioned language sparked concern or discomfort – not because the values weren’t right, but because interpretation hadn’t been fully explored.

Grit

What made the session sing was the subtle differences.

Some leaders spoke about supporting people to leave when values no longer aligned. Others described decisive action, making the call early for the sake of cultural clarity. Each reflected on the emotional cost of delay.

One story stood out: in a previous leadership role, someone shared that their team had adopted a value about enabling success. It was well received – until someone asked, “Does this mean I’m allowed to fail?” The question wasn’t rebellious: it revealed just how important it is to consider the full implication of any value.

Another insight came from the healthcare sector. A value intended to reflect stewardship and care for time and resources was initially met with unease. With further conversation, the value was clarified and embraced, but it served as a powerful reminder. Language isn’t neutral, especially in emotionally complex settings.

Some leaders described building their team’s autonomy and watching them flourish. Others found that the shift towards shared accountability created uncertainty. For some, it felt liberating. For others, destabilising.

These apparent contradictions showed the difference between a values statement and a values system. One is written. The other is lived, challenged, and matured through experience.

Takeaways

1. Clarity is kindness. If someone isn’t aligned, helping them move on can be the most respectful choice for everyone.

2. Values must be embodied. A leader can’t ask others to live the values if they aren’t willing to be held to them too.

3. Real values divide. Good values attract the right people and allow others to self-select out. That’s not failure. That’s function.

4. Culture lives in moments. It’s not in posters or presentations, but in how someone leaves the field, responds to a challenge, or welcomes a colleague on a difficult day.

5. Your culture is your brand. And the most powerful proof isn’t what you say, it’s how people talk about you when you’re not in the room, sign onto a customer waiting list or wait for a role to open up just to be part of it.

What’s Next

Culture Club will meet again. The next session will bring together a fresh mix of leaders, with new insights, stories and dilemmas, and welcome back some faces from this pilot session.

If you’re leading through values – or want to – and would like to be part of a future get together, contact me here.

No pitch. No performance. Just purpose-led people having the conversations that matter.

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“Once you get over yourself,” says Matt King, headmaster of Great Ballard School, you can have “the joy of appointing people who are so much better than you.”

And it's that view that permeates his approach to colleagues, students and family – of every type. He is a headteacher who has an open door policy, celebrates fun, encourages brave thinking, even finds himself proud of a pupil protest. His values are legacies from his parents with an extra one on top, and are things he treasures, nurtures and consciously refers to in times of uncertainty.

We spoke about the values that have helped him take some quite radical steps in education of children from ages 2-16, balancing the necessary disciplines of the curriculum with some quite unusual approaches to lifelong learning.

<p>The post 12: Matt King: the values of education first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

Here’s how he introduced the episode:

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Join Em for an inspiring chat with Erika Clegg, a woman on a mission to ignite a values revolution! Erika shares her journey of self-discovery and how uncovering your true values can empower you to live a more fulfilling life. They also delve into the power of vision, overcoming fears, and the importance of self-care. Tune in for a motivating conversation that will leave you ready to embrace your values and create a life of purpose and joy!

About Erika Clegg: Erika Clegg empowers leaders and their teams to identify and express their core values, designing strategies for values-driven programs. With 20 years of experience in brand consultancy and strategic communications, she now specializes in values-driven cultures, conducting workshops and delivering keynotes on leadership and values. As an award-winning speaker for Vistage CEO groups, she supports business leaders across Britain. Erika excels at helping clients navigate complexity, uncover their core principles, and pave the way for growth.

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Simon describes his mission as mentoring, supporting and shaping an optimistic future for the design industry. He uses the global branding agency, DixonBaxi, of which he is co-founder as the platform for this, creating a group of people who make beautiful, original brands that change the world for the better. We spoke about colleagues, clients, creativity and childhood.

<p>The post 11: Simon Dixon: Values for brands first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

Respect is about valuing the thoughts, feelings and backgrounds of others. Integrity reflects honesty, ethics and trustworthiness. Accountability means taking full responsibility for decisions and outcomes. These are actively embedded into the organisation’s culture.

When Nadella took over, saying “Culture change means we will do things differently” he dismantled the current competitive, siloed environment by championing a growth mindset, encouraging curiosity, collaboration and continuous learning. This cultural shift allowed Microsoft to become a place where people thrive together.

Inclusivity has also been prioritised, and with significant investment in initiatives that bring respect and integrity to life, Microsoft’s actions reflect a commitment to creating an equitable workforce.

The company’s focus on innovation-driven leadership has been equally important. By aligning with long-term goals like cloud computing and AI, Microsoft has committed to substance over trendiness. Platforms such as Azure and partnerships with OpenAI are signs of a dedication to meaningful progress rather than superficial hype.

This alignment between values and purpose has delivered financial success. Under Nadella, Microsoft’s valuation exceeded $3 trillion, Azure became a core revenue driver, and AI investments solidified its position as a tech leader. These achievements are a direct result of values-led decision-making.

Microsoft also avoids the superficiality often seen in the tech industry. Its reputation is built on substance, not hype. The organisation prioritises delivering genuine value to customers and given team members autonomy, build trust and engagement throughout its ecosystem.

In Nadella’s Microsoft, respect, integrity and accountability have revitalised the company culturally and financially. It serves as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when values are not just words but a way of operating. Leaders would do well to ask themselves – what could we achieve by living our values with this kind of commitment?

Nadella’s summary of the depth of this work goes like this: “After all, our products may come and go, but our values are timeless.”

<p>The post Microsoft: How Living Its Values Transformed Culture and Performance first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

As the saying goes: “Let a thousand flowers bloom”.

To cultivate a thriving culture that aligns with your values, it’s not about grand gestures. It’s about encouraging small, purposeful actions across your business. Start by asking yourself:

• What can you do?
• Who can make it happen?
• When will it be done?
• Why will it matter to people?
• Where will it take place?
• How will you measure its success?

These questions provide the framework to bring your values to life. They move you from intention to action, from vision to reality.

The key lies in encouraging small, meaningful contributions everywhere. Some of these “flowers” may not flourish, but others will take root and grow. Over time, they’ll transform your values into a living culture that resonates deeply across your organisation.

The lesson? Action, no matter how small, makes all the difference. Values don’t thrive in isolation. They need the right environment, careful nurturing, and consistent care to blossom into the culture you envisage. Start planting today.

<p>The post You’ve Got Values. But Are You Acting on Them? first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>

The visonary behind the English football training centre, St George’s Park, and former chair of Ipswich Town Football Club, David Sheepshanks is now a business leadership coach. It was a joy to find out more about what powers him.

<p>The post 2: David Sheepshanks: the valuable game first appeared on Erika Clegg.</p>