Proven Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Your Values are Either Destroying Profits or Building an Empire — Robert Glazer
Air Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Charles Schwartz
Guest: Robert Glazer

Overview

This episode of Proven Podcast features Robert Glazer, entrepreneur and author, who deep-dives into the role core values play not just in personal success but in building award-winning organizations. Glazer, founder of Acceleration Partners (a global partnership marketing firm), has led his company to win "Best Place to Work" awards over 30 times and credits this achievement to living by authentic, actionable core values. The discussion unpacks why most approaches to values are shallow, the science and practice of uncovering true core values, and how organizations and individuals can implement values-driven leadership for growth, clarity, and lasting impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Are (and Aren't) Core Values?

• Core values are non-negotiable principles that guide behavior and decisions, intrinsic to the person or organization.
  — Robert Glazer [02:25]

• The Problem with Generic Values:
  One-word values like "Family" or "Integrity" are often hollow. As Glazer says, “90% of that corporate core value stuff is BS. Enron’s core values as they were going under were integrity and respect…” [02:25]
  He insists values must be actionable, descriptive, and specific to the actual behaviors that matter.

• Values Are Intrinsic, Not Aspirational:
  “They reflect who you are, not who you wish you were.” [02:25]
  Core values are consistent patterns established in formative years (roughly ages 8–20), surfacing in all arenas of life.

Why "Family" and "Integrity" Aren’t Core Values

• "Family"—a priority, not a value:
  “Family is a priority. It’s not a value... What about family do you actually value?” [04:56]
  For some it’s showing up, for others, blind loyalty—which aren’t the same thing.

• "Integrity"—too vague:
  “I've heard 10 different definitions of integrity. For some people it’s tell the truth; for others, it’s live up to your ability... When I ask people and it’s one word, I don't know how to judge myself on that.” [04:56]

Discovering Personal Core Values: The 6 Questions Framework [09:33–12:35]

Glazer outlines a structured self-audit:

1. In what non-work environments are you highly engaged? Why?
2. What professional roles have allowed you to do your best work? Why?
3. What advice or qualities do others seek from you?
4. What would you want said about you in your eulogy?
5. When were you disengaged, personally or professionally?
6. What qualities in others drive you crazy or trigger you?

Memorable moment:

• Charles plays through the “triggers” exercise—he's viscerally annoyed by people with no situational awareness, which leads to discussing “efficiency” and “read the room” as potential core values [12:39–17:10].

The Inverse Test: What Bothers You Reveals What You Value

• “The opposite of a value is triggering. That's a good example of if you had started making that list, you would have had a bunch of things that maybe indicated the opposite of core values.” [14:49]
• Charles: “If you're in line at Starbucks... you've had five minutes, pay attention. Lock in. That drives me out of my mind.” [12:48]
• This process helps crystallize values through negative emotional reactions.

Implementation in Leadership & Business [18:15–21:15]

• Apply values in actionable ways:
  Charles, who values efficiency, holds standing meetings (no chairs), requires team members to bring two solutions with any problem, and communicates clearly about expectations.

• “If you’re not a problem solver, if you’re a problem creator, you’re not going to survive here.” — Robert Glazer [21:15]

• Clarity over consensus:
  “Too many leaders and organizations are trying to signal a lot of common denominator stuff rather than saying, ‘Here’s what we’re about, here’s what I’m about. If you love this and want to join us, great.’ If you’re not, that’s okay.” [20:01]

Organizational Values in Harmony—but Not Unison

• Balance of values in teams:
  “They need to be in harmony, they don’t need to be in unison, and they can’t be in opposition.” [21:36]
  It's about creating a healthy dynamic, not uniformity.

Pitfalls: Where People Fail [23:40]

1. Shortcutting the process:
   “They want the one-hour solution to the most important principles in their life.”
2. Confusing aspirations with reality:
   “When I see people really struggling, they're trying to figure out things they think they want to be. They're not willing to be honest about who they are.” [24:44]

The Impact—Clarity and Alignment [26:53–29:56]

• Once unlocked, values help people:
  • Make clear decisions on relationships, work, and community.
  • Recognize misalignment: “One leader realized her ex was the opposite of three of her core values—it’s not surprising.” [28:20]
  • Build environments that support willpower and growth.

The Role of Environment

• “It’s really hard to display the opposite behavior that your environment’s displaying… Willpower is a resource that’s diminished easily—best way is to control your environment.” [29:56]

Applying to Parenting and Family

• For kids, start with family values (“Glazers don’t lie,” etc.), then individual values after 22+. [34:08]

• Accountability:
  “It takes 10 years to know if your kids were listening to you.” [35:57]
  Accountability comes by modeling the behavior and having honest family discussions—even admitting your own slip-ups.

Handling Value Conflicts in Organizations

• Understand each side’s value roots:
  Example: Budget disagreement rooted in “needing to be heard” vs. “not wasting money.”
  “It’s not going to fix the problem, but it’s really going to help knowing that, oh wow, this is a danger area for us.” [40:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Core values are simply the non-negotiable principles that guide your behavior and decisions. Historically, people have been willing to lose their life over their values.” — Robert Glazer [02:25]

• “You have the same compass whether you realize it or not… When you look at people’s core values… 99.9% are FOR or AGAINST something formative.” — Robert Glazer [04:56]

• “If you want to be happy, stop doing all the shit that makes you unhappy. The only thing left will be happiness.” — Charles Schwartz [15:07]

• “Willpower is consumable. Putting yourself in environments that go against what you actually want is not really helpful.” — Robert Glazer [33:50]

• “Just making decisions based on your values, your truth, they cost you something… But those decisions, you can justify them. The ones based on appeasement or for appearances—they just get worse over time.” — Robert Glazer [30:57]

Implementation: Individual and Organizational

For Individuals:

• Work through the values framework (available at robertglazer.com/6).
• Reflect, journal, and find the “roots” in formative years.
• Test by looking for alignment (or misalignment) across relationships, community, and vocation.

For Leaders & Organizations:

• Articulate your personal values, communicate them to your team, and update company values as needed.
• Interview team members to unearth the real, lived values of the organization—not just what’s on the posters.
• Be prepared for people to opt out when they see a mismatch—that’s a win.

“I want every person in my 200 person company to figure out their own personal core values. I want this unlock for them and those people will be loyal to those leaders for decades.” — Robert Glazer [50:29]

How to Connect and Next Steps

• Book: "Compass Within" (parable-style, with actionable framework)—readable in 70–80 minutes
  • compass-within.com
• All resources: robertglazer.com
• Social / Contact: LinkedIn, contact form on website; promises replies to all authentic inquiries within 24 hours.

Key Segment Timestamps

• [02:25] — Defining core values and why most are BS
• [04:56] — Why “family” and “integrity” don’t work as values
• [09:33] — Six questions for discovering personal values
• [13:27] — “Triggers” exercise and identifying opposite values
• [18:15] — How to operationalize values in business routines
• [26:53] — Value discovery as the ultimate personality test and its impact
• [34:08] — Teaching values to children vs. adults
• [40:46] — Navigating internal conflicts via value-awareness
• [46:41] — Book format, how to implement with your team
• [50:29] — Letting misaligned employees self-select out is a win

Closing Insight

“Clarity beats chaos. Values beat vibes. Stop reacting. Start deciding. The leaders who win know who they are, what they stand for, and what they’ll walk away from. Remember, if your decisions aren’t anchored in real values, they’re just noise pretending to be strategy.” — Charles Schwartz [58:17]