The Compass Within
Turn your core values into the instrument that steers every big decision.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 95%
Glazer's central metaphor is that core values function as an internal compass: once articulated precisely, they tell you which directions to go and which to avoid before you make the mistake, not after. He distinguishes values (the pillars) from purpose (the roof that sits across them), arguing that values are the easier and more tractable thing to identify first. The failure mode he attacks is the one-word value — 'integrity', 'family', 'fun' — which sounds nice but cannot adjudicate a real decision. A usable value is worded so that you can say 'I did that' or 'I didn't do that'. Glazer's own five are: find a better way and share it; health and vitality; self-reliance; respectful authenticity; long-term orientation.
Origin
In 2013, while building Acceleration Partners, Glazer attended a leadership training he expected to be about leading others. It turned out to be two days of 'who are you and what do you value.' He realized he was values-oriented but could not articulate his values beyond vague one-word answers. He then spent three to six months working out his definitive list, and began making major changes in his personal life and business. Three years ago, hearing his own bio read at an event, he noticed every single achievement in it happened after that 2013 training.
Core principles
- 01Core values are the non-negotiable principles that guide your behavior and decisions.
- 02Values are intrinsic, not aspirational — they reflect who you are and probably who you've always been.
- 03Values are consistent: they show up in relationships, work, and personal decisions alike.
- 04Values are clarifying: if they don't help you make a decision, they aren't doing their job.
- 05Most people sense their values but cannot articulate them — which is why they only notice a violation after hitting the electric fence.
How to run it
- 1
Accept that you don't know your values yet
Most people can sense when they've violated a value but cannot name it in advance. Start from the assumption that your current one-word answers are placeholders, not values.
Pro tip If your answer is 'integrity' or 'family', treat that as the start of the inquiry, not the end.
Watch out Learning your values only when you hit the electric fence means the value cost you something before it ever helped you.
- 2
Do the extended excavation, not a quiz
Glazer spent three to six months on this. Work the six questions repeatedly rather than trying to produce a list in an afternoon.
Pro tip Write the answers on paper and let them sit between sessions; patterns surface across weeks, not minutes.
- 3
Convert each one-word value into a decision-grade sentence
Ask 'what does this actually mean to me?' until you get a phrase you can test against an action. 'Integrity' becomes 'your word should match your actions.' 'Family' becomes 'you always show up.'
Pro tip Ten people give ten different meanings for the same one-word value — which proves the word carries none of the information.
Watch out If the wording can't produce a yes/no on a specific past action, it's still too vague.
- 4
Test the list with the core validator
A real core value hurts when violated. Look at the opposite — the behavior in others that makes your blood boil — and check that it maps to something on your list.
- 5
Lock a definitive list and start pruning
Once the list is definitive, use it to double down on some things and get rid of others in both your personal life and your business.
Pro tip Roughly five values is Glazer's own number — enough to cover the terrain, few enough to recall under pressure.
- 6
Layer purpose on top
Once values are clear, an overarching purpose becomes easier to see — Glazer's is 'share ideas that help people and organizations grow.' Values are the pillars; purpose is the roof.
Pro tip If you're stressed about finding your purpose, stop and do the values work first — it's the more tractable half.
In the wild
Three years ago someone read Glazer's bio aloud at an event. He chuckled mid-introduction because he realized every single accomplishment listed had occurred after the 2013 leadership training where he first started excavating his values.
→ The values work, not the hustle that preceded it, marked the inflection point in his entire professional record.
When readers write in upset about something in his Friday Forward newsletter and want to argue about it, Glazer leans into his 'respectful authenticity' value and engages rather than ignoring or firing back.
→ A named value converted an ambiguous, emotionally charged situation into an automatic behavior.
Common mistakes
Settling for one-word values
'Integrity', 'family', 'fun', and 'fitness' are labels, not values. They cannot arbitrate a decision because everyone means something different by them.
Listing aspirational values instead of intrinsic ones
Values reflect who you already are and probably always have been. Writing down who you wish you were produces a list you will never actually consult.
Chasing purpose before values
People agonize over finding their purpose while skipping the easier, load-bearing work underneath it. Purpose is the roof; without pillars there's nothing to sit on.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders, operators, and high achievers facing a fork — a role change, a relationship decision, a move — who feel successful but not aligned.
Not ideal for
People wanting a quick personality test result; the work takes months of reflection and honest self-examination.
From the transcript
“I think your core values are the non-negotiable principles that guide your behavior and decisions.”
“It's not super helpful if you hit the electric fence and you get electrocuted and you're like, oh, I shouldn't have done that.”
“If you can figure out your values, they're like the pillars and the purpose is kind of like the roof that sits across all of…”
“Every single thing they read from that bio was after that 2013 event.”
From the episode
Robert Glazer: The Proven Decision-Making Framework High Achievers Use to Unlock Fulfillment
Robert Glazer