Positive Value Leadership™
Positive Value Leadership™ (PVL) is the Institute of One World Leadership’s framework for turning Calibre – our attitudes, values and integrity – into better decisions, stronger organisations, and higher productivity.
The Positive Value Leadership Map defines the key attitudes and behaviours of a Positive Value Leader across six Exemplars: Probity, Potency, Planet, People, Perception and Participation, with Attitude and Values at the centre. It is used to assess, develop and recognise leaders in business, education and the public sector.
Positive Value Leadership – at a glance
- For leaders: clearer standards for integrous leadership, stronger judgement under pressure, and higher personal credibility.
- For employers: higher engagement, reduced misconduct and reputational risk, and more effective use of skills and technology.
- For employees: fairer treatment, healthier cultures, and greater agency and voice at work.
- For society & the economy: deeper trust in institutions and a measurable uplift in productivity when Calibre, Capability and Competency are aligned.
How the PVL framework works
Each Exemplar is underpinned by a locked set of Positive Values and behavioural statements:
- Probity – using one’s position fairly and challenging harmful acts.
- Potency – uplifting others, being inclusive, authentic and resilient.
- Planet – using human, natural and financial resources responsibly, with awareness of wider consequences.
- People – treating others with dignity, respect and care for their wellbeing.
- Perception – being information-aware, observant and communicative, not withholding knowledge for inequitable advantage.
- Participation – collaborating, being accessible, and helping others to grow.
Together, these Exemplars form a “pillar” that supports both Leadership Efficacy (how we lead others) and Personal Efficacy (how we lead ourselves).
From Calibre to Positive Value Performance
Traditional leadership development has focused on Capability (knowledge) and Competency (skills). Our work shows that without Calibre, these can be misapplied – leading to low trust, ethical failures and wasted potential. Positive Value Leadership provides the missing Calibre pillar. When leaders consistently apply the PVL Exemplars, we see what we call Positive Value Performance: better decision-making, fewer costly errors, higher engagement and stronger, more resilient productivity.
Our origins and design
The design of the framework is deliberately associated with Northern Ireland. The inspiration is a naturally occurring shape in nature which represents solidity, stability, longevity and community: the hexagon. The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland contains about 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns.
These were formed around 50 to 60 million years ago when lava began to cool, generating cracks at 90° to each other. As cooling continued, these cracks grew larger, forcing the angles to change to 120° – the same angle found in each corner of a hexagon.
As one column began to cool down to ambient temperatures, preserving its hexagonal shape, the same cooling process occurred around it. When one well-developed, symmetrical hexagonal column forms, many more tend to form around it. Similarly, we aspire that One World Leaders should be an example and mould others to adopt the One World leadership ethos.
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