Core Reflection Essay

Feeling Trapped in the Middle

For more than 18 years I worked for a company with a similar corporate culture to Frontier’s, where I had to deal with bosses who valued an authoritative style, managing by decree, and screaming at people to get results, while at the same time, I was dealing with talented direct reports who had little tolerance for unquestioned authority.

Self-Evaluation and Core Values

During sessions 3&4 (Self-Leadership), I was able to figure out one important step in my objective of becoming a better professional, “Find out who I am!”.

I completed various self-assessments that made me understand my strengths and values. Here was the source of my conflict with my previous employer, since my core values (Empathy, Security and Integrity) were a mismatch to the company espoused values (Aggressiveness and Repression).

I am very proud of my values, however, what would I do next time I have got to deal with a corporate culture that conflicts with my core values?

Dealing with Tough Corporate Culture

From my point of view, there are two options, one where I seek the match with my core values during the job hunt, having in mind that I “need to look after my own career, not the company I work for”. However, that ideal company that matches my values may not exist, and as such, I should focus on the strengths of the corporate culture and how to deal with it.

In my previous experience, I was able to isolate my team of direct reports and create the culture of trust,