Before jumping into the examples, it is helpful to understand the five key characteristics of a business’s core values. A business core value consists of these five attributes:

Some core values are strong and effective in building a business’s foundation. Others fizzle out over time. The difference is that strong core values are:

Sustainable – They can be applied to any type of business and maintained over time.

Constant – Regardless of what happens, these are core values that can be consistently applied.

Motivating – These values motivate employees and create a positive culture within the company.

Personal – Company core values reflect personal beliefs and values.

Applicable – These values can be and are reflected in the actions of the company.

Here are a few examples of core values from real businesses. Enjoy these and use them for brainstorming your values and the values of your business.

Zappos states its core values are:

Motley Fool’score values are:

Best Buy’score values are:

Slack’score values are:

Chick-fil-A’score values are:

As you can see, the format and expression of core values vary greatly. These are examples to spur your thinking. Use whatever format and words are meaningful to you. These examples have a great impact because they all meet the characteristics of core values. They provide the ethical framework and norms of behavior that shape the culture of these companies. These values are enduring and slow to change.

As you brainstorm your core values, think strategically about how you will clearly articulate them. How will the values be put into practice in your business? How will they shape the culture of your business?

Take Action: Research the core values of other companies. List the core values of your business. Are they stated clearly? Are they guiding behavior and decisions? If not, what can you do to reinforce the importance of the core values and use them in day-to-day operations?