The ViDA Value Word List: A Practical Rulebook for Choosing Better Values

Values are not decoration.

They are not poster words. They are not slogans. They are not the things we wish we had, the goals we hope to reach, or the behaviours we want to force onto people.

Values are the internal states and traits that help us make better decisions, show up with more integrity, and act in alignment with who we are.

At ViDA, we define values as enduring states and traits that guide, drive, and motivate behaviour, decisions, and human interaction. They are lived in the present. They are not abstract goals. They are not principles. They are not present participles. They are not future destinations. They are qualities of character we can inhabit now. This is the foundation of the ViDA Values Rulebook.

A ViDA-Aligned Value Word Bank

Here is a working A–Z list of value words that generally fit the ViDA standard: nouns that point toward an internal state, trait, or quality of character.

This list is extensive, but not final for every person or organization. A word still needs to pass through context. The same word can be strong in one setting and sloppy in another. Use the rubric below before adopting any word as a personal, team, or organizational value.

Acceptance, Abundance, Achievement, Accountability, Accuracy, Adaptability, Adventurousness, Agency, Alertness, Alignment, Altruism, Ambition, Amusement, Appreciation, Aptitude, Assurance, Assertiveness, Attentiveness, Audacity, Authenticity, Autonomy, Awareness.

Balance, Beauty, Benevolence, Boldness, Bravery, Brilliance, Buoyancy.

Calm, Candor, Care, Certainty, Challenge, Charity, Cheerfulness, Civility, Clarity, Cleanliness, Collaboration, Commitment, Compassion, Competence, Composure, Confidence, Congruence, Connection, Conscientiousness, Consideration, Consistency, Contentment, Contribution, Cooperation, Courage, Courtesy, Craftsmanship, Creativity, Credibility, Curiosity.

Decency, Dedication, Dependability, Depth, Determination, Devotion, Dignity, Diligence, Directness, Discipline, Discernment, Discovery, Discretion.

Ease, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Elegance, Empathy, Endurance, Energy, Enthusiasm, Equanimity, Equality, Equity, Excellence, Exploration.

Fairness, Fellowship, Fidelity, Flexibility, Focus, Forgiveness, Fortitude, Frankness, Freedom, Friendliness, Frugality, Fulfillment, Fun.

Generosity, Genius, Gentleness, Goodness, Grace, Gratitude, Grit, Growth.

Happiness, Harmony, Helpfulness, Honesty, Honour, Hope, Hospitality, Humility, Humor.

Imagination, Inclusion, Independence, Ingenuity, Insight, Inspiration, Intelligence, Intention, Integrity, Introspection, Intuition.

Joy, Judgment, Justice.

Kindness, Knowledge.

Leadership, Lightheartedness, Love, Loyalty.

Mastery, Maturity, Mercy, Mindfulness, Modesty.

Nobility.

Openness, Optimism, Orderliness, Originality.

Patience, Peace, Perceptiveness, Perseverance, Perspective, Playfulness, Poise, Positivity, Practicality, Presence, Prudence, Purpose.

Reliability, Resilience, Resourcefulness, Respect, Responsibility, Reverence, Rigor.

Self-Awareness, Self-Discipline, Self-Expression, Self-Respect, Selflessness, Sensitivity, Serenity, Service, Simplicity, Sincerity, Skillfulness, Solidarity, Spirituality, Stability, Stewardship, Strength.

Tact, Teamwork, Temperance, Tenacity, Thoughtfulness, Thrift, Tolerance, Transparency, Trust, Truth.

Understanding, Unity.

Valor, Versatility, Vitality, Vision, Vulnerability.

Warmth, Wholeness, Wisdom, Wonder.

Zest.

Some words are contextual. Freedom, Happiness, Purpose, Growth, Community, Security, Success, Health, Wealth, Family, and Legacy often appear on popular values lists, but they can easily become terminal values, needs, goals, or external outcomes. ViDA does not throw these words away. We examine them. If “family” is the goal, the value underneath may be love, loyalty, care, responsibility, service, presence, or connection. If “wealth” is the goal, the value underneath may be stewardship, discipline, abundance, prudence, or generosity. The word is not enough. The state behind the word matters.

If you're feeling extra nerdy, download this document that has a clearer explanation of definite value words and how to identify and convert edge cases into a unified syntax.

What Makes a ViDA Value Word?

A ViDA value word passes six tests.

The governing rule is simple:

A value word is a singular noun that represents a stable, intrinsic quality of character or state of being, and it should naturally fit the sentence: “That person is so full of ______.”

That is why kindness works and caring does not. That is why curiosity works and learning often does not. That is why courage works and risk-taking usually belongs in a principle.

What Does Not Make the Cut?

Many words sound good, but fail the ViDA test.

Present participles fail. Words like caring, learning, sharing, striving, growing, excelling, and nurturing describe action in motion. They can be useful in principles, but values should be grounding states and traits. In the ViDA framework, present participles create a subtle pressure to perform the value instead of inhabit it.

Better alternatives:

Adjectives fail when they stand alone. Words like successful, honest, reliable, bold, brave, kind, and creative describe something, but they are not the best value-word form. Convert them into nouns: success may become achievement or excellence; honest becomes honesty; reliable becomes reliability; bold becomes boldness; kind becomes kindness.

Principles are not values. “Always tell the truth” is not a value. It is a principle. The value underneath is honesty or integrity. “Listen before responding” is not a value. It is a principle. The value underneath may be respect, empathy, humility, or curiosity. Values are the internal compass. Principles are the playbook.

Terminal goals are not automatically values. This is where many educators, leaders, and facilitators get tripped up. Words like family, career, wealth, success, health, recognition, safety, security, community, and legacy may be deeply important. But importance alone does not make a word a value in the ViDA sense. These are often desired end states. The value is the state or trait that helps you pursue them well.

Where Education Often Goes Wrong

In classrooms, leadership workshops, and coaching conversations, people often start with what they want.

A student says, “I value success.”

A founder says, “I value growth.”

A parent says, “I value family.”

A team says, “We value innovation.”

None of these are wrong as starting points. They are just incomplete.

The next question is the useful one:

What quality do you want to bring to that outcome? To influence the decisions, the judgements that you will make?

If a student values success, the underlying ViDA value might be discipline, mastery, ambition, excellence, or resilience.

If a founder values growth, the underlying value might be curiosity, adaptability, courage, or stewardship.

If a parent values family, the underlying value might be love, loyalty, patience, presence, or responsibility.

If a team values innovation, the underlying value might be creativity, curiosity, experimentation, courage, or ingenuity.

This distinction matters because values are not just labels. They guide behaviour under pressure. When the water is flat, every crew looks aligned. When the wind hits, the real values show up.

The Governing Standard

The ViDA standard for value words is stricter than most popular values lists.

Merriam-Webster defines a value as something such as a principle or quality that is intrinsically valuable or desirable. That broad definition is useful, but ViDA narrows the definition for practical leadership use: values are internal states and traits that drive decisions, actions, and human interaction. (merriam-webster.com)

The ViDA rulebook uses these standards:

This gives us a clean operating standard. We can still learn from popular values lists, psychological models, and organizational culture work. But every candidate word must be filtered through the ViDA lens before it earns a place in the final list.

Research Methodology Behind the List

This word bank was assembled through five passes.

First, we started with the existing ViDA value word list. That list already includes words such as Acceptance, Accountability, Adaptability, Courage, Curiosity, Empathy, Integrity, Resilience, Responsibility, Trust, Wisdom, and Wonder, and notes that each word had been checked against ViDA’s grammatical and conceptual rules. (ViDA Coaching)

Second, we applied the ViDA Values Rulebook. Each word was screened against the rules above: noun form, stable state or trait, intrinsic quality, “full of” test, non-present-participle form, and distinction from goals, needs, beliefs, purpose, mission, and principles. (ViDA Coaching)

Third, we compared against established values frameworks. Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values gives us a broad motivational map, including self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, security, conformity, tradition, benevolence, and universalism. Schwartz’s research is especially useful because it shows how values can conflict and complement one another across cultures. (ViDA Coaching)

Fourth, we considered Rokeach’s terminal and instrumental distinction. Rokeach’s framework remains useful because it separates desirable end states from modes of conduct. ViDA’s position is that terminal values may point us toward meaning, but the usable value word is usually the internal state or trait that guides how we move. (ViDA Coaching)

Fifth, we compared popular value and character-strength lists. Brené Brown’s values list is useful because it shows how people commonly name what matters to them, but it includes words that ViDA would refine, such as caring, family, financial stability, learning, making a difference, risk-taking, security, success, travel, wealth, and well-being. The VIA Institute’s character strengths list is also useful because many strengths map cleanly onto ViDA-style value words, including bravery, creativity, curiosity, fairness, forgiveness, gratitude, honesty, hope, humility, kindness, leadership, love, perseverance, prudence, teamwork, and zest. (Brené Brown)

The goal was not to copy every popular value word. The goal was to filter language through a practical leadership standard.

The Point of Better Value Words

Better language gives us better clarity. And clarity is leadership.

When values are vague, people argue about interpretation. When values are action words, people feel pressure to perform. When values are terminal goals, people chase outcomes and lose the state of being that would help them get there well.

But when values are clear states and traits to embody when making decisions, they become usable.

They help a student choose effort over avoidance.

They help a leader choose candor over comfort.

They help a team choose trust over politics.

They help a founder choose discipline over panic.

They help a family choose patience over reactivity.

A good value word is not a finish line. It is like an oar. It helps you pull in the right direction when the water gets rough.

Values are not just a word you might put on a wall.

Values are something you live.

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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. 

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