"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
Carl Jung
Psychologist
- Date
Shadow Values and the Iceberg Under the Brand
posted in Business Coaching
Adam Kreek
We judge leaders by their behaviour.
We judge brands the same way.
But behaviour—what we can see and measure—is just the tip of the iceberg.
Below the waterline? That’s where the real work lives.
In our last blog, Leadership Drives: Why What You Don’t See Is Driving the Show, we mapped out the components of leadership effectiveness. We named the deeper layers: values, beliefs, needs, personality traits, and shadow drives—the hidden impulses that often override good intentions.
That same iceberg applies to brands.
Because every organization—just like every leader—is driven by a complex cocktail of values. And not all of them are noble.
Your Brand Has a Shadow
You already know this if you’ve ever:
- Sat in a culture workshop where the values slide felt… aspirational at best.
- Seen a “people-first” company slash headcount before bonuses.
- Watched a “sustainability leader” pour millions into greenwashing instead of fixing operations.
These aren't anomalies. They’re the result of unacknowledged shadow values guiding behaviour beneath the brand’s stated identity.
A brand is a promise.
But the shadow is what actually gets delivered under pressure.
The Iceberg Under the Brand
Let’s revisit the model from our leadership blog:
Above the Waterline:
- Mission
- Taglines
- Social posts
- Value statements
- Behaviour in ideal conditions
Below the Waterline:
- Actual decision-making logic
- Leadership drives (needs, fears, beliefs)
- Reward systems
- Unspoken rules
- Brand trauma and market scars
- Shadow values
This is where the real brand lives.
And if you don’t dive deep enough to see what’s down there, you’ll never understand the contradictions that show up on the surface.
What Are Shadow Values?
Shadow values are values we hold—but don’t want to admit we hold.
They’re often rooted in fear, insecurity, survival, or ego. And like all shadow traits, they get denied, projected, or expressed in disguise.
For example:
- A startup might say it values innovation—but the shadow value is vanity. They don’t want to be seen as behind.
- A public company might claim transparency, but under pressure, the real value is control.
- A leader might champion inclusion onstage, but privately seek status and proximity to power.
These aren’t moral failings. They’re human systems in motion.
But when they go unacknowledged, they erode trust—from the inside out.
You Don’t Get to Skip the Shadow Work
If you lead a brand (or build one), here’s the truth:
You’re already projecting values—intentionally or not.
The question is whether you’re aware of the full spectrum.
In your ViDA content, you talk about noble failure vs. frail failure. It’s a powerful lens here:
- Noble failure comes from integrity. You make a call that aligns with your values, and it doesn’t work out. But the failure strengthens the culture.
- Frail failure comes from shadow. You make a call that contradicts your stated values, and the fallout reveals a fracture between message and behaviour.
The same distinction applies to brand missteps.
When your stated values are aspirational—but not operational—frail failure is inevitable.
Questions That Reveal the Iceberg
To lead with awareness, start asking better questions:
- What behaviours are actually rewarded in our organization?
- What values show up under stress or scarcity?
- What do we tolerate that contradicts our stated values?
- What fear are we protecting with this strategy?
- What drives this campaign—service or status?
If you’re not willing to confront the answers, your brand will always operate on two levels: the story you tell, and the one your customers actually experience.
Leading a Brand With Integrity
You don’t need to project perfection.
You need to project truth—and act in alignment with it.
Here’s how you build a more honest, effective, and values-driven brand:
- Clarify Your Aspirational Values.
What do you want to be known for? These should guide messaging, product, and leadership. - Audit Your Behavioural Values.
What actually gets rewarded, repeated, and reinforced? - Name the Shadow Values.
What values show up under pressure, even if you don’t like them? (Hint: These aren’t always negative. Some may be useful in moderation.) - Align Your Operating Systems.
Ensure that hiring, compensation, leadership behaviour, and crisis response reflect the values you claim. - Tell the Truth Faster.
When misalignment happens (and it will), name it early. Your integrity doesn’t come from being perfect. It comes from course-correcting in public.
Final Thought
A strong brand is built below the waterline.
It’s not the tagline. It’s the tension between what you say and what you do—and how aware you are of the values that drive both.
Don’t just market your noble values.
Do the shadow work too.
Because the more honest you are about the full iceberg, the more trust you’ll earn when the waters get rough.
Further Reading:
–––––
Adam Kreek and his team are on a mission to positively impact organizational cultures and leaders who make things happen.
He authored the bestselling business book, The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen.
Want to increase your leadership achievement? Learn more about Kreek’s coaching here.
Want to book a keynote that leaves a lasting impact? Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.