Core Values at Work: Building Culture That Actually Guides Behavior
When you think about core values in your workplace, what comes to mind? A few words painted on the breakroom wall? A mission statement buried in an onboarding deck? For many organizations, especially in fast-paced, high-pressure industries like the trades, core values become background noise. But if you’re leading a team, here’s the uncomfortable truth: your culture isn’t built by what you say you believe. It’s built by what you tolerate. And if those values aren’t actively guiding behavior, they’re not values—they’re decoration. So, how do you make core values actually work? How do you turn them from empty statements into a foundation that builds trust, accountability, and long-term growth?
John Knowlton has spent years helping leaders get clear on what drives their teams. With a background as a United Methodist pastor and a business coach for trades and service companies, John understands that values aren’t just about inspiration—they’re about alignment. According to him, culture is not defined by what’s printed on your website. It’s defined by behavior. And too often, leaders create unspoken double standards. High performers are rewarded—even when their behavior undermines the team. Values are quoted in meetings but ignored on the jobsite. Over time, this erodes trust and breeds inconsistency.
When your team sees misalignment between what’s said and what’s done, they stop believing. And that’s when turnover, burnout, and disengagement start to rise. But when core values are clear, consistent, and practiced daily? They become your most effective leadership tool.
In this episode of The People Strategy Podcast, Traci Austin sits down with leadership coach John Knowlton for a candid, practical conversation about how to bring core values to life, especially in trades-based businesses. Together, they unpack what it really means to operationalize core values in the everyday: from crafting interview questions that reveal alignment, to navigating difficult decisions when two values seem to conflict. They explore how to hold high performers accountable when their behavior clashes with team culture, and how to embed values into performance reviews, peer feedback, and daily communication. This episode offers more than just theory—it provides actionable tools for leaders ready to stop reacting to culture and start shaping it. Because, as John says, “Your culture is happening whether you lead it or not.”
What You’ll Learn:
[00:02:00] John’s journey from ministry to leadership coaching—and why people-first leadership always matters
[00:05:00] Why curiosity is the most underrated leadership trait
[00:09:30] How to define and activate your company’s core values
[00:13:00] How to resolve conflict when two values are at odds
[00:16:00] Why values-based accountability is the key to long-term performance
Quotes That Hit Hard:
“The best definition of culture is: What do you tolerate?” – John Knowlton
“Values are the way that we’re going to show up in the world… amongst our colleagues, our peers, and our customers.” – John Knowlton
“Performance is the things we do, the words we say, and the way we say them.” – John Knowlton
Actions You Can Take Today:
- Define behaviors: Add a behavioral statement to each core value so your team knows what it actually looks like in action.
- Hire for alignment: Ask candidates to share stories that demonstrate their behaviors in their past work, not just their credentials.
- Use core values in performance reviews: Don’t just assess output—assess how the work gets done.
- Clarify your “non-negotiables”: Identify which values take precedence when tough calls need to be made.
- Reframe culture as a leadership tool: Stop calling it “soft.” Culture is measurable, coachable, and essential to business success.
About John Knowlton:
John Knowlton is a C12 Chair serving leaders across West Michigan and Northern Indiana, helping Christian CEOs build great businesses for a greater purpose. With a career that bridges ministry, financial services, and leadership development, John brings a deeply people-focused lens to how culture, values, and performance intersect in the trades and service industries. He began his journey as a peer minister during college, later serving six years as a United Methodist pastor. Alongside his ministry, John ran remodeling and painting businesses before transitioning into financial services in 1998. Over the next two decades, he founded and led three Registered Investment Advisors, ultimately overseeing mergers and acquisitions for a firm managing $1.25 billion in assets with a team of 60. Now, as a C12 Chair, John equips business leaders to align faith, strategy, and behavior—operationalizing mission, vision, and values in a way that shapes real performance. His upcoming book, Thinking for Success, offers 52 story-driven lessons designed to help leaders navigate growth with wisdom, clarity, and curiosity.
Brought to You By:
The People Strategy Podcast is sponsored by the Leadership Development Program offered through Elevated Talent Consulting.
Do you have team members who’ve recently stepped into people leadership roles? Are they navigating the shift from doing the work to leading others through it?
In the Leadership Development Program, we partner with new and emerging leaders to help them build confidence and clarity in their role. Through practical, real-world learning, they’ll develop the core leadership skills they need—including time management, delegation, coaching, accountability, and leading through change.
This isn’t one-size-fits-all leadership. It’s personal, experiential, and built for the realities of the trades.
